Brick by Brick

Mark Winn is doing the brickwork on our home and it is turning out absolutely beautiful.  I feel very vulnerable without an exterior.  If something bad happens and the world ceases to go on as we know it I would feel unprotected.  I realize a brick doesn't really save me in any way but I'm sure someone understands what I'm talking about.  The only problem with the brick is that it is moving along rather slowly.  The weather has not been very cooperative and the crew doesn't work in the rain.  I realize this is actually a blessing to me -- my brick will be better.  On, the downside though, Andy hasn't been too impressed because his to-do list keeps growing.  While laying in bed the other night it hit me that I needed to uninstall my current dining room window and replace it with a much larger one.  I truly have a beautiful backyard but anytime you want to see out this window you have to stand right up next to it.  The next morning when I told Andy about my new idea he was speechless.  It happens to be a bearing wall.  I didn't want the window to only be taller but also wider.  Not an easy process by any means.  After sharing the idea with my family they also suggested we replace the window in the soon to be office.  To make it lower for easier vision to the backyard.  Can you just see Andy rolling his eyes.  The dining window was 3x4 and was to be replaced with a 4.5x6, over double the current size.  I'm sure Andy was thinking to himself if they had already bricked this Tina's hair brained idea wouldn't have worked.

The windows came and Andy had arranged a giant work crew to complete the task.  This just also happened to be on the same day pizza's arrived.  Taylei's accelerated softball team did a Little Caesar pizza fundraiser.  The goal for the team was to sell 60 pizza kits each.  Taylei was successful and sold 61 (she actually sold the most on the entire team and earned a personalized pink helmet).  This is wonderful in most every way except - pizza is perishable and many people are not home on Monday nights.  Ughhhhh.  I finally found places in my fridge or the people at home - after my third and fourth stop.  What I'm trying to say, I should have gotten more pictures of the event but it was truly amazing that I got these.

Both windows installed miraculously well.  Andy had a goal not to ruin any of the drywall.  I don't think anyone felt he would be successful but he did it.  My father wanted to be the first person to look out the window while sitting at the kitchen table.  Too bad it was dark outside and you couldn't see a thing.  Have I complained yet about how dirty it is to remodel?
My uncle John came out for a hot dog with my parents but he ended up with lots LESS than he bargained for.  He gave Andy some really good suggestions and together with the help of a half dozen others, the window was installed.  While dinner was being served, Andy and John were right in the thick of it and didn't stop for dinner.  Uncle John ended up with a cold hot dog -- and they taste bad enough warm.
The funny thing about this, after everyone left and I was trying to dust, sweep and reassemble.  The new window was driving me crazy!  I kept trying to put my table back where it goes and it just didn't look right no matter how I moved it.  It took me a few minutes to realize I was trying to center it on how the old window fit in the room.  I'm sure the new window will grow on me but I guess change is hard even when you ask for it.