Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Sniffing Glue

This week, the Nest is getting a facelift. Wood floors are going in, and since the economy is poo, we got a good deal on both materials and labor.

We were delayed by a day due to the contractors having an emergency, but I was o.k. with that since they called early in the day to let us know, rather than just not showing up. Today, they showed up, ready to rock and tear up the carpets, starting in the den/kitchen area. We had them save a few large chunks of the old carpet to have made in area rugs for the dogs and to throw a bigger one down in the garage to guard against leaks. THey moved my husband's great grandmother's two-hundred-year-old cedar chest out of the way. As they lifted it-straight up, mind you-one of the legs drooped, broken. I thought it was weird, and weirder still was that it was wet. I mentioned to John that we couldn't keep it by the kitchen sink island area any more, as it was getting damaged. Problem solved, right?

Minutes later: "Uh-oh."

"What's up?"

"You should look at this."

I looked. The area by the sink was wet and the wall and baseboard was rotten and moldy. (My sensitive nose had been picking up a moldy smell, but I could never track it down.) Mr. ShellHawk, still home from surgery on doctor's orders, looked at it and had a very contained and dignified fit before calling the plumber. He's due here this afternoon. At a minumum, he'll have to tear out that section of wall and we'll have to repair that asap. The guys can't lay floor down until that area is completely dry and isn't leaking anymore, so what worked out perfectly for my stay-at-home Spring Break may start to encroach on school time. Inconvenient, but not life-threatening.

The guys also tore carpet out of the bathroom, where we weren't planning on putting in flooring. *sigh* They will be doing that for free, or they will see my ugly side. The one that advocates using sharp instruments as a communication and problem-solving strategy.

Oh, well. More later.