That attic space

I know it will be a long time before it's totally finished, but I will start using it as soon as I can. I love the fact that no windows face the busy street in front of my house, I can feel I am hidden away when I am up there. I do love having Jake home and Krisda is great to have here but I am so glad they are in MO for the weekend and the dog, birds and I have our usual after work quiet house. And I could go over to Larry's and he'd be glad to have me there but I just want to be here, and have Kid in the house, instead of outside on his chain, breath the air here, no cats or carpet or furnace noises. It wasn't too long ago that I had a furnace in the bedroom and loud but it moved to the new utility area and I have gotten used to a much quieter house and Larry's trailer has the furnace close to his bedroom so it is much louder. The house is cool but that is the dormer and attic under construction stuff and it will start to improve as I get insulation in and when Pat gets that dormer closed in, the window are is framed but the window is not installed yet and there's a lot yet to be closed up on the east side of that dormer, plenty of fresh air right now, cold fresh air. I will have to make insulated curtains for the south and east windows before spring comes or they will be real heat problems but I will sure enjoy the passive solar gain this winter. I do need to close off the cold though so will be working on those curtains once I have the rough work done up there and can start using my new area. I did my wellness stuff on line for our work insurance updating and think it's stupid and computer generated that does not give a true picture of the real person or the real life. I have a lot of pain, ya, and there is no place to enter the accident and foot damage or the fact that my hands have carpal tunnel and are getting old. I have a lot of stress and there is no place to put in the why of that stress, old house with no real roof, winter coming and no way to heat the open house, a lot of money paid to a very dishonest contractor and now waiting for small claims court. It would be abnormal to not have some stress and depression over the roof situation or my pain that the car accident has created and that I will live with the rest of my life. It's like asking if I have a lot of headaches, yes but it's not the same as other people-unless they have my allergies and sinus problems. I rarely have stress headaches, or non car accident related pain, other than my hands. So, the on line questions do not really give a clear picture of me and of my pain or depression or my life. And it's really OK to be just ok, not happy, but ok, content, at peace, mellow. And it's ok if I am comfortable alone and like living alone. I see people every day I go to work and I what I feel is a good relationship with the guy I date but I don't want to live at his place, he sure doesn't want to move here and his cat is NOT welcome to move here, my dog and birds will not be moving to his place. I have plenty of 'support system' and don't need to give out names and contact information, I really do not need to be reported on or bugged by my on line, company medical stuff. I will just continue to handle my little life and the details in that little life.I do check my blood pressure and I will add in the other stuff, like when I had my last pap smear, I don't remember when, ok, so it was probably last January but I sure don't know the exact date. Washer is almost done so I can toss that load into dryer and have it going, I had to replace the light bulb in the laundry area, the first time I have had to do that since I put that light fixture in. So, as it's a vanity bulb, it had to be1 that was remove when we gutted the original bathroom. I guess I won't complain about a lightbulb that lasted 6+ years and I did have a replacement so that's been done and I can see to load the washer or dryer in the night. Better get this saved or posted and head to laundry space and then bed, I do want to work in the attic before I go work at Cargill for overtime.

A quiet house again

It's great to have Jake and Krisda here, but it's been busy and loud. Today, they, with Ben headed west to MO to visit for the weekend and I get to clean house a bit, maybe go to a yard sale, go to work and just enjoy the quieter house for a while. The construction work is going ok, not as fast as I would like but the metal roof should be going on starting Monday, I have a lot of the insulation bought and here, and will buy more Sunday while I am in Springfield and it looks like we will have dry weather for a week or so and I plan to start insulation work while the kids are gone and also prime some of the osb that will be going over that insulation in the storage areas so I can get those closed off as soon as I can and the attic starts getting more usable and warmer. The dormer is close to done, the window is waiting and I will be glad to see that dormer done, the stairs assembled and quit using a ladder to get in and out of my new attic space. Work is going ok, foot is doing better with the brace and I will look at taking it back in to Hanger for some tweaking with the fit soon. I needed time for it and me and the new, 1/2 size larger work boot to adjust and we are about to that place. I take the kids back up north to Krisda's dad the 27th and had planned a crafting thing at the local library but won't be able to attend. Jake needs a day or so with her family before this deployment and this time instead of storage at base, his stuff came home and I will be tucking it up in the attic on the south end in some of that new storage area we will have. I don't know when I will be going to court with the contractor that did not do the work he agreed to and took a large deposit on but expect sometime the middle of November for that and hope to get back a large amount of that $$ but won't plan to put it into the bathroom upstairs until I actually have that money. So, it's getting cold and I don't like that but sure like all the sun through the south attic window. It will be a long time before the entire area is done, bathroom is high on the list but hope by tax time to look at contracting out the drywall work and see that done and paint when spring comes.

Old House progress

the carpenter is making good progress on getting the west side of the house ready for the metal roofing, rain is now slowing down work but he's here when he can be on the roof. And Ben helped me with the start of framing in a small short closet/hanging area in the south west part of the attic. I still have the support to put in the south east side, that area will be a 2 'x14' doll display area once done. And I have a couple more studs to put in along the west wall, will get them done this week and also hope to start insulating and closing up the west eaves, once the carpenter gives me the 'go ahead'. The dormer will be built as 'shed' or lifted roof, 1 clean line that will have no seams to later leak. It will give me a lot of east light with the new window, enough headroom for the spiral stairs and will look nice and not tacked on. I want the house to end up with a lot of nice curb appeal and be comfortable to live in, and work for me, meet my needs and be easy to care for, and low maintenance over time. I have not been able to 'see' the sewing/work space yet but will as I get more work done and get the tools and supplies out of that area. It will take months to get all the work done and I don't know how much of my deposit with the contractor will be returned or when, I expect to be in small claims court in mid-November. Those funds will go into the work here once I get them but am not counting on spending the money until I have it in hand. It's not a perfect life and I will always have pain and problems with my foot from that accident, and I will be dealing with the emotional issues probably that long. But I'm not having the amount of depression I was 6 months ago.

That new Boot

 

this is that new support boot I am starting to really like. It will barely fit in 1 pair of my steel toed work boots, big toe is rubbing on the end of that steel toe but new ones, same style, 1/2 size larger are ordered and Cargill pays the full price for up to 2 pair of work boots per year for me, nice.
It is making a difference, but my left hip joint hurts more. I think as my body adjusts to the boot, and I get a larger work boot, that hip pain will reduce. I know I walk with more balance and closer to the pace I walked at before this accident and I no longer feel ugly and clumsy and 'gross' and that is a huge plus.
A huge improvement in my life, both at work and home, I am not in as much pain and I am not as tired.