Hi friends! It’s been a little while since I’ve taken the time to post an update, so I will try to give you some of the highlights.
First, I can’t believe how poorly insulated this house is (and I dread the first gas bill!) I mentioned before that there was none downstairs – just paneling over cinder blocks, but upstairs, too! I took ripped out as much as I could of the kitchen last week, and the walls were plaster over this gypsum stuff, which is basically layers of compressed brown paper – like a thick cardboard box.
It had a foil back. And then there is a layer of tar paper on the block wall. Here’s a photo, after I ripped most of the wall out.
I salvaged one upper and one base cabinet (after scrubbing it thoroughly – you can see how much mouse poo was beneath it) and have taken them downstairs for storage in the laundry room.
I found some Melamine Paint at Home Depot, which I have always found to be the best product for cabinets, and I am going to paint them white, so that they match the washer and dryer.
I’m back to work now, so Jim does the work during the day (check out my beautiful shower) and I clean at night. 
I swear, I have not done as much vacuuming and mopping floors in a lifetime as I have here! We’re constantly making messes and having to clean it up.
I have also hung new blinds in all of the bedrooms… got a great deal on Levolor blinds from Lowe’s, and had them delivered for free. Three blinds cost less than two would have elsewhere!
Finally, this weekend, my friend Shawn came over to help me out for a couple of hours. I was determined to do some major demo in the basement. I’d started to smash off the ugly bricks that were on the walls beside the fireplace, so by the time Shawn arrived the basement was covered in fine red dust. He helped finish removing them and then we ripped the paneling off of the rest of the basement. Shawn also removed the ugly 70s exterior lights that served to light up the “kitchen”, along with the range hood. He also disconnected the stove plug. Then he disconnected the water supply and cut the drainpipe and we pulled out the cabinet and got it into the dumpster. Here is the before and after.
The dumpster will be picked up tomorrow, and while it isn’t completely full, I now feel like we have filled it up enough to get it out of my driveway!
Since my last post, I had a birthday and celebrated with my friends, and then with my family. Thanks to all who joined! At the family get-together, I saw someone who was once a love interest… and it has been over 20 years since I’ve seen him. I was pretty speechless – and that happens almost never! He, of course, is married with children, but it was good to see him. 🙂
More soon.