Tuesday, April 25, 2006

One Month

It is now one month to the eve of our closing. When we set the closing date, I did not realize how long two months would actually feel like when anticipating a major move like this. The up side is that it gives us plenty of time to prepare for the move. On the down side, it gives us a lot of time to dwell on the things we have to do and to speculate about the unknown changes that are about to occur. Either way, all of this contemplation might be a good thing. Is it really?

When planning a project, the last thing you want to give an architect is a lot of time. Actually, the last thing you want to give an architect is a lot of time and a sketchbook. I have spent my daily commute sketching so much that people are beginning to stare. I have about 35 minutes each way, by train, to work and have managed to fill the good part of a sketchbook with just about every idea I could think of. This all started innocently enough planning our first project, the basement bar, play area and family room. This minor endeavor quickly turned to sketches of the new lighting fixture in the dining room, kitchen layouts, storage cabinets in the bathroom, and landscaping. Yesterday, I started sketching the pergola and koi pond. O.K. Chris, it’s time to wake up – when the hell are you going to build a koi pond – you don’t even like fish?
We have also done a lot of make-believe shopping. I am sure everyone has done this. Let’s say you need a new bed. Well, you don’t start at Ikea with a cheap bed and buy the first thing you see; you have to dwell on it a bit. You begin by glancing through Crate Barrel catalogs and then Pottery Barn and then you say, “what the heck” and end with a trip to your local Stickley dealer only to realize that the cheapest thing they sell is about the same price you paid for your car (as if this is a surprise). In addition to the “Stickley Expedition”, we have entertained ourselves with everything from Tiffany art glass light shades, Viking warming drawers and outdoor play equipment that would put our local park to shame. On an average day, this is a fun activity but when you are already somewhat stressed with an impending move, this can sometimes make one feel a bit more overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed seems to aptly describe how we feel, particularly Ileana. Her obsessive worrying about the house has gotten so bad that she can’t even sit down to a weekly dose of our favorite Fox medical drama without stressing out. Not a thing is packed in the apartment but you can see that the packing lists and organization worries has gotten the best of her. She has been doing a lot of avoidance and has even been a little absentminded. She actually put orange juice in her coffee yesterday! In addition to this, thoughts of new day care, her impending commute change, and not having enough closet space is starting to take its toll. Hopefully some of the excitement of all of this will come out once we actually own the place.

It is now one month until we close on the house. That means it is two months before we move. Hopefully June will be a good month for us; filled with injury-free renovation work, easy packing, and a seamless move. We should continue to look on the bright side. It could be worse, right? The home could have been twice the size and twice the disaster. We could have to move into the home at the end of May. Do you want to see Ileana’s head explode? Not me, so I better keep that kind of talk to a minimum.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I say you commission Dale Chihuly to design a few pieces for your house, since there is still so much time left!

Anonymous said...

Chris, help ease Ileana's stress and solve closet/storage issues by designing a nice big closet for her. If you have time to sketch a koi pond, you can surely do that! Good luck with the move!
-Libby