It’s time to reflect on what I accomplished in 2019. It’s only been a year since we moved to Columbus, Ohio, but the year was jammed pack with activities.
I survived the polar vortex. Having lived most of my life in temperate climates, I think I did fairly well. But when I read that Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a polar coaster winter for 2019-20, I wonder if I may become a “snowbird” after all.
I was a social butterfly. We took advantage of hosting parties at our apartment clubhouse nearly every month. From our Chili Cookoffs, Soup Cookoffs, and Euchre Playoffs, we grew very close to our new friends.
We looked for a house to buy in June. That was probably the worst time of the year to buy. Houses seemed overpriced compared to the Texas market, and they didn’t stay on the market very long.
We contracted to buy a house in July! But we didn’t take possession of it until October. Stay tuned for that story. It’s a doozy.
I oversaw a renovation of our house in Texas. For two weeks in September, I oversaw the remodel of one of our houses. From the roof to the foundation, from the interior to the landscaping, this house took months to update and be put on the market.
We bought our Ohio house in September. Eight days later, we took possession of it and immediately filled three dumpsters with the previous owner’s stuff.
We demoed the interior. For three months, we scraped floor tiles and removed walls. Our wonderful friends volunteered to help. So, here’s a shout-out to Jaime, the expert at wallpaper removal, Albertha, Tammy, and Andreas who tirelessly helped us. Thanks a bunch!
We became people we didn’t even recognize. In the beginning, as we removed old carpets and padding, we wore masks. Being the workaholics that we are, we huffed and puffed, and threw the heavy carpets into the dumpster ourselves. While my husband took his turn working in Texas, I took a hand at removing the floor tiles in the basement. I even got a comment from a friend who saw this picture, “Who are you?”
My hard-working, talented, and determined husband has worked hard on this project too. He absolutely amazes me how he can move a cast iron bathtub two floor levels all by himself!
We completely redesigned the floor plan. We hired an architect to come up with some designs for the main level, but I ended up designing it myself. I spent many sleepless nights sketching, and sketching, and wringing my hands, wondering why it took so long to come up with a good plan. But I finally did, and we are completely satisfied with it. It’s going to be a great house to live in.
In review, it seems the year 2019 has been all about renovations. It was a rollercoaster ride with emotions, and the year 2020 will require many more hours of choosing cabinets, fixtures, paint, and trim.
Lastly, I want to say how proud I am of my son, who stayed in Texas and completed high school with an associate’s degree in welding technology.