Finals Done, Back to Other Things

Well - it's done. http://tok.elainekain.com/ - and even got assignments submitted 12 hours early. That alone was quite an accomplishment - next round starts Feb. 25, so -. What to do for 2 weeks? (That's actually 10 days, but the first week or two is light, so I'll push things to March first, when survey work is again looming, and my optimism will be a few weeks off schedule, more than likely.)

But gosh, I have Styrofoam, some internal house repairs to do, and outside temps ranging around zero (sub-zero) nights - too cold to work outside if I don't have to. It's an opportunity to test temperature fluctuations throughout the house for weak spots, too.

I already know some of these areas from observation. For some reason, there's an area by the kitchen outside foundation exchanging cold and heat. That's like a trip into hell, since crawling under this crawlspace is Nasty. I'm about the only one suitable to stuff under there, being the skinniest and Val is still too young.

It's decades-dry, dusty dirt with scattered rocks and mummified mouse skeletons, cobwebs and spiders, fuel lines and electrical and sewer, insulation overhead and wriggling under trailer beams while grinding bones into concrete blocks. Previous experience, parts of this I can't roll over, in that my shoulders are too wide and jam under the beams. One has to wriggle flat-bellied or on one's back, like a Human Snake.

Lovely.

If you're a small Addams Family member.

THAT experience I hope to postpone for another day. It's seriously Nasty, and the thought of getting stuck under there - it pushes my threshold of sanity towards cracking wide open. (In other words, if I got stuck, the kindest thing to do involves 'lights out' drugs while rescue efforts commence with 'jaws of life' or digging me out.)

-- On the other hand, if they're digging me out, they could go for a full basement? Almost makes it seem worth it then!

This does make working Styrofoam seem pleasant. Since I'm doing it 'my way' - okay, it's 'my world' - I'm thinking of tearing out the makeshift closet and rebuilding a smaller one. Why? Because the porch area is too small for anything other than storage, and without this closet, it'd be 'sitting room size'. Right now it's a dumping-zone.

The creative part comes in while I'm trying to compact all the stuff into other areas. And designing a functional closet. While I'm at it, may incorporate a few useful projects...

I know how much stuff is crammed everywhere in these two rooms! I'm good at packing a lot into a small area, and when it's expanded - it's a bit like the Big Bang Theory. How do you 'stuff it all back in?'

I'll be working alone on it, in that Sera is tied up between work and watching Matt's three youngsters; this also means she won't be giving me the Evil Eye at 3:00 a.m. as I push to finish something. That's the good part of working alone - no one scowling or muttering or declaring you're nuts, which doesn't seem to get the job done any easier anyway, so they may as well suck it up, grit their teeth, and get on with it. - That's what I think.

The more difficult part is moving the heavier items alone. Luckily, I've done it before, so I can do it. Sanity suggests I try to organize it where a second pair of hands can assist in the un-doing before I get on with the insanity... Facing facts, no way to not create chaos, and as soon as I start, it will be in full force around here. oh, sigh...

Only thing to do is focus on the anticipated end results and get on with it as best I'm able, and same time hugely grateful for 1) the gift of Styrofoam in 'my world' and 2) that I am capable of doing it. So I will.

It's gonna be interesting, and messy... I better go take take some vitamins.