Lack of Posts, an Explanation

Y'all might have wondered what happened to my normally blistering schedule of posting. Not even a book review or photos of rabbits in a field. Well, I've just completed the April-July Bathroom Renovation Hell Test of Marriage. You see, my wife (who hates the "Hobie" moniker by the way) decided to have our upstairs bathroom remodeled/renovated. I suppose it needed it. The vanity, that cabinet that holds up the sinks (bowls) and hides the plumbing was about 30 years old and had suffered the indignities of 5 children growing up with it. It wasn't an expensive unit when new and the doors were starting to fall off the hinges. There was no storage either. Also the toilet was even older and seldom flushed with any sort of confidence inspiring regularity. The only good thing about it was the 5 gal tank which, when it worked, managed to get just about any load all 120 feet to the sewer at the street. The wall paper was peeling, the ceiling fan was dead, there was no electric outlet and the room was lit by a single 60W bulb. The old tile was covered with 20+ year old carpet (hint, don't put carpet where it can repeatedly get wet) and coming up off the floor. I guess the bathroom was due a face lift.

Anyway, my dear wife got a contractor who came in and ripped everything out only to not come back for two whole weeks AND not replace/install the toilet flange. Add to this numerous hair-pulling discussions on cabinetry vs. plumbing of which the resulting decisions, absolutely agonizing as they were, were still incorrect AND damaged and delayed shipping of the vanity, etc and you will see that a pattern rapidly developed by which our only bath with a shower was out of order for a loooooong time! Oh, we had the shower for all but a week of that time. Yes, we took showers elsewhere.

All I can add is that as one gets older, the availability of a bathroom, specifically the toilet, in the middle of the night, becomes more and more important. Aging as rapidly as we did during the project, bathroom availability was approaching desperation levels. And then... the plumber arrived. 5 hours later he'd managed to fix our 1926 incorrectly renovated oddity and bless with a working crapper and sinks! Joy of joys! Now I only have to get one drawer in the vanity shortened so that it will work around the drain (eyes rolling here) and all will be well. I hope.

Now the wife wants (and it needs it) to refurbish the back porch, replace the hot water heater, replace some sash cords, install central air and redo the kitchen. I'm thinking that it would be cheaper to move (as well as less stressful).