We've been doing a bit of re-thinking the past couple of days. There was a bit of a set back with the architect. Without going into detail suffice it to say we may be going back to the drawing board from a couple of different directions. As I type this Michael is working up yet another set of plans (yes, it may be adjudication time again). Taking into consideration zoning restrictions, re-use by the next family that might live here, and possibly a more economical build (although at this point I have given up assuming anything will actually SAVE money). There will be posts about that as it develops
Processing the next steps has left us a bit fallow in the renovation department the last week or so.
…Although, it did give me a brief moment to formulate a theory about living in a house I am renovating. I have a four-pronged approach. Meaning I give varying amounts of focus and balance to each of the following:
1) Maintenance: day to day stuff, the laundry, the trash and recycling, dishes, cleaning, sweeping the walkway, etc.
2) Repair: fixing those things (preferably to a higher standard than the previous iteration) that you would need to do regardless of any other renovation projects.
3) Renovation: Augmenting or scraping back and resurfacing/rebuilding any portion of the living or exterior space.
4) Recreation: Taking a break from all of it.
Ok, so this where the "life project management" gets a little...let's say "controlled" (pejorative enough to nod at the obsessive tendency but still enough to let me blather on about the merits). We keep a white board in the kitchen. There are items and there are check boxes. When they're done you get to check um off. Occasionally there are dependencies between things, which get called out in a contrasting color.
All of this might sound a bit restrictive but please note the variety of items on the board, especially "see movie" which is featured prominently. I guess what I'm trying to say is this; if (like the four food groups) I get regular servings of each of the four categories the easier the entire process seems. When any one of them starts to dominate something’s about to break.
Just a thought.
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