OK, It's Been A Crappy Week

I haven't been making comments on a lot of blogs this week, but rest assured, I'm reading as fast as I can. I've also not been out fishing since last Saturday because of circumstances beyond my control.

I started a remodel project on our downstairs bathroom. OK, simple enough project. Remove a little sheetrock, have a plumber replace the fiberglass shower, and install a shower head higher than the one that's in there, put a little sheet rock back and good to go. Here comes the formula! Time expected to complete the project x two, times 3. That should do it. Cost, same formula.

Part two was to repaint the ceiling that was dark blue. About the same color as the top strip of the blog. Then paint the rest of the bathroom.

Part three of the remodel was removing the wall paper. That ugly tropical fish junk. Getting the picture? Dark blue ceiling (water), Tropical fish wall paper (fish,OK I know you got that one), Brownish-orange tile on the floor (sand), and last but not least, a shell shaped sink and toilet seat cover. I think I'm going to puke.

Here is how it went. Remove the sheetrock behind the shower. Oh look, termite trails. Ever seen them? little dirt tubes that the termites run through, to the studs in the wall, which they eat. Remove the sheetrock at the end wall and wow, live termites. As Martha Stewart would say "I'm so excited". You have to hear that in her monotone to really appreciate it. Now, I remove the sheetrock on the wall behind the left side of the shower. Guess what? You got it, more termite trails. What else? Part of the 2x4 studs are eaten away. This just gets better and better. I spent part of Friday replacing the six 2x4 studs in that short wall.

Called the termite guy, he came out and inspected the damage, and let me know they would be here Monday (that's tomorrow) to take care of it, to the tune of $1200.00. There goes my new fly rod.

Back to the wall paper. Most of the time, you can wet the paper with a solution of vinegar & water and peel it right off. That's if there is only one layer of wall paper. Not here. Not one, not two, but three layers and the third layer is some heavy glued, brown striped crap that when you pull it off, it also takes the paper off the sheetrock. So now I'm removing all the sheetrock in the bathroom and will be replacing it with a new and improved sheetrock designed for bathrooms.

On the bright side, removing and replacing the new sheetrock will help in several ways. It'll make it easier for the contractor to install a new fart fan. and a new window. The old window is aluminum and I'm having him put in one of the new dual pane vinyl jobs. It will also let me install the medicine chest in the wall instead of on the wall. I'm also insulating all the walls, interior and exterior. It also gives the plumber plenty of space when he puts in the new shower.

Then to add another element into the mix, Smudge (our little gray 19 1/2 pound kitty) got sick yesterday. Started to have trouble breathing in the morning and by dinner time we had to run him to the vet emergency clinic. As of this morning, he's doing better. Had we not taken him last night, we probably would have been burying him this morning. Seems he has asthma. Yes, he will have an inhaler for any future episodes. He'll be home this afternoon.

So maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to get out to do a little fishing, maybe as soon as Tuesday. I'll let you know. Just wanted to let you know I'm still here.

Mark