As my home remodel draws to a close, I find I not only gained a gorgeous granite counter top, I gained wisdom. The renovation of three bathrooms and my kitchen has taught me many things I will carry through life and pass on to my children.The list of newfound knowledge includes:
1. Doing dishes in the shower and watching TV on the futon in the guest room is not the same as camping out but it’s close enough.
2. When doing dishes in the shower, never wear long pants…or shoes. Naked is best.
3. Love your garbage disposal every day. If you think your trash stinks now, try putting all your food scraps in it.
4. You are a creature of habit and will continue to head for the kitchen for two full weeks after there is no sink or refrigerator there.
5. You actually have a “Spidey” sense for when the refrigerator gets unplugged.
6. Any day without a new layer of drywall dust is a good day.
7. You can manage very well without one-third of the stuff you have in your kitchen cabinets.
8. Throwing out congealed spices and almost empty bottles of god-knows-what is very therapeutic.
9. It’s great to use your grill when you have no stove. It is not great to clean the grill when you have no kitchen sink.
10. Few things are as much fun as knocking out a wall.
11. You had no idea how many styles of cabinet handles and knobs there are, or that no store carries more than 10 of any one of them.
12. Having to search each day through boxes to find your caulender, can opener, mixing bowl, cutting board or balsamic vinegar is good exercise for your brain.
13. Nothing is where you remember leaving it.
14. Just because your old refrigerator fit through the door coming in, does not mean it will fit trying to go out.
15. Having a stove with all the burners working is magical.
16. You can become very comfortable with strange men bustling about your house.
17. The newer the faucet or showerhead, the less water that will come out of it.
18. Just because something is new, doesn’t mean it’s better, but it will be easier to clean.
19. Your husband is a really good sport who has eaten six weeks of microwavable cuisine with a smile.
20. Having a room with no mold, ceilings that don’t peel, lights that work, tile that isn’t chipped, a sink with no rust and walls with fresh paint is very nearly heaven.
