I lack motivation. And I babble.

Laundry is waiting in the kitchen to be brought downstairs. The bathroom needs to be cleaned. The kitchen floors are gross. Dishes are in the sink. And where am I? On the computer because I don't want to clean.

School starts up for me again next week. Two of my classes should be fairly easy. The second part in Natural Science will kick my butt this term. I'll actually have a professor who teaches the class how it should be done. I still need to retake my math placement exam otherwise I'm screwed. Which means I need to study. Yet something else I'm avoiding like the plague.

My, how things have changed.

Monday we got a visit from M who we haven't seen in months. Can't say we missed his coming over before 8am on a Saturday morning at all. The curiosity got the better of him since he saw the electric truck outside.

A year ago we were on friendly terms with these 3 families. Now? Only one family do we occasionally talk with. They made it abundantly clear our family was no longer welcome at birthday party celebrations this summer. It was the one concern I had in inviting them to the boys back in June. I no longer have this concern going forward. Brendan even called them out on it one time and was ignored. Why? Because they know what they did was wrong. Fortunately it's their karma that'll bite them in the ass.

Last year had us receiving holiday goodies. This year? Not a single one. I debated taking over a batch. I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad because the rare times of small talk between us is awkward. There is so much I'd like to say but know it won't do a damn bit of good.

I know I shouldn't let the fallout between these families bug me. Jason keeps telling me to let it go. For the most part I have. Until I see how the 3 wives bonded together over a run and now have a nickname for them. Or how another person who they directed their gossip towards is now a bestest friend.

I mean, it's so fucking obvious they've turned their backs on us. On me. I know it's not me. I know I didn't do anything wrong because two of the wives can't even look me in the eye if I pass them on the street. It still hurts.

A year later

and this is where we stand. The basement still isn't done but progress is finally being made. Jason's been working on removing the old paint from the walls and glue from the floor. The grey areas on the wall have been scrubbed clean. It takes hours in removing the paint. We have one last possibility in paint removal before going back to the lovely lead based haze removal.

The floors are slowly being brought back to normal before we lay down self leveling concrete. If you pay attention you'll also see the crappy fluorescent lights are gone! We have proper recessed lighting and the lights on the stairs are working. Took us forever to figure out what the little boxes were.

During the next two weeks a flurry of activity will be happening downstairs. Okay, I admit we also have a deadline with the insurance company in turning the rest of our claim in for the mold damage of last year. Dare I say we'll have a proper ceiling with insulation by month's end? That we'll have brand new bamboo flooring downstairs? Yes, yes I dare.