RANDOM MUSINGS

***** I'm quite sure my husband and I have some masochistic blood in us. After swearing off renovations after the wood floor laying this summer, which came after swearing off renovations in the house after the bathroom and basement projects of last year, we have started up yet another project. WHY DO WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES??? Now I know our 45 year old house is desperate for updates, but oh, reno is a killer. 
          In my defense, I was just going to do a simple downstairs bathroom reno; remove old ugly wallpaper and re-paint and have Dick install a new little cheap vanity. Simple. Inexpensive. But then I start, and that's where all the problems lie (just like what happened with the other 3 projects last year......BIG problems are found under the surface that need fixing first). The wall under the ugly wallpaper is a wreck. Electrical sockets masking-taped in place, tons of huge nail holes, no mud and tape between dry wall sheets, hunks of dry wall missing....you get the picture. And yes, you know what happens now. 
          NOW we have to hire a dry wall person to come in and do the walls. Then we notice the makeshift ceiling, old white paneling. We decide we can't fix the walls, and not dry wall the ceiling too. So we need same person to do ceiling. Then we see that the old ugly chrome fixtures and towel bars will not work and we buy new brushed nickel ones, and we decide that the cheap simple vanities look cheap and simple and we opt to pay twice what we budgeted to get one that looks halfway decent. So now our bathroom is completely torn up and the wall guy can't come for 3 weeks, and I say to myself, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, MARY??? CAN'T YOU LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE?"  
          Apparently not.


*****If you have not tried Google Chrome for your browser, you should. It trumps Internet Explorer on every level. Easy to download, and fantastic to use.


*****Started back at work at the nursing home on Friday morning, and am starting subbing again on Monday. New insurance year, with new deductibles. The extra income sure helps. It'll be so nice to see all my teacher friends!


*****I finally bought a half gallon of Walmart brand of orange juice. Always thought I needed Tropicana or Minute Maid to have that REAL orange juice taste. Not so. Less pulp than we like, but hey, when you can save 80 cents per jug, pulp isn't that important. I bet I can save $50 per year in orange juice alone!!


*****I am heading up to Fargo this week to see my folks. They still enjoy having their kiddos alone to themselves, even at our ages. I get that.


*****My favorite quote about faith this week: Faith always talks about the thing prayed for as though it were already received, even before it is seen, heard or felt!!!
        AMEN TO THAT!! Have a great week!