home renovation

OK- Better late than never. Here is the Spring Break blog I started forever ago that wouldn't let me post pictures. . .

Alas, today, while I was at work, I realized an entire month has passed with no blogging. Shameful. In case you're wondering, we are now living in our house. (The stove might still be in the middle of the kitchen floor, and we may only be able to shower in one bathroom, but living in our house we are.) We managed to get in just before my parents arrived for a spring break extravaganza. (2 days before, in fact. Wow. Talk about cutting it close.) Here are the details of the spring break festivities (most of which involve the creation of new words):

There was aquarium-ing. We went to the aquarium at Atlantic Beach and had a great time. I hate zoos, but I love aquariums. There's something so soothing about the dark, cool exhibits. My favorite were the otters--I fell in love.

Like father . . .

like son . . .

Charleston-ing, which included plantation-ing. We went to Boone Plantation. Life would be pretty hard if this was your house,


this was your driveway,

and this was your yard.

The grounds were beautiful and we had a great time. It was also fun to watch The Notebook again and see all of the places we recognized from our trip.

Jared and me on the ride around the plantation.

Of course, Charleston-ing wouldn't have been complete without some longing to live there because of houses like this:


And gardens like this:

Of course, I've always loved old houses, so a town like Charleston feels like the perfect fit for me. I called Chad the day we got there and informed him that we will be living there some day. It feels old and quaint, but still has this trendy, hip feel about the entire city. I think I could grow old there. Sigh . . .

Of course, a trip to Charleston wouldn't have been complete without a bit of ghost-touring:

I'm quite sad that mom didn't get a shot of our tour guide's face, so this one of his hands will have to suffice. I was petrified by the idea of a ghost tour. I don't do well with scary movies (picture me scared to walk across a room in the dark for at least a week after viewing), and one of my main causes for rejoicing about getting married was the realization that I would never again have to go to one of those stupid haunted houses/corn mazes on a date. My imagination is WAY too active to endure those kinds of things, so the thought of a ghost tour--not so appealing. They dragged me along, and the minute I saw our tour guide, I wanted to back out. He was one of the strangest looking ducks I've ever seen. Luckily, it turned out not to be so bad. It was mostly just interesting history about the "ghosts" who haunt the city. I kept waiting for someone to jump out at us, like they do in those corn mazes (that cause me to question--how do I KNOW this is an employee of this establishment, and not some loony who wandered in here with a REAL chainsaw?) but no one did. Phew!


After enjoying the city of Charleston (complete with some of the BEST Italian cuisine I've ever tasted), it was time to do some Cypress-Gardens Touring:



These beautiful gardens were the site where Noah takes Ally for a rowboat cruise through swan-filled waters in The Notebook. Warning: If you are an animal right's activist, I would not suggest going here. You'll find yourself realizing the probability of no swans being killed during filming in these alligator-infested waters is pretty much zero to none. That's probably why there wasn't a swan in sight. Reality is never as grand as the movies. We did spot a white egret, which was a bit of a treat:

You had two options: a self-guided, free boat tour, or a paid for tour guide to row you around. We opted for the free one. Dad and Jared agreed to row us. This proved to be hysterical, and I'm pretty sure mom and I should have been doing the rowing, as we were very bad back-seat rowers. "You're not doing it right! Jared, move your oar this way! No, Dad, THAT way!" I couldn't stop laughing, and the look on the face of the other boaters as we turned in circles and attempted not to run into trees was priceless. Once they got the hang of things, it was a peaceful ride.



This creepy critter was one of the ones we spotted on our cruise:

There were also beautiful walking trails, swings where you could sit and enjoy the scenery, and lots of wild life.



After a few days in the Charleston area we were able to meet Chad for the weekend at Myrtle Beach. There's nothing like some beach time. If only it'd been warm enough to play in the water. Oh well, maybe next time.



