After hitting the snooze button on my alarm this morning... like ten times; I was forced to get up with the incoming call from my Mini-me to let me know she was here to drop off her littles. UGH! I feel like I got plenty of sleep last night, but it was the kind of sleep that was deep and cozy and I wasn't ready to let go of it. I have set responsibilities that require my time and attention. I can't just lay in bed all day. Even if it was a day off from watching littles, I still wake up and get things done. I am a busy person... I always have a long list of things I need "ta done".. Mostly, house things! It's been my full-time job for the past (holy crap!) almost two years now! I didn't realize it had already been that long. The two-year anniversary date of the explosion and fire is next month! I guess time does fly when you're having fun!
There are a ton of descriptive words I could use in regards to my house and fun is not the "F" word that comes to mind!
Back in 2017; I was handed the keys to my first home on my birthday (8/1 NATIONAL CRYSTAL DAY). One heck of an expensive birthday gift to myself!!! As a single mom, it was a pretty big deal for me to qualify for a home, all on my own. No co-signer needed! Moving into my house wasn't the exciting event it should have been. My grandpa had passed away from cancer, a few weeks prior. I was living with them before moving into my home, so I felt as if I was abandoning my grandma but the purchase had been in play for months. I also didn't have my grandpa to call with any questions regarding home repairs. So an event, that should have been filled with congratulations cards and house plants... was nothing more than another day.
There were so many red flags with the house. There was the high-speed car chase that ended in my backyard. Let's just say, the "alleged" criminal on the run didn't stop to open the gate. He took my fence out! Then there was an issue with numerous black widow spiders thinking they could reside here with me... Hell to the No... the spiders had to go! These all transpired within the first few months of the kids and I moving in. The pattern continued with event after event. I found myself feeling sad all the time. I assumed it was grief from the loss of my grandpa. Sadness turned into crying and crying turned into sobbing! If I wasn't sobbing, I was sleeping! I was tired... all the time!
November 18, 2019: I was taking a shower to wash the paint off myself before calling it a night. I was painting my house natural colors to prepare to sell it. As I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, a sound of crunching metal and snapping boards (as if a semi-truck drove through my house) filled the air. I was slammed into the wall of my shower before I could process the sounds I was hearing. My house had an explosion in the back bedroom (referred to as the boom room now). An explosion caused by a natural gas leak. The natural gas was pouring into my house at such a high rate that after the explosion, it caught on fire. My home was burning down! I stood watching in disbelief (freezing my butt off in just a bathroom towel) and yet felt a sense of relief! Everything suddenly clicked... I wasn't depressed! I wasn't going crazy... my children and I were being poisoned by natural gas! O.M.G!
To add insult to injury; the contractor I hired turned out to be not a great guy! He took half the money and didn't complete the job. Then put a lien on my home until the other half was paid. I fought him for a year before I had to give in. Health issues were developing from the stress of it all. I wouldn't wish shingles on my worst enemy! So, when it was all said and done... a lot of money was issued towards the rebuilding of my home, which was not fully rebuilt! I have no doors... none! No window sills, no baseboard or trim. One bathroom has a working toilet, but no running plumbing to the sink. The other bathroom has a running sink, but not a toilet! I installed all brand new hardwood flooring throughout the entire house that was ruined when the house flooded due to a broken pipe. So now, I am rocking the all-natural, concrete.
This is where my full-time career as a transitional engineer began. If you didn't catch the sarcasm there... it means I am building bridges and getting over it! All joking aside; you wouldn't believe all the things you can learn from online tutorials. I also am on a first-name basis at the local Hardware store. Such nice folks!
So, when I am not babysitting littles, writing in my blog, building my portfolio, or baking... I am working on the remaining tasks to finish my house. I actually have a binder with a tab for each room. This contains all the measurements necessary for each remaining "ta do". As time has gone by, my skills and knowledge have improved drastically. I am able to write up door measurements that factor in jamb or no jamb; with illustrated pictures of the side of the doorknob and if it should swing in or out. I will require more hours on installation, as I only have one door in my work experience and it requires the use of a hammer to completely close.
Holy coffee surge Batman... where was I going with all of this?!?!
Oh, yes... my full-time job! So although, my 8-5 or 9-6 doesn't look like yours... it's a job! A job with many responsibilities and a high percentage of on the job accidents. I am such a clumsy person!
An event that I could never have imagined happening to me has proven to be one heck of an adventure. I have been pushed to the outer limits of madness. I have learned how strong I can be and all the creative ways one can utilize to get by with no regular income stream. If this was a test from the man above... I am certain I passed with flying colors. Now, that I am focused on my passions and pursuing a career in writing full time... I think it's time I put in my notice for resignation. This is not a job I want to have another year pass by in. The tasks seem to be endless and I am tired of the stress of the overwhelming "ta do's" still pending. I want to wake up in the morning and drink my coffee in surroundings that feel more normal. To stare out a window at the beauty of the morning sun. Not the missing trim, baseboard, and flooring.
It saddens me to think about this place possibly no longer being mine but every internal vibe in my soul is telling me... it's time!
Time for a new adventure!
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid" ~John Wayne
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