As another weekend draws to a close, I must think…where? Where did it go? The only reason I am certain there was a weekend is because my entire body hurts. The deck is completely gone and so is the cheap wood floor in the living room. We still can’t figure out why the floor was installed, as the original is in great shape. All the scrap is now loaded into the truck, including the old shutters, some screens and other miscellaneous crap Michael found under the deck. We’re both still shocked that one of us hasn’t been punctured by one of the million nails we’ve encountered.

All the new photos can be found here on Facebook.

I often think that I should rename my blog to “How to Renovate and Stay Married”. It certainly isn’t easy to do this type of project and we’re learning some valuable things along the way.

• Work on connected, but independent projects. It helps to have your own task and be able to work it from start to finish. It makes you feel like you are equally contributing and you can do things your own way without someone telling you that you are doing it wrong.
  

• Music. Not only does the right loud music help motivate, it also masks the profanity and periodic cries of pain. It keeps your loved one from thinking that you are a wimp or that you have developed a case of Tourettes.

• Bring your own keys or your own transportation. This keeps you from having to work as long as the other. Sometimes you would just prefer to end your task and go home and take a shower. This keeps you from bitterly glaring at your spouse while they stand between you and being clean.

• Have a Subway nearby. Wow, so simple, yet so true. We have one around the corner and the 5 minute walk provides a great change of scenery from dust and demo. We stay fed (and therefore less grumpy), no one feels responsible for food, and we’re eating relatively healthy.
  

• Beer and a rocking chair front porch. Sometime during every renovation day you need to sit together and talk about nothing, the project, each other, the weather…anything. Just be together and enjoy it. These chairs may be our best investment ever. They are also the only thing in or around the House that isn’t covered in a layer of dust.