Home Again!

9 months and 7 days after the fire and we have finally returned home. It's an odd feeling. Yesterday Contractor Dick and his band of Merry Men came and removed their equipment and tools, cleaned up the yard and drove away. I felt much like I did when KB was released from ICU, following the car accident, many bruises, X-rays and neurosurgery later. It was only 2 days after surgery, thought they had assured us she'd be there 6-8 days minimum, her head still looked wounded and hard core antibiotics were still coursing through her veins combating any nasty bugs that might have invaded during the time that her brain was exposed. Upon being released we loaded her up in a wheelchair and carefully maneuvered our way across the street to the hospital hotel. Every bump caused worry and usually a gasp from her. She was fragile, frail, peaked and bruised and I sure enough felt like she'd been released too soon from the care of medical professionals.

Same feeling yesterday as our house professionals took off. I wanted to shout after them, "Too, soon, the house is still too frail! And while the essentials are all in place everything but remains mostly un-done sans the first floor, which is beautiful! We are still waiting on our flooring sub-contractor to sand the 2nd floor and put 2 coats of finish on 2 levels. We hesitate to really move in until that is done. We have some dry-walling to do, a tub surround to tile, more mudding and sanding and texturing to do, closets to finish and on and on. The basement is finished enough but as the house was gutted we need just about everything still including but not limited to doors, towel bars, curtain rods, etc. etc. The yard is a whole nuther (nightmare) story. We have more than enough to keep us busy for months ahead. KB is planning to escape again, I mean leave, for GA tomorrow and resume her role on the Echols campaign as "Campaign Barbie." Since being home shes either been packing and moving, cleaning here or there, and working long shifts. I think she's looking forward to the flight to Atlanta just so she can nap!

Off to bleach the garage at the leased house and we are done there, thanks in part to Lori, Ann, Linda and Pam, cleaning wonder women, order blinds and a dishwasher. The rest of the appliances are home and in place and make the already gorgeous kitchen shine!