Is it finished yet?

Monday will be Day 42 of the current Rinker Renovation.

Since the Ump and I married in 2001, we have upgraded, updated, improved and changed nearly every room in the house. Some aspect of every room, anyway.

Our current death march began as my desire to update our master bathroom. In the first place, the toilet, sinks and shower/tub were all that not terribly pleasant pale mustard color from the '70s. If it were a Crayola Crayon the color would be Not Quite Gold. Or maybe Yellowish.

We did put down new linoleum, painted the walls and changed the lighting fixtures. I wish I had taken a picture of those lights. I have never seen anything like them. They looked like giant upside down ice tea glasses with looping chains between these three incredibly '70s-looking lights. I'm sure they looked snazzy back in the days of shag carpets and the giant fork and spoon wall hanging, but they had to go.

At Christmas, the Ump and I were talking to my Dad about this renovation. At the time it was really just a conversation. No plan. Just an idea here and there.

Then the Ump was struck by the Home Improvement Fairy who whispered in his ear that maybe we could increase the size of the bathroom by incorporating the space of our bedroom closets. The more we talked about the idea, the more excited we got.

I called a friend who is a contractor and he came over to take a look at the project. He took our humble idea a step or two farther.

"Do you really need that hallway?" he said.

"Well, that's how we get to our bedroom," I said, trying to read his face. Was he pulling my leg?

"What about the back porch?" he asked next.

"What do you mean?" His wheels were turning, but I was seeing nothing but smoke. Not even mirrors. Just smoke.

His idea was to expand the project into the hallway and turn the back porch into a foyer and creating a new rear entryway complete with a stoop.

And - after much financial wrangling and juggling (I will not go into detail here because, frankly, reliving it would be most unpleasant) we signed on for this next act in the renovation of 428 W. Court St.

I will give you a few more details. You will enter the bathroom from the new back foyer through a pocket door. Once entering, you can continue going left which will take you to another pocket door and our bedroom. Or you can go forward into our new bathroom.

Our old bathroom was pretty standard. One of those fiberglass tub/shower things. A linen closet. Double vanity with his and her sinks.

The new bathroom features a Jacuzzi garden tub (for me), an over-sized shower (for the Ump) and a walk-in closet (for both of us and our linens). The bathroom flooring is largely ceramic tile with the exception of the closet floor and the walkway leading to the bedroom which is Pergo. The foyer also is Pergo which matches the flooring in our living room.

At this point, much of the work has been accomplished - though there is much left to do.

Because part of the work entails one wall of our bedroom, in January - when this all began - we moved out of our bedroom to the guest room upstairs. This meant we had to completely clean our our closets and the linen closet and everything under the sinks.

BUT before we could move stuff upstairs, we had to clean out the dormers in Olivia's old room which was full of Olivia's old stuff. Then we spent two days carrying stuff from the first floor to the second. Many things also made their way to the Clothes Closet and the landfill. It was exhausting, but therapeutic.

Because the majority of the work is being done indoors, we have had people in our home every day (except weekends) for the past month and a half. Progress seems to come in fits and starts. I stopped asking for a time frame. I knew I shouldn't have asked in the first place. I was just tempting the fickle finger of fate to wag in our direction and indeed it has.

Our nerves are on edge. We have lived in clutter and chaos. Our dogs are even suffering. The oldest seems to be affected the most and is losing hair and is extremely jumpy. Me too, I have to say. Me too.

The Ump and I have weathered this trying time by picturing the end result which we believe is going to be a fantastic addition to our home. And as we drag laundry (and ourselves) up and down the stairs, we try to keep our eyes on the prize.

The first predicted end date passed two weeks ago. Then it was last Friday. Now, we are told it will be next Wednesday. Thursday at the latest. Honestly, after it became obvious that Friday was not going to be the last day, I stopped asking. I'm afraid I might go postal.

I promise I will post a picture or two when it is all through.

If you haven't seen a picture on my blog or on Facebook by then, please do not ask any questions of me. I may have lost the remaining shreds of control and might start gibbering about Sterling shower doors and Delta faucets. (I'm warning you....)

Hello 2009

A thin glaze of ice turned the tiny leaves of the boxwood out back into a natural mirror ball when the sun hit it just right. Because of the overcast day, however, that didn’t happen often.

We are just barely into 2009 and we are already experiencing unpleasant winter weather.

I am not opposed to snow. I choose not to drive in it unless there is an emergency (a shortage of Diet Dr. Pepper, for instance), but I rather enjoy playing in the snow with the dogs and taking picture of the whitened landscape.

However, I do not like winter rain. Especially when it comes in what the weather forecasters euphemistically call “a wintry mix” which always makes me think of bags of frozen vegetables.

Today is a Saturday, the roads are not slick and we are in for the night, so I won’t complain. Earlier this week, when school was closed, the Ump took me to work so that I would not get marooned there.

I do not drive in ice. Even the most fearless driver (my husband, for instance) is no match for icy roads. My car has rear-wheel drive which makes it especially treacherous on icy roadways. We bought it anyway because we knew I would not venture out.

So here we are in 2009. One question. Where did 2008 go?

It was a big year for the Rinker family. Olivia and Webb got married in September, so many events revolved around that. I haven’t written about the wedding yet. I did very little personal writing (or blogging) last year. I was working for a website and my job got very busy last year and I just let it go.

Not a good idea. Like any muscle, you must exercise your writing muscle regularly to keep it in shape. If not, you lapse into clichés and sentence fragments and too many conjunctions.

I do not make resolutions based on the passing of one year and the start of another. I find the best way not to break a New Year’s resolution is not to make one in the first place. Cut out the middle man.

However, there is no time like the present to get back in the saddle and start cranking out a weekly blog.

It’s probably going to take me a while to get up to speed, so bear with me. And to those of you who have told me that you have missed getting my columns – thank you for remembering me and encouraging me.

I am blessed to have good friends. And a nice warm house where three sleeping dogs, a dozing cat and a snoring husband are all curled up on various pillows and sofas – a playoff football game being ignored by every eye and most ears.

Here’s to 2009. One request. Less ice, more snow.