After a great week with Dad and Jared, they had to head home. We were lucky enough to have Mom stay for an extra week. Festivities while she was here, included lots of shopping. First thing on the list: rugs. With all the hardwood in this house, our footsies are going to get pretty cold without something more plush to walk on. We managed to find some great steals at a place my sister, Lauren, found called Ollie's. The only problem, the rug I wanted was at the VERY BOTTOM of a huge pile. My sister, Meredith, was with us at the store and the employees had us in stitches. They were hilarious. Here's a photo of them retrieving my rug.


I love how Meredith is helping them roll it up while I stand there and watch. Sorry, Geeze!

Mom and I also went to do a historical house and gardens tour in New Bern with Lauren and her mom, Beth. My favorite house, which wasn't actually part of the tour, was this one:



After renovating our house for the last seven months, I swore to Chad I had moved on from my fantasy of buying an old house and fixing it up. New Bern changed my mind. I've decided I could still do it. As long as we paid someone else to do all the work! I just love the charm of old houses. Either we're going to live in an old house, or we're going to have to build a new house that looks like an old one. It's just a given.

We also took Mom, along with Chad's family, to a Kinston Indians Game, courtesy of the little bank. It was a great night for baseball and there were even some killer fireworks at the end of the night.

Even in the midst of all of the two weeks of excitement, we still had time to do fun mother-daughter stuff like rent pointless movies and watch them. It was great having my family here for a while, even though it was very hard to say goodbye.

All this reminiscing about spring break is making me long for a longer vacation. In case you were wondering, Monday is now over. 17 days until summer!!!

Dear Piggly Wiggly,

While I was angry at you for not carrying fresh basil in your produce department (because really, you're a GROCERY STORE), I have decided to forgive you. Now my husband and I have our own herb garden. At first I was depressed, and wallowed in self-pity for a bit about living in a small town that doesn't believe we need fresh basil, but now I realize this is so much better anyway. I'm sorry for getting so upset, and I still like saying your name.

Sincerely,
A Forgiving Shopper


Dear Students,

I realize that summer vacation is calling your name. What I don't think you realize is that it is also calling mine. Let's hang in there together. Only 18 school days left!

Love,
Your Tired Teacher


Dear Joycious and Brucious,

Thank you for watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with me. While it was long, and slightly (OK, severely) depressing, I still enjoyed spending the evening with you. Thanks for being my family.

Love,
Katiewick (your daughter-in-law)


Dear Stove,

Wow. You are still in the middle of my kitchen. What's up with that?

Sincerely,
Disgruntled Cook


Dear Handyman,

I don't understand why you won't return my phone calls. Where did I go wrong? I always paid you on time. I know I asked you not to smoke in my house, but you seemed OK with that. Also, I loved your country accent, your friendly demeanor, and you are great at what you do. Who am I going to get to fix my counter top so I can move the stove out of the middle of my kitchen?

Yours Truly,
Out on a Limb


Dear Mom,

I miss you. Wish you could come visit again, or that I could come party with you, Arianne, and Anya. Don't go into too many shoe stores without me!

Love,
Your Daughter

Dear Sunshine,

You made my day delightful today. I wish I would have had more time to bask in your divinity, but I was teaching adolescents for most of the day. Only 18 more days, and I think we might be spending some more quality time together. =-)

Yours Truly,
An Albino who Longs for a Tan

Dear Krispy Kreme,

Can you ever forgive me? All those times I said I wasn't a doughnut lover, that I didn't like you, that the "hot" sign was not a temptation for me. Lies. All of it was lies. One American Cancer Society fundraiser at my high school convinced me that I could quite easily devour half a box of your glazed goodness. Stepping on the scale today has convinced me that it's time to hit the treadmill as a penance, but I think it was worth it.

Sincerely,
A Repentant Taster

Dear 17 Research Papers Waiting to be Graded,

I hope you're not crap. I really, really hope you are not crap. Not that I'm expecting the worst.

Sincerely,
A Reluctant Reader

Dear 12:49 a.m.,

What am I doing up?!?! It is most definitely time to go to bed!

Love,
Someone Who Has Too Much to Do to Sleep in Tomorrow!

