Demolition! (Click to view)

We knew it would take a long time.

We knew it would be stressful.

But Fernanda really wanted a new bathroom; the old shower pan especially was stressing her out.

So intrepidly we embarked. Late May the demolition started. Then we went to Germany for a couple weeks.

Construction recommenced in late June. But now the supplier we found to make the solid surface shower pan backed out at the last minute, not comfortable that he could do a shower pan after all, so I had to scramble to find a new supplier. They have to come take measurements, then make it, then schedule to install it. So this held things up until the around the 22nd of July. Meanwhile, a cooling unit in the living room was discovered to be leaking, and water was warping the floor under the carpet. So fixing the living room now took priority. All the while, I have a last minute trip to Italy for a week, just before the two of us were going to Brasil for most of August. So, another break in the construction.

End of August, I come home with the flu, fever, clogged ears, cough. Bleah! Living room is fixed, but not put back together. Construction of the bathroom continues, but the days pass in a blur, as I am really sick, and Fernanda is still in Brasil. Later, she catches the flu, and we're both really tired. End of September we go to Vermont for a week to rest and recuperate (we'd booked the house before I even left for Italy). Bathroom comes along, plumbing and electrical complete. Now only the shower door is missing. The suppliers our contractor had been using have gone dark, MIA. So we try another outfit, they come to measure, we go to pick out fixtures, they schedule installation a couple weeks later, and install the wrong hardware. Takes another couple weeks before they come back to fix it. Not impressed with them. We've tentatively started using the bathroom. By the time they finally replace the handle, we declare victory and consider the bathroom done. Only inspection left.

So the inspector comes in the morning, probably when I'm in the shower, 'cause I never heard him. Fluorescent orange sticker: failed due to lack of access. The plumbing and electrical inspectors come, and because the building has some problem that the hot water is too hot, we fail plumbing inspection!

So, the building inspector rescheduled, and we passed. But still waiting on the building to fix the hot water issue to reschedule the plumbing inspection. Meanwhile, we have inaugurated the bathroom, taken all the protective plastic off the cabinets, and moved in. But still not officially finished...