Rackety Ratchet

TMF, “What are these called?”

BF, “Are you serious?”

TMF, “Of course I'm serious!  Haven’t you learned this yet?"

BF, “Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re being serious.  They’re called ratchets.”

TMF, “Rackets?”
BF, “Ra-TCHET”
TMF, “Ra-CKET?

BF, “No!  RaTCHET.”  

TMF, “Rackety rack rack RaTCHETS!”

BF sighs, "Are you going to help me or not?"

Sneak Peak: Spiral Staircase

Here’s a sneak peak at our spiral staircase.  This was another great BF Craigslist purchase.  

We haven’t decided the color yet, but it the staircase will definitely be powder coated.

I think the staircase is a strange juxtaposition of feminine and masculine.  The railings have an intricate flourish design.  The steps remind me of the diamond plate pattern you find on truck toolboxes.  The steps may be have a wood covering in the future.  Also, I'm not sure if the flourish railings are too girly for me.  We'll see...

Jig Is Up

BF, “Do you see the jig I put in?”
TMF, “A what?”
BF, “A jig.” 
TMF, "A WHAT?" BF is constantly telling me my hearing is becoming worse with age.
BF, "JIIIG."
TMF, “Oh...as in ‘the jig is up?”
BF sighs, “Yes.”
TMF, “So what am I looking at?”

BF gave a quick explanation of how a jig holds in place the pieces of wood.  Without the jig, he couldn’t have produced the new railings at a perfect 90-degree angle. 

The previous tenants said when they moved in, there weren’t any railings at all.  Yikes!  I assume they installed these railings themselves because they’re bad.   A small child or worse, a little beagle, could easily fall through.   Safety hazard!  Remember those images of children getting their heads stuck in between railings?  Nope, not these bad boys.

We plan to install drywall over the new railings.   I would have loved to have a contemporary glass or cable railing, but they’re very expensive.  Also, the drywall railing will be safer for future little BFs or little TMFs.  Again, I'm impressed with BF's handy skills.

TMF, “The jig is up!”
BF, “And gone!" 
I’m sorry if you haven’t seen History of the World, Part I.

About

After seven exhausting months of house hunting, Internet searches, turned down offers, stress, and hope, my husband (BF) and I (TMF) bought a house in our hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.  The house is a huge fixer-upper, but it has lots of potential.  The house was a previous foreclosure and there were “interesting” tenants living inside up until the day we closed.  

We are on a tight budget and a semi-tight timeline.  BF loves Craigslist and saving as much money as possible.  We both work full time jobs and feel guilty when leaving Bailey, our beloved 11-year-old beagle, by himself for long periods of time. 

 BF and the Wonder Beagle

Some interesting facts...

• BF is extremely handy and I am not.  This is the source of many jokes and frustrations.
• BF is very optimistic and I am not.  This is the source of many arguments and sighing.
• BF is coordinated and I am clumsy.  This is why I stay out of his way.
• BF doesn’t mind physical labor and I do mind physical labor.  This is why I cook his dinner and wash his clothes. 

Although it feels great to be a homeowner, I sometimes feel frustrated because of the massive renovations that need to be completed before we move.  The to-do list seems to grow every time I think one project is done.  I wonder if I sound like a broken record when asking, “What did we get ourselves into?” 

I hope you enjoy our adventures in renovating our first home.