back to the land of the living

So I finally had about an hour to write something interesting, and what did I do instead?  spent considerably more than an hour messing with a new template.  I'm not sure about this one, but it was fun to play with.  I may change it in a few days.  Minimalist, for winter.

We have one functional bathroom spread across the house:  the toilet works in our bathroom, but no sink or shower; the shower works in the kids' bathroom, but no sink or toilet; there is a sink in the vanity in our bedroom, or the sink in the kitchen, and that's it.  The tile guy is supposed to come do our shower later this week, then the plumber will come and hook everything up.  Our fingers are crossed that we will have two complete bathrooms by the middle of next week.  Please.

Instead of many of the fancy things we were going to do, we have several new joists holding up the floor and a solid wood beam holding up the roof.  We decided it was more important that the house stay standing than any of the other stuff.  Go figure.

Dishwasher will be installed tomorrow (the one that was here before didn't work at all and was cracked across the control panel).  Drywalling downstairs should be done in a day or two, then primed and painted by the end of the week.  Then the carpenter, the amazing, miraculous Mark, who has been here for the whole thing, will do one set of built-in bookshelves under the stairs (all we can afford after the aforementioned joists and beams), and ..drumroll please... we'll be done with Phase One.  Phase Two will involve exterior paint and a new roof this summer.

We have no money.  But our internet connection is working, and as of tonight we are out of the old place, and this place-- even unfinished -- is terrific.  Pictures coming soon.