I had all these wonderful intentions of updating my blog today, and it won't let me upload pictures. Sad day. Be expecting a Spring Break update soon. In the meantime, here's a story that will make you feel better about yourself:

Today, I went by the grocery store on the way home from work. After parking the car and getting out, I realized I forgot something in the car. I forgot that I was driving the Mazda and not the 4-Runner, and so when I tried to duck back in to grab it, I severely underestimated the height I needed to squat down to. Somehow, in a way that only a klutz like me can, I managed to ram my face into the door frame of the car, severely smooshing my forehead with my sunglasses. Well, it hurt, of course, but I'm used to causing myself bodily injury. I do it on a daily basis. So, when I realized no one had witnessed my embarrassing moment, I grabbed what I needed in the car and hurried into the store.

I finished my shopping.

I talked to the clerk.

I came home.

I bought candy from Landon, our adorable neighbor who was doing a fundraiser for school.

I ate a snack.

Chad came home.

His first words, "What did you do? You're bleeding."

Yes, I had been bleeding and had a lovely scab just above my eyebrows. Why? Because I rammed my face into the door frame of our car. Wow. Way to go, Katie. Sometimes, my clumsiness even manages to surprise me...

Really, what haven't we been up to. The last few weeks have been a blur of activities--most of which have centered around home renovation, but not all. Let's start with the exciting things, and then we'll move on to the boring stuff. That way, if you get bored, you can stop reading.

The first weekend in March, Chad and I went to Charlotte. Chad attended a mini-lypse for i-Stock (the online company he uses to sell his stock photography). While he was taking pictures like this:

I was doing this:

One of my best friends from college just happens to now live in Charlotte with her husband and adorable little boy. Katy, Jacob, and I spent some quality time together on Friday, and Andy joined us for a trolley ride and trip to the children's museum in uptown Charlotte on Saturday. We had a great time. The Burches were the perfect hosts, and it was a blast catching up with Katy. Although, reminiscing with her did make me feel old: I realized our freshman year of college was SEVEN years ago. Wow. It feels like just yesterday we were doing crazy things like riding a greyhound bus to Las Vegas, watching Spanish soap operas together during lunch, riding our mattresses down the dormitory stairs, and sledding on pizza boxes on campus (just to name a few of the memories I share with la otra Katy.) I am so thankful for friends that you can be apart from for years, but when you get together your friendship feels the same.

The same weekend that we went to Charlotte, Santa decided to pay us a visit. "It's not Christmas!" you say? Oh, I fear you must be mistaken, because why else would a little gem like this decide to show up in our mailbox?

Yes, those are concert tickets, my friend. And no, you aren't mistaken, they most definitely do say COLDPLAY! Chad and I are going to meet one of my best friends, Lacey, for this concert in August. They're coming to Raleigh, and we'll be there. This was very exciting news since they are on my list of people to see in concert before I die. The only thing that could make this better would be seeing them in the UK, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Of course, even when it's Christmas, we can't stop pretending to be on HGTV, so we've continued our own version of My Big, Amazing Renovation. If you've ever seen the show, you've witnessed the frustrations people go through while remodeling. I can't watch this show without shouting out a sympathetic, "I FEEL YOUR PAIN!" every few minutes. If we were on the show, our episode would look/sound something like this:

Katie: "Wow, this bathroom is really ugly."

Chad: "At least it's a good size."

Katie: "With a little updating, it might not be too bad."

Chad: "Katie, hold this mirror while I unscrew it, so we can keep peeling off the layers of wall paper stuck to the sheet rock while you try not to swear."

Katie: "Of course, darling."

Katie (after the mirror shatters all over the bathroom vanity and floor): "Are you OK?!

Katie, again (after noticing the interesting wiring that had been hidden behind the mirror): "Wow. That's up to code."

Katie (around the time that she foolishly thought she might be able to move into her house by Christmas. . . at this point in the show some dramatic music would begin playing, and the narrator would be saying something like "Chad and Katie are now ____ months behind schedule and $_____ over their original budget. In a moment of desperation, Katie has a tear-felt conversation with Chad"): "Let's hire someone to come finish part of the bathroom because I am going to have a nervous breakdown."

