Hooray for studs! And the walls look good too! ;)

Stay warm!

Ah.... I love the smell of fresh cut 2x4s. : )

Glad to see that you have lots of them sitting upright and pretty.

Hang in there! Soon this will all be a dim memory when you are reveling in your new reno. Plus, you'll have great stories to tell. LOL

Pepper
~ Demo has turned into Reno. Day 4. : )

I remember those days of basement camping. What a crazy time that is.

Things are moving now! How exciting!

I ought to share this with my So. Florida fellow teachers. You won't believe the whining I hear cause it's 36 degrees first thing in the morning. It warms up to the mid 40's by time schools starts and they won't let the kids go outside for PE. Too cold for PE outside when it's mid 40's????? Even my blood hasn't thinned out that much!

Dianalo,

I truly feel for you.

Two years an apocalyptic ice storm raged through our state
snapping tall pines like toothpicks. The ice covered
landscape looked like a scene out of Narnia. The first 24 of
no power passed like an idyllic camping trip. I found my
scented candles, DH lit a roaring, toasty, picturesque
fire, and DDaughter melted Ice from the freezer to make big
mugs of hot chocolate for us. (We have a well and a pump,
so no electricity = no water).
DSon found all the flashlights and set up Monopoly.
Together we were a caring, loving, charming cover of LL
Bean kind of a family. We discussed doing this once a week
in the future; a loving family game night electricty free,
peace and joy.

Over the next 72 hours, blissful harmony went out the
window and we turned into hostile, violent, bitter,
belligerent war torn enemies. Using the bathroom would be
our downfall. I must have yelled "DON'T FLUSH" a thousands
times. Let me preface this by saying anyone who has had to
train a boy to aim into the bowl, put the seat back down,
flush and wash understands all too well understand the
daunting lessons I had to undo.

I never want to hear DH say "If it's yellow let it mellow,
if it's Brown DON'T flush it down." We were using 5-gallon
jugs of water, filled from the stream along the driveway,to
keep the toilets working. Below freezing temps outside to
get water through a crack iced stream. Horrible. My idea
of camping is a Red Roof Inn. I don't camp, I go to the
Plaza. You can see how horrible this was for me.

Living in close basement quarters meant all personal
privacy was gone. This 1000sq foot space with a small gas
heater was how we lived.Personal space? None. I learned
things about my family I really didn't want to know. Whose
deodorant doesn't work, snores the loudest, needs a breath
mint, has flatulence like hard boiled eggs,.... Who hates
40 degree indoor temps more. I had to endure the hum of my
daughter's text messages for hours on end as teens across
our town communicated endlessly about their hardships.

Life living in a basement with minimal electricy, without
plumbing, or heat for 7 days was hellacious! Yes 7 DAYS!!!!
Truly I do understand your challenges. Hang in there. This
too shall pass and you will have a lovely warm, inviting,
beautiful and well deserved space.

I only wish I could have emerged from that horrific
basement ordeal to a beautiful new kitchen. : )
~boxerpups

And of course I have a photo. I would not be boxer without
a photo.

Boxer - you had me snorting I was laughing so hard. I was actually thinking last night how lucky we were to lose heat and not electric, lol. Of course, if we lose electric, we lose the heat because our oil burner has electric elements to it.

Our heat got back on approx 11 a.m. today because it ended up being an electrical issue from when they cut the thermostat loose upstairs (at least, that is my theory). I was able to take a shower (won't say how long since my last one, but I was overdue last night). My "kitchen" is now set up, so it is looking neater and less cluttered. It consists mainly of a massage table opened up with 2 boards on top and a small table on the other side. I have a micro, toaster oven, tabletop convection oven, toaster and crock pot out for cooking. I did not have the room for those in my old kitchen, lol, but then again, I had a stove and dw. I actually have more elbow room in the bsmt than I had in our real kitchen.

We are getting into the routine of being down here, but I dread Xmas break. We will be skiing for 2 days and have a day to head up and catch a show on the way in NYC. It is the other days that will be rough. 4 of us in this space all day is not a great plan for an extended period.

Thank goodness your heat will be back on today. Nothing says major construction like the loss of heat!

The weather here has been horrid. Thankfully not much snow and I'm about an hour north of you but the temps have been awful. I'm ready for spring already!

Some nights a hotel room or a week at resident inn type hotels are worth the money...

Well, Boxerpups, I can beat that with mighty few words. 5 days, 5 children, outhouse.

dianalo, I promise you that while you won't look back on this with fondness, the pain and bitterness will fade from your memories the moment you first use your new fire and water.

Take pictures so you can look back and remember how crazy it was, and how far you've come when you get discouraged later on.

We got a late start on one part of our house, and I thought it would have to wait until spring. Had a warm day (above freezing) in December, and DH said "Let's go for it"

So in one day we took down the wall, built, installed, and insulated a new one - did the wiring at a later date. Sure made a huge difference keeping it warm in that end of the house!

Original wall. The house is balloon framed, so the wall does not sit on the floor. We had rebuilt the floor earlier. The joists run parallel to the wall.

Nice December day - let's take out a side of the house!

Progress

New wall - with windows and insulation! Taken about midnight. We didn't quit until it was done.

If it's any consolation we're freezing here in town without any construction. I'm wearing 2 sweaters and have the space heater going.

Looks like your guys are moving it along and as long as they have those trucks and show up no day is too cold!! Yay dianalo, you're rockin the house.