By Julie

Around 11:50 p.m. last night I realized I still hadn't posted the entry for the day, but I was so tired I didn't want to get out of bed, and so breaks my Nablopomo blogging streak. Ah well, I'll be a good sport and try to finish out the month anyway.

Yesterday morning Kevin rented a jackhammer. It's his second time renting this piece of equipment; the first time was over a year ago. The rentals were necessitated by several hundred square feet of really hideous cream and brown tile installed by the previous owner of our house. They didn't use ordinary thinset like they should have. Instead they had used some crazy substance called wet set mortar, which is why the tiles refused to come off with ordinary hammering and chiseling.

The first jackhammer rental was made after a lot of web research and second guessing. Kevin brought the thing home, put on a pair of eye goggles (after I reminded him to), crossed his fingers, and turned the thing on. It worked brilliantly -- one by one the tiles broke into pieces -- but man it was hard work. By day's end, all the tile in the kitchen and dining room was gone, but Kevin's shoulders and back were KILLING him.

Part two of tile removal took place yesterday, thanks to a LOT of help from Kevin's brother. Now all the tile in the entry and hallway is gone. There's a few more demolition projects in our future, but this one was by far the most backbreaking. I'm really thankful that Brian was willing to help us out. I feel like this huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders.

Now that the bathroom construction, bedroom improvements, and noisy tile removal are over, we're able to bring Daisy back home. She'd been living with my parents since the latter part of summer. Man, I'd forgotten how much stuff it takes to care for a dog. We filled up the entire back of the van with her dog crate, the wheeled 30 gallon plastic bin containing her dry food, and four big shopping bags filled with chew toys, blankets, and other accessories.

The drive home was noisy. She wouldn't stop whining, but at least she didn't freak out like she usually does. The secret? Half a dose of Benadryl. Once we got home she seemed relaxed. She had caught fleas from the mangy cats that my parents' crazy neighbors won't stop harboring, but Kevin's found a good flea treatment and got most if not all out of her hair. In a few days I'll take her to the vet to bring her shots up to date.

Labels: home improvement, meds, nablopomo, pets

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