Returning home after our respite in the desert we knew we couldn’t stay at the house for the time being, so decided to book into a Marriott Residence Inn. But first we had to go home and get our clothes for the week ahead, me for work, T for a trip to her biggest conference of the year, where her clothing matters more than on most of her business trips. I was confident I knew which boxes held which clothes and shoes she needed, and had left them in the bedroom in locations I would recognize. I was only mildly concerned that the painters had been into our room and what they may have covered up — as I had already experienced how they wrapped everything up in the other bedrooms and my office — but tried to not be too worried because I knew of course where all her clothes were…right?
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| Everything gets pushed to the center of the room | . |
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Wrong! Our bedroom was wrapped up tighter than a burrito in plastic and taped down to the floor. The boxes had all been moved into the bathroom shower and stacked four high and three deep. To get at them I had to stand on a ladder and pull them down so T could grab and put out for us to see the contents, because of course none of the boxes had been marked — I packed and put them all in spots I could remember, so there was no need to mark them! Right???!!
First of all the boxes were super heavy, because they weren’t really packed with the intent of being moved, so hauling them out of the long narrow shower was very difficult. The soaker tub had been filled with winter bedding and there were ladders and tools taking up a great deal of the limited space available in the bathroom. It was hard to lift the boxes down and find enough space to put them in order to go through them to find what we needed. Then the boxes that were most easily reached had nothing that we wanted or needed in them. After going through all of them there was still a pair of much needed pants and shoes that were nowhere to be found.
Frustration was palpable and we were about ready to throw in the towel and make do with what we were able to find so far. We needed to find the litter box to take to the hotel, but it was also missing — where the heck had the painters put the missing boxes and litter box? Aha! Maybe the litter box at least was outside on the deck? I opened the slider to find, not only the litter box, but the cat tree, dog beds, AND the missing boxes! Oh thank heaven! We grabbed the litter box, found the pants and missing shoes and headed down to the find the hotel that would be home for the coming week. The poor kids had been in the car since we left the desert now 3.5 hours earlier.
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| Only in small spaces does he get this close to the dogs, which is so strange. |
The first Marriott Residence Inn was only one exit away from work, which was handy, but then in the evening, after feeding and watering the kids I spent my time driving up the highway to go to the house to check things out and put back anything that had been packed that I could. Then of course the drive back down to the hotel to sleep. The progress at the house was great to see, but not extensive enough to move back in…yet. The hotel room had a peculiar closed-in smell, that even my diffuser was having a tough time eradicating, it was clean, enough, but not a joyful experience to come home to each night.
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| Hard to do anything around the workers' mess. |
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| Love the new colors! |
An added challenge was to make sure the clothes that had been stored outside for a few days were ok to put back into the closet. One of T’s blouses had a bunch of silky thread on it, that as I pulled off I noticed that it felt sticky, I quickly realized it was not thread, but web — sure enough I checked the front of the blouse and there was a spider the size of a golf ball on the front. Calmly (I think I was calm) I carried the blouse outside and knocked that sucker down to the deck below. I’m sure he’ll resurface somewhere else, but at least he’s not taking up residence in our clothes closet!
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| The boys enjoying the view and sunshine. |
The cats liked the fact that there were two window ledges in the hotel that they could sit on and peer out at the goings on outside. Sleep was elusive because the kids weren’t very settled — the cats spent the nights from about 3-5am yowling, and for every sound heard the first night or so Barnaby emitted a low rumbling woof. By Friday morning we were all exhausted and thrilled at the prospect of heading to the desert for the weekend.
During the weekend while at the house in the desert there was a tangible difference in the kids’ behavior and demeanor, everyone was so relaxed, QUIET, and happy. Sleep was possible for all of us. Healthy meals of protein and veggies made us feel much stronger and able to face the coming days ahead.
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| Can't stay here - off to the Marriott...again. |
The next week we decided to stay at a Marriott Residence Inn closer to home, so that the drive was really only made once at night. It seemed better to be close to home, even if I had to battle the traffic on the 5, and the area we know so well too, considering eating out and shopping in the limited time provided each night after work. And the trip to the house each night took 10 minutes each way, instead of 40.
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| Telltale signs that mayhem erupted in the hotel! |
This hotel was much cleaner, a recent remodel made for a fresher smelling and brighter experience. The room configuration was exactly the same as the previous one, so I think the kids were a little more comfortable there from the start. Although Rolo did try to escape each time the door was open, so we think that’s a clear indication that he’s tired of life at the hotel. And one day he and his brother obviously had some 'words' as was evidenced by the bed!
Now, 21 days into the renovation, we still don’t have a house to go home to. Weekends spent in the desert, means we can all relax, spread out, enjoy fresh air, good food, and a clean house. Ten days at the Marriott, and it looks as though at least two or three more will be required in the coming week. We are taking Monday off in the hopes that the housekeeper can thoroughly clean the upstairs (the crew promised they’d have that completed by then), T is home this week and thinks that once we have a clean and functional upstairs we can move back in. I hope she’s right, but fear that the messy downstairs, with random bits of construction debris around will be a nightmare with the kids, as there would be no way to avoid that area of the house while they complete the kitchen and baseboards.
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| Looks good eh? |
T will be home all week — Yay! — only her third week home all year! This should mean that we will be able to go to the house after work and put the rest of our stuff back away. We still won’t have a functional kitchen, and I’m not sure when our downstairs bathroom will be put back together, but at least there may just be a light at the end of the tunnel. I know three weeks isn’t really that long for what we’re having done, but we’re not very good at being homeless.
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| Shower is almost done - looks awesome! |
Thursday the island cupboards were delivered, but the delivery was short the rest of the cupboards, they are supposed to come Monday, and then the kitchen construction can begin. The appliances were all delivered and are now in the garage. Ugh, we really need that back so we can park the car inside.
Guess, I’ll book the Marriott again now…
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