Last Sunday I arrived at Deborah and Ian's house where I have spent the week. Monday was Labor Day, and we did not disappoint. After a shopping spree at Home Depot - I love helping other people spend their money - to purchase drywall, we returned home to continue the bathroom restoration project that they had started. There is a sense of urgency to get this bath operational again; with a family of eight and only one other bathroom available there is the potential for some challenging moments.

Ian installed a vent van, light and speakers in the ceiling. He constructed a pony wall at the front of the tub for a TP holder - and radio control. We installed insulation in the walls and secured the drywall. Then came the process of taping and mudding the seams. This is not my forte; but with patience and time, I can get the walls smooth.

They had chosen 12 inch by 24 inch tile for the tub surround; the larger the tile the more challenging in terms of precision and time to install. I had hoped to get the tub grouted by Saturday, but I didn't get the last tile in place until that morning. I am sure that these tasks are just more time consuming and it is not because I am getting slower!

Miranda drove down with Rachel both Wednesday and Thursday to texture the ceiling and then paint it. It is nice that the two sisters live close enough to visit. Rachel and Hailey had fun playing together.

Here are some before, during and now pictures of the bath project:

After the last tile was in place, I cleaned up the equipment and tub area while Deborah, with the help of Samantha, painted the walls. Of the two paint colors they had chosen, one appeared too dark and the other too light. They opted for the lighter color, but once on the wall, it appeared darker than anticipated. I headed north to meet Dan at a Home Depot near them so he could purchase drywall for his new to him office, which is a 8 foot by 16 foot shed. It is nice to have a truck for these projects. And since there is an Andy's Frozen Custard nearby, we were obligated to stop by to assuage  my hot fudge sundae addiction.

50 years ago this past Saturday, Sandy and I were married in Panorama City, CA. Same church and minister as Steve/Kathy and Sue/Steve. So we had a 50th anniversary celebration yesterday at Miranda's house. Jonathan drove down with three of his children, Andy and most of his family joined us and all of Deborah's family was there for a total of 24 family members. The children had fun running amok in the forested area while the adults visited in a more leisurely fashion. Deborah took over the task of cooking the hot dogs and hamburgers. There were three yummy cheesecakes to enjoy afterwards. I spent the night at Miranda's and will drive back down to Deborah's this afternoon.

Tasks for this week include grouting the tub, installing a tile floor and grouting it. Then my work there should be complete and I will return to Miranda's for a couple of days to help Dan get his office drywalled. We will see how this actually works out!