A new home means a plethora of projects and we’ve only just begun. Yesterday, it was one contractor after another ringing our doorbell. Personally, I had baseball cards to organize, pool toys to inflate, and cardboard boxes to break down for the dumpster while these guys did the heavy lifting. I did do some dumpster diving once it turned dark, carefully removing any identifying shipping labels that could lead to HOA fines. It seems like the open trash bins should be a privilege for putting up with all the construction around us, but they are very strict about using them for personal use. I unloaded a bunch of tile scraps from the kitchen backsplash mosaic that turned out to be a work of art. This morning he’s back to add the grout and finish this fabulous silver and gold marble accent to our new white cabinets. We decided to hire someone to add a unique touch to the standard options offered by the builder. My wife picked out the tile.

We had expected it to take several months to get this project done, but in serendipitous fashion a craftsman happened to show up yesterday morning to do some caulking and we hired him on the spot. The pattern was however complicated and what he estimated might take three hours will turn into more than ten. However, he was able to save us a full box of tile with a return value of nearly $500. We will make it worth his time. We also contracted a stone mason to expand our driveway of pavers that will cosmetically improve our drainage system, add an elevated platform for the garden hose, and give us a more dramatic winding entryway. With most of the homes in our neighborhood so similar in design, it will instill a more distinctive look – one of the few ways to keep us with the Joneses. 

Steam cleaning and sealing the tile floors starts this morning before my visit to the chiropractor. It’s a bee hive of activity here in Florida as we prepare for the movers and the zillions of upcoming projects associated with organizing our living space. It will be an endless list of unboxing, sorting, and hanging. I’m not looking forward to more projects. Help!