Home Improvement...

I'm pooped. For me, today was the hardest I've worked at our new place since we started fixing the place up a couple months ago. Our custom sofa is being delivered on Friday, earlier than anyone had expected, which threw a bit of a wrench into our plans. The patching and sanding in the kitchen/living/dining room was mostly done, but Justin and Mom (don't worry, she's taking things easy after her surgery last week, and she feels her recovery is going much easier this time around than last year) had to finish the hallway and the bedrooms so we could minimize the dust migrating down the hall to where the sofa is going to be. 

Justin and I moved the futon out of the living room where we had temporarily stored it to avoid as much dust as possible, and into the second bedroom, its final destination. We also moved our kitchen island back to its original spot, as someone had moved it during the sale process (possibly to make the kitchen look larger), but the original outline of it was clearly visible on the floor, and we wanted to minimize its appearance. Not only was that thing so heavy that I pulled something in my back trying to shift it, we cracked one of its plastic support legs while moving it, so we'll have to shore it up for stability now.

With everything in place, I set about the task of cleaning our filthy, drywall dust-covered floor. I gave it a thorough vacuuming, followed by a mopping that burned through an entire bottle of hardwood floor cleaner. I had ordered a steam mop for this purpose, as mopping is perhaps my third least favorite household chore after cleaning the toilet and doing dishes, but it didn't arrive in time, so I was forced to go the old school route.

Check out that spotless floor!

All that remained was for us to roll out our new rug on its freshly cleaned canvas, so Justin and I set about the task of hauling the massively heavy behemoth into place. Mom helped us measure to get it centered in front of the fireplace, and Justin rolled back and forth on it like a kid going down a hill to smooth out the bumps. Everything is in place and ready to go for the sofa delivery this week, and with that, the room will nearly be functional, which I am grateful for, even if I maimed myself in the process.

Justin, at his house earlier this weekend, basking in the warm glow of the television box.

Adding to the functionality of the room was the arrival of our television this week, though we've yet to move it in. I tasked this purchase entirely to Justin, to whose technical expertise I wisely deferred. I'm certain he chose well, after deliberating on the matter for a long time, and that he has selected a far better machine than I would have if I had been forced to wade through all that technical gobbledygook. Good job, babe!