Affectionately, Dirtsville
Jamie and I raised smart, bright kids who have grown into amazing young adults; they are great kids. They have, however, inherited our sense of humor… and our sarcastic tendencies. If my kids every need side hustles they could have a very niche stand up comedy routine. One of our smartasses gave our new home the title, Dirtsville. It was not intended to be mean or disparaging, it was just an attempt to bring light to our challenging situation, and it stuck. Everyone, welcome to Dirtsville.
This last week has been filled with some of the most drastic changes. Our excavator/concrete team arrived and began their work clearing dirt for the new addition and garage. Part of this work meant dismantling the current septic system, leaving us without plumbing until the new septic can be installed which is roughly three to four weeks out. So the master bathroom, as my comedians noted, is the port-a-potty in the driveway. The guest bathroom is the camping toilet I bought myself, because I have my limits and peeing at 2am in the driveway is not happening. So the guest bathroom is in the house. Jamie showers at work during the week, and I drive into town every evening and shower at Jamie’s parents home or at my parent's house when I am there doing laundry and washing dishes. This part of the adventure is not one I care to repeat, and for the record, time is moving slow. It is not flying by. Peeing in the driveway or in a glorified bucket is a great reminder of how long four weeks can be.
Perhaps one of the most exciting developments of the recent days is that the elevator has been removed! We no longer have an elevator, but then we also don’t have stairs either. Right now we are using a ladder to move from floor to floor. Stairs aren’t too far off, but it will still be a little bit while we wait for the all the construction pieces to align (i.e., new concrete laid in the current garage which is being converted into living space). The siding is off some of the house in anticipation for the new windows which were also ordered this week. We will be waiting a little while as they are six to seven weeks out. This will work well since by then it will be cooler and gives our construction team time to work on the additions and kitchen.
There is more to come in the coming weeks as Jamie and I pick out flooring, tile, faucets, lighting fixtures, paint colors, and siding. We are excited that you are joining us on this adventure!
Please hug your toilet and practice gratitude for your indoor plumbing. Take care!
