Today’s Observations

1. I tend to get carried away…especially when it comes to remodeling a house. But, I couldn't have told you that until last month, when I started getting carried away remodeling this house!
   
2. Why do people put paper in drawers and cabinets that STICKS?? I mean, I'm all for protecting the surfaces…but doesn't it defeat the whole purpose when you have to take a jackhammer to the shelves when you want to get the paper OFF?? I just spent an entire day trying to scrape some gross old paper off of my kitchen cabinets…after a few hours I just gave up on the whole process, nuked them all with disinfectant and decided to cover them with some MORE paper! (Well, non-sticky rubber mats to be exact…I wouldn't wish another removal disaster on my worst enemy:)!
   
3. Not having internet access SUCKS! Depending on what angle you are looking at it…because if you want to get non-computer related things accomplished (like remodeling a house) not having internet access is GREAT! I have so much more time every day when I can't sit down at my desk and read blogs, shop online, and write emails. Which brings me to my next observation:
   
4. My back HURTS! I had the idea of remodeling my house from 'top to bottom'…which makes sense if you don't want to clean the same areas more than once. So, it's gotten to the 'bottom' point and I swear that I canNOT bend over anymore. I can't sit on the floor without back support anymore! I just can't do ANYmore! Which brings me to:
   
5. I'm DONE…with the floor…all of it! I cleaned my last lines of grout this morning and then applied my last strokes of grout sealer this afternoon. All the wood floors were done a long time ago. I painted the last section of base board yesterday. Now I'm going to take some Advil and only do things that I can accomplish at a standing level!
   
6. I have eaten more microwave dinners in the past week than in the rest of my entire life! This is not by choice…I LOVE to cook fresh and wholesome foods. This is because only the microwave and refrigerator are operating at my house:)! To be more specific, only the microwave is installed. The fridge is chillin' out here in my living room…waiting for the counter-tops to be installed before we can wheel it into its slot between the cabinets. And, to be even more specific…BOTH fridges are chillin' in the living room! Did I mention that I purchased some new appliances? Oh yeah…microwave, fridge, and dishwasher!
   
7. No kitchen stove at the moment. Okay, you want specifics again: the stove is also in the living room, hanging out with the dishwasher. But that's the OLD stove, I want a new stove. But not just any ol'stove. I've got my mind set on one powered by natural gas or propane (much more energy efficient) which requires ordering a tank and getting my house wired for gas services. (Reminder: read observation #1 again if you have any questions regarding this decision.)
   
8. I'm making a lot of green additions to my house. The easiest was getting the compact florescent lights for as many outlets as I could. I've got CFL's in the bathrooms, guest bedrooms, living room, and outside lights. Unfortunately, a few of the fixtures that came in the house (kitchen, dining, hall, my bedroom) don't fit with CFLs. I plugged one into my bedroom fan and then tried putting the light cover back on and it hit the bottom of the light bulb…hummmm!
   

   When my first electric bill came from Progress Energy there was a flyer inside that explained their 'EnergyWise' program. If you volunteer (like I have) for this program, they send an electrician to your house who installs some 'switches' to you A/C and water heater. These switches are controlled by the power company and they are able to turn off the power to your appliances when there is a high demand on the power grid (like mornings and dinner times). Apparently, people who are part of the EnergyWise program don't even notice that anything is different…but they DO notice the rebate on their power bills (yes, that was also an incentive for me to join:).
   

   See #7 for my desire to have a more energy efficient stove…gas uses less than half the energy of electric models. And, I grew up with a propane oven/stove so that is what I know how to cook with…not to mention the more precise heat control so I can cook like a pro (when I'm no longer moving dinner from the freezer to the microwave to my stomach). My new fridge replaces the old, out-dated model that was pre-Energy Star ratings…also, it just leaked cold air out the bottom of the door where the gasket had disintegrated.
   

And last, but certainly not the least…#9. I am extremely out of shape! Yesterday I got in the pool for the first time in over three weeks and it was slightly embarrassing. 1000 yards and I was done. I could barely hold my breath off the walls for one stroke. My muscles and joints we creaking and popping (more than normal:). That was the first thing related to triathlon training that I have attempted since I was in San Luis Obispo with Matty Reed before the Olympics. Yep, my bike is still in the bike box…I should probably start thinking about building it up and moving it over here to Clermont. Or, maybe not…do I really want to re-start my training in the hilliest city in Florida?