Chad: "Because you won't stop crying, I will let you continue to fantasize that we might be able to move into this house soon. You're wrong, but whatever you want to think is fine. We'll call the handyman to come knock some of this out."

Katie: "You know what sounds like fun? Being on my hands and knees for hours! Let's learn to tile our bathroom floor!"

Chad: "Nothing would thrill me more!"

Katie (after tiling for a few hours): "The lines aren't matching up right!"

Chad: "Some of these tile are different sizes."

Katie: "I don't care! JUST FINISH IT!"

(Flash to a few days later)

Katie: "Now that our tile job is done, and the grout makes most of our mistakes not noticeable, let's call a plumber to install a new toilet, without a sea-shell seat. He can also hook up our gorgeous new vanity from Home Depot."

(You've got to admit, folks, it DOES look pretty, darn good.)

Katie: "We will have to do something about the laundry area, because this is going to be an issue."

After handyman, sheet rock man, electrician, and plumber combine, this is the result:

Katie: "After we knock out the window air conditioning unit, remove the jungle vine growing into our house, scrape the popcorn off the ceiling, and paint the walls, this will make a great guest room."

Chad: "Agreed. Let's buy our paint from Lowe's."

Katie: "Let's go back to Lowe's, because the lady who mixed the paint and said, 'I hope this works,' clearly had no idea what she was doing, and our walls now look like a child has finger painted with chocolate pudding for a few hours.

(At this point in the show, there would be one of those dramatic fast-forward techniques used where you would see people going in and out of the room painting, but it would be like they were moving at 10 times the pace of a normal human. Then the room would magically look like the image below.)

Katie: "It would be a punishment to our child if we made him or her sleep in a room that looks like this."

Chad: "Agreed. Let's paint it and make it an office."

Katie: "You're a genius!"

Katie: "Wow, I thought wall paper was bad until I realized the agony that is sanding walls that have been sponge painted."

Katie: "Let's play a guessing game! How many coats of white paint will it take to cover this hideous, green trim?"

(I'm not sure, because I lost count at four.)

Katie: "Wouldn't it be a great idea to tile this room so it feels like an extension of the kitchen?"

Chad: "Because neither of us have tiled before, and we are stupid, I'm going to have to say yes!"

(Again, looks fabulous, if I do say so myself.)

Katie: "Remember that crazy lady at Lowe's who mixed the paint for the guest room? Well, it turns out she's not the only incompetent employee in the paint department. Let's run out of paint, so we can find that out."

Chad: "Great idea. Once they tell us they can match the exact color, and fail, we can repaint our den multiple times!"

Katie: "How grand!"

Katie: "Wow, now that the end is in sight, this looks like a completely different house!"

(Do our floors not look smashing?"

It turns out, our episode would have to be more than an hour long. So tune in later for a look at the finished product.

That's what we've been up to over the last little while. If you're not still reading, I understand!

I love this. I love even more that UNC beat Duke last night.

A colleague of mine recently expressed that the reason she doesn't want to have children is because she's lost all faith in the human race.

Here are a few things that have happened to me lately that have helped me keep my faith in the human race:

--A pair of strangers at Lowe's rescuing us when Mr. 4-Runner decided not to start, despite the fact that we have recently invested a crap load (pardon my French) of money into giving him a new transmission. Sure, they probably mostly did this because we looked like we'd literally wandered off the street of some third world country (Note to self: try not to meet new people when dressed in painting garb), but still, they didn't HAVE to be so nice about it. They were.

--Cute lady in the Big Lots' parking lot taking my cart back in for me. It may seem like a small thing, but when the store has no cart return, it's a pain to take it all the way back to the store.

--The ridiculous amount of help we've been getting on our house. While some of it may be because my in-laws are probably wondering when exactly they will get their guest room back, I know it isn't all because of that. They have done so much to help us, as have many others. I am so thankful.

--A good start to a new semester. My classes are wonderful! I have smaller class sizes, kind students, and a promising semester. I think I will be able to plan on teaching again next year, instead of searching for a new profession.