So after calling last week to schedule our appointment, we had our walk through on Wednesday and work began today. On Wednesday I met with our project manager (Maria from Plumbing Express - very nice) - she informed me that the process would take about four days (Day One: Cutting holes and actually doing the repiping work, Day Two: Await inspector's approval and start patching drywall, Day Three: Finish patching drywall, mudding, and texturing, Day Four: Painting and completion) and I have to move half of my life into various corners so it's out of the way of where they need to cut into the walls to repipe.
So, I spent Wednesday and Thursday evenings moving everything out from under the cabinets in my kitchen and bathrooms, removing everything from the tops of the cupboards in the kitchen and on top of the fridge, clearing out our coat closet (for access to downstairs bathroom), and the biggie - moving Jimmy's work table and our big shelving unit from their normal places in the garage to the middle of the garage (no parking in the garage for me for the weekend!).
Jump to this morning - Maria rings our doorbell at 6:50 this morning and work is about to begin. I was watching TV while the guys start bringing some of their things in - one of them mentions they will need to move our couches, so I say sure no problem, I'm going to head up to our office - please let me know if you need anything. So they work their way upstairs - laying down drop cloths, putting plastic down, making sure that they'll catch any mess and keep my house clean. Well, I balance my checkbook, upload photos on flickr (of the aforementioned baby niece), chat with Nicole at work, check e-mail and play a little TextTwist - all to the background noise of holes being made in my walls, pipes being run and shouting between workers of instructions to each other (I think that's what was happening, but I'm not proficient in Spanish). Things seem to be going well, all in all.
About a quarter to eleven it gets really quiet - and I think, ah, perfect time to run downstairs and get the books that Elizabeth let me borrow (I forgot to check some out on Thursday and I'm about 25 pages away from finishing The Memory Keeper's Daughter, the bills I need to pay, my keys (so I can run down to the pool to use the restroom), and something to drink. Well, I start down the stairs and everything is completely encased in plastic - taped down, sealed up - I'm not getting in. That's okay, I think, I'll head back upstairs and wait for them to come back. At this point I decide I'm pretty bored and wish I had more to do. More importantly - I wish I could cozy up on the couch and watch All My Children!
So I hear them come back around 11:30am, I wait until about 12:30pm and head downstairs. Of course, Hannah has barked and growled at them when they came in and then spent the rest of the morning on my lap at the computer. At this point (when heading downstairs) she's in my arms. I head over to where a couple of the guys are working in the kitchen and say - Do you think it would be at all possible to get my keys and purse so that I could run out to get some lunch. The nice man replies, sure, sure. I say I'm sorry to bother him. He has to cut into the plastic and stretch to retrieve my purse and keys from the kitchen table. Next, I say, also I think my flip flops are on the floor here. He grabs them too. I apologize profusely - he insists it's fine.
I work my out between ladders and tools and call Corey from my cell phone in the car. Luckily Jarvus is home and I can run over and use their bathroom since I didn't want to make the workers search for my other set of keys with the pool key on it. So, I drop in on Jarvus and the girls - who are happy to see Hannah - and use their restroom. Next stop - Del Taco for a Number 4 (I think - two chicken soft tacos, fries and a cherry coke - ask my about my caffeine consumption later) and a bottle of water. My fridge is taped up too so the yummy Fresh and Easy food (a couple of soups and pastas) will do me no good while I'm home with the plumbers.
Then it's back to the house - by now it's raining pretty good by the way - I love the rain. When I get back home I try to have Hannah go potty, but of course she will not since it is raining. So, we head back in through the garage and snake our way through ladders and tools and return to our safe-zone - the office! I eat my tacos and start my blog entry.
As I am writing right now they are cleaning up and I think testing my faucets. I swear I hear water running. I think this is a good thing. I was supposed to have them here until 4:30 this afternoon, but it looks like I might get to watch some of my recorded episodes of All My Children this afternoon after all. I'll pictures of the holes when they're gone and post them later!
On to the important stuff - my little sister Ashley gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Layla Mei on January 14th.
Jimmy and I headed out to see them (and proud papa Kelly) this past weekend. For anyone who doesn't know me very well, let me tell you - I love newborns. The newer, the better. I think they're perfect up until about six weeks or so. They sleep so much, and are used to the warm quarters of the uterus, so they snuggle right into you when you pick them up. I love them. Little Layla Mei is beautiful.
I'm only posting a couple of non-identifying photos here since my blog is open to all readers. You can check out more photos on flickr (note to my family who doesn't use flickr - these photos are mostly set so just friends and family can view them - if you set up a free flickr account I can add you to my friends/family list so that you can see them). She weighed seven pounds one ounce and has the most perfectly round face you've ever seen. I snuggled up with her over the weekend and didn't want to leave her when we had to go. I swear if they would stay that little forever I would have twelve of them! I can't wait to see her again. Ashley and Kelly are doing well - they are adjusting to parenthood and I hope they continue to rely on each other as they continue this journey.
In another interesting aside - we stayed at the Abbey Inn while we were in St. George visiting. My parents had stayed there while Ashley was in the hospital and said it was nice. They particularly said the suites were nice. So, we get into town about 5pm or 5:30pm and pull into the Abbey Inn. We walk up to the desk and Jimmy tells the lady that we don't have reservations, but would like to get a room for two nights. So she asks if we want a king bed and I ask if she has any suites available, to which she responds, oh like an Anniversary Suite? 
We ask what makes it an anniversary suite and she tells us it has a fireplace and a hot tub - Jimmy makes cracks about a Honeymoon Suite and the deal is sealed. We book the room. It was fun - here's a picture. The dresser and night tables were all mirrored, there was a zebra throw on the bed and lots of fluffy feathery pillows. It was a hoot!I decide to try out the hot tub on the first night. So, I start filling it up and hop in - only to have to wait seriously about 20 minutes before it's full. When you put the hot and cold water on full force it comes out way too hot - so I would run the hot water for a while then turn it off and let just cold water run - it took forever to fill. While I'm waiting for it to fill, I'm trying to figure out how to turn on the jets - there are little round things on the edge of it and I am sure you have to turn them to get the jets on, but it doesn't seem to be working. So Jimmy comes over to check it out - at this point it's about half full - he sees that one of the little round things can be depressed - he does it and the jets start shooting water out right at my face! Eeek! So, by the time the tub is actually full and the jets are functioning properly I am so hot because of the water issues and I am ready to get out. I get out and can't cool down, but luckily a quick cool shower under the dual shower heads helps - along with the 50/50 ice cream bar that Jimmy got for me from the vending machine!
All in all we had a great time. We are so happy for Ashley and Kelly and their growing family! We know they will be wonderful parents and I look forward to snuggling more with Layla!
