Sunday, December 03, 2017

RENOVATING

When I posted a moan on 6th November about longing to clear out, reorganise, clean slate, start again, it was one of those typical moans that never gets beyond moaning. However it did lead me into a trance of efficiency. I can be very efficient when I want to but as I don’t often want to, I have to wait for a kind of self-hypnosis to take over.

Thus entranced I spent several nights and days investigating innumerable websites dealing with the installing of engineered wood flooring and other home-improvement madness. The whiny voice of comfortable passivity kept nagging me with questions such as Are you mad?  The mess? The stress? The time? The pain? The cost? You cannot be serious? I didn’t reply.  A trance is a trance and needs no justification.

I’m now halfway through the process and yes, whiny voice was absolutely right but I’m almost sure the disruption is worth it. I’ve disrupted everything habitual, nothing is where it was, stuff on top of stuff is shoved into the room where the flooring is not going to change. I’ve nearly cleared the living room and bedroom and on Monday a man is going to remove fitted carpet and begin laying the  engineered wood planks currently stacked in the back room. He’ll be finished in 3 or 4 days then I’ll do more renovating. I have plans. Action!

The trance continues. Exciting in an obsessive way. De-familiarising familiarity is liberating, innit?

Living room before renovation.

Living room and glimpse of kitchen, before renovation. Kitchen will not be renovated.

Enginered wood flooring and underlay stored in back room.

Stuff piled up in back room.

Books waiting for re-shelving.

3 comments:

Tom said...

I fear I shall be overcome with a touch of the vapours. It's all so very tiring, my dear, even just looking in! I trust you consulted your gentleman friend [the feline one] about all these changes.

Actually, I'm certain it'll all look fine when finished. A change is as good as a rest, as they say. [Not sure that's entirely appropriate, but....]

Meanwhile, we also are in the process of selecting flooring for the new house, which is going up at remarkable speed. We could have a base and shell by Christmas. And that is a way of introducing our wishes for a lovely Christmas for you. Stay warm and dry.

Catalyst said...

The thought of it makes me want to lie down for awhile.

Natalie d'Arbeloff said...

Tom, you know all about home renovation, its joys and pains, right? So enjoy restful vapours for the moment but wait until you move into your new home!No vapours allowed then.

No I didn't consult Pushkin because I know he would have objected. He's sensibly keeping away right now and that's fine by me. No place for a sleepy cat in this action-packed scene.

Bruce, you and Tom...chickens both of you! You should be helping me lift furniture.