Out with the old....

Darlene and I were a little later than we wanted buying our first house. It was mostly our own fault. We never imagined we could afford a house of our own while I was in the military and moving around. But since 1998, we've had our little piece of paradise and it is only becoming clear to me now what that commitment entails. It boils down to this: Nothing that originally belonged to the house can stay. Our mission (as it turns out) is to replace everything that came with the house. Every piece, every colour, every accessory - the whole enchilada.

It started innocently enough. The previous owners left us with no washer, dryer, stove or fridge and a crappy dishwasher. Done, done, done, done and done. All new stuff. Next (and I know I'm forgetting stuff - it's not my plan) was painting the walls in our master bedroom (it was horrid), then the guest bedroom and the den. The hot water heater was the next thing to go (too small and not functioning well). Sink and taps in the kitchen (stainless steel out - black ceramic and brushed aluminum in). All drawer and cupboard handles. Repaint the walls in the hallway, the reading room (it's really a dining room, but we've transformed it into a room suitable for lounging, what with all the windows and skylight). Now the main bathroom is getting a paint job, new toilet, new lino and towelbars, with new lighting coming any time now.

Will it ever end? Probably not until every original feature of the house is gone. I've already had a glance at pictures of the house we moved into back in 1998 and this is not that house. You have been warned - this will happen to you too. Right now, Darlene's standing in the doorway of the workshop looking very intently at something.......oh jeez! Gotta run!