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Ole' Red Eyes

It's finally happened. My eyes have turned bloodshot as a result of these never-ending home renovations. Literally -- as in, I just looked in the mirror and saw two agitated, angry, red eyes looking back at me. They seemed to be pleading, "When is this ever going to end?"

To their credit, the landscaping contractors have finally started showing up for more than an hour a day. In the last two days, they've worked full time and the two yards are now chock full of grey boulders and new desert plantlife. They even repaired the water main they broke the other day and once again I have -- glory be -- enough water pressure to wash both my body and the dishes that accumulate from day to day for lack of a dishwasher. (The dishwasher is stored temporarily in the garage awaiting completion of the terrazzo flooring in the kitchen; there is likewise no running water in the kitchen at present.) Yes, part of my mid-renovation routine now is washing dishes while butt naked.

The toilet is back (always a great thing to have), as is the floor in the guest bedroom -- an amazing flat, seamless terrazzo that causes that classic lick reflex in me. (I'm serious -- when I see tile, mosaic, or surfaces I enjoy, I always crave to lick them. It's sort of like when mothers tell children they want to "gobble them up," only for me it's spurred on by attractive solid surfaces.)

So, things are slowly returning to order; but it is now apparent that what has yet to done is causing me physical harm. It is vital for example that I take out my contacts every single night, but due to the previous water situation I was taking them out every other night. I'm now a dead-ringer for a crazed Jack the Ripper type; just call me Lestat.

Here's what still needs to be done:

- the terrazzo guys need to come back and sand down the floors in the master bath and kitchen
- the kitchen/bath contractor needs to come bring the dishwasher and refrigerator back in from the garage, where they're stored
- I need to get off my ass and order new toilets, fixtures, and sinks for all three rooms
- the kitchen/bath contractor needs to build new cabinetry for the bathrooms and bring the existing kitchen cabinets back to life (somehow)
- I need to hire a contractor to replace broken and missing tile in the two bathroom showers and to replace the existing hardware
- I need to hire someone to come rejuvenate the grout and tile in the two bathroom showers, which are nasty beyond words


The challenge before me is to not allow my mind or body to degrade any further during this process. God help me. [MLC makes the sign of a cross, then sticks out a pierced tongue.]

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