House in Progress Diary

Say whaaaa...??? (To paraphrase Jon Stewart)

So, we are at that place where we feel like we are losing momentum rather than gaining it. After the initial cleaning and before we've had time to begin anything major and drawn out. Before the hot and muggy weather is gone.

Luckily, a phone call to L in Boston has me laughing instead of blue. Not only do her sister and brother-in-law live in a gorgeously renovated Victorian in Northampton, but they have put themselves through this more than once! Is there a type of -mania, like "kleptomania", except with renovation? What IS that Latin word for "renovates endlessly putting themselves through torture repeatedly"?

She's says I'll be alright. That is the absolutely most yucky stage.

Well, that's good.

So, before we fall asleep at night, A and I read our little "Do It Yourself" picture books and gear up for the weekend. Here's a snippet of our conversation from last night:

A: Listen to this. Who writes the copy that goes with these pictures? (reading aloud) “…sometimes, though, you want to go beyond the basics and experience the real pleasure of bathing. The deep relaxation of hot water. The therapy of quiet immersion. The peaceful pleasure of bathing with family or friends…” (stops reading) Whaaaaa? (makes funny cartoon shaking head noise)

J: (Can't speak...laughing too hard with a combination of horror and fascination...makes hand waving gesture that indicates "keep reading!")

A: (Reading on) "…my sense is that the quality of room as a space is paramount—with places to sit around the perimeter with good natural lighting…”

J: Ohmigosh! Who wrote your book???!!! I mean, the photographs are great, so maybe the guy hired to write copy around them thought, "It's Friday. No one will really read this...I'm outta here for the weekend"...?

A: No, but wait! Don't you see? This is exactly what we need to design for our upstairs bathroom! So when you are taking a bath, and if you have a guest over, they have somewhere to sit, you know, on the perimeter…

J: Stop! STOP! Suddenly, I don’t want to know anymore...I'm going to sleep.

What happens when you have too much "guest seating" around your bathtub? Alice Springs, Australia...that's what happens!

(It's the Bath Tub races at Alice Springs, Australia!)

Posted by jeanne on July 26, 2003 at 12:17 AM