Here we are, already mid November with plans being made for Thanksgiving. I become crushed, from time to time, by the fact that we are not further along. I also become crushed, from time to time, by total and complete fatigue. I can’t lie to you, I am really tired. Joe took a mini break and spent Saturday up north hunting. I got a large amount of electrical run and was so relieved when he got home. By the time all of Saturday came and went I wanted nothing more then his arms around me. Sunday morning we ran to Detroit lakes and got our wood stove and Joe had it installed with a fire lit in all of two hours! And with the fire lit I got tears in my eyes. Our new wood stove sits exactly where my grandma’s kitchen stove used to sit and, not far away, was the same stool that had sat by her kitchen stove for all the years that I can remember. I sat in the stool, right where my Grandma always used to sit, felt the wonderful heat and I felt suddenly blessed. I was reminded why I’m doing this and my fatigue took a back seat to the joy of it all – it really is all going to be worth it whether as a tribute to those before us, or as a home for us, its going to be a very good place to be.

I took Tuesday off from work and started the fire at 9am for my spray foam insulation sub contractor who was coming in the afternoon. I put on a pair of long johns, a pair of jeans, four pairs of socks, a pair of coveralls, on top I had on a tank top, two long sleeves shirts, a sweater and my carhardt coat topped off with a beanie and winter work gloves and boots. After the fire was finally drafting (which means the chimney was hot enough to suck the smoke out and feed the fire with oxygen so I could shut the door on the stove – I learn something new every day) I then took off at a dead run and pulled my last two main power lines into the second floor and down to the two spots we’re going to be putting electric heaters. Besides those two main power lines I had to run through the second floor it was ready for my spray foam guy. But I had to get those two run first, and I did. I also managed to hang a ladder from the ceiling when I was pulling line upstairs. I swear, I never could have managed that even if I had tried. I came downstairs and busted out laughing at the amazing shit I do without trying. The pics above are of about 1/3rd of the second floor sprayed, he’s doing the rest of the floor today. Remember, our second floor is our master suite and its looking like it will be completed first, so exciting!! Every time I go up there I look longingly at that gorgeous double slipper tub I may never talk myself into getting out of it once this house is done.

Once my sub contractor showed up I ran home at 3pm to eat something and take a little break. I hadn’t eaten that day yet (I am well aware that coffee, a can of coke and cigarettes is not a healthy breakfast) and had been pulling wire and running electrical since 10am. I had breakfast/lunch, sat down on the couch (still with all of my gear on) and promptly fell asleep. For any one who has ever worked in a very cold environment before, or just outside for long periods of time, it’s hard to describe how truly tiring it is. I got my butt up (it was VERY hard to get up) and went back over to the house around 4. By the time I went home at 7 I was so bone weary I could barely get my coveralls off. This is reporting to be the coldest November on record for the majority of the United States. This horror after last winter and the endless polar vortex feels like nothing less that a cold punch to the gut. On the other hand, it may be cold here but we’ve only got about an inch of snow on the ground and Buffalo, New York, just got hit by over six feet! So, I guess we’re not complaining but man everything is just so much harder now that its winter.