It’s a marathon, not a sprint

One step up from camping is how I have described staying at our little lake place most recently. Maybe even 2 steps up now that we have a portable A/C unit and a 12 cup coffee pot. 

This 4th of July we somewhat hosted our first gathering.  We were able to do so because of the Bies bringing their pop-up camper as we are in no condition yet to have overnight guests in the cabin due to no bedrooms. Or walls. Or beds. Our current “living space” serves as a kitchen, living room and at night, after we unfold the futon and blow up the air mattresses, a bedroom.

Hillbilly Holiday was the name of the weekend and fun was had by all.  In addition to fun, a lot of progress was also made on the cabin, thanks to Ryan, Dave and Busch Light.  They managed to get the main support beams finished for the addition.  Prior to that, they had to jack up the northeast corner of the cabin where the bathroom is located as it settled over the winter.  This part I was able to help with as well as Krissey… We took turns sitting on the toilet making sure it felt level again!

I forgot to take a photo after they completed this part of the project. Shame on me.  In my defense, it’s really hard to take photos with a drink in your hand.  

The next step involves a lot of plywood for the addition and existing cabin.  Ryan explained this part to me but I don’t know how to reiterate it so I will just show you lots of pictures in my next post. The long term plan with this place is to extend it 10’ x 25’ on the backside (road side) and also build up and add a loft on the back half of the cabin that will over look the lake.

Similar to this to give you an idea…

Coincidently, this random photo I found also illustrates what the outside aesthetic is that we are shooting for.  Give us about a decade and you will be thoroughly impressed!  I promise!! 

#itsamarathonnotasprint

A few more before photos:

 
This is the walkway from the back of the cabin leading from the driveway.  Not-So-Fun Fact:  When I was a kid, this area was a cliff-like forest and you entered the cabin on the other side by running down a gravel hill and praying to Sweet Jesus you could stop in time for the stairs and not roll down the rest of the hill into the lake.

The old death hill entrance

The shed aka former outhouse.  This used to be located on the other side of the driveway, overlooking the cliff-like forest area.  Growing up at the cabin, there was no running water.  We had electricity and that was it.  If you had to “use the bathroom”, you ran up the Godforsaken hill I previously described (or “went upstairs” as the adults described… what stairs?!?!?) and entered into one of the scariest places I have ever visited - also known as “George’s Last Resort.”  Sounds like a horror film and there is somewhat of a parallel.  I honestly would have rather shit in the woods and risk getting a tick on my buttcheek rather than use that place.  And who knows… maybe I did.  I’ll never tell. 

 A couple other accomplishments this summer, in addition to the cabin construction, have been a fishing boat “tinner” for Evan. Ryan and Dave (dear friend/glutton for punishment) graciously refurbished this cute little 1992 Lund for Evan.  Who knew Busch Light was an energy drink?🤷🏼‍♀️

Nice job fellas 👏👏👏

We also bought ourselves a dock, finally, after dealing with a complete shitshow.  That’s a story for another day and probably not for this blog as I try to keep this PG-rated.  The point is we got a dock and miraculously no one was hurt or ended up in jail.

So purrrrrrrdy 😍

Now for a few “What’s Your Why?” Photos:

So much beauty in one photo… I can hardly stand it.

Look at that beautiful beach! Couldn’t have asked for nicer weather.

The Besties💖

Camp Bies

Dave and I having some much needed boat therapy

Views from the lake while on my purple-people-eater paddle boat.

 

I have to point out something in this last photo. While I was alone in my boat that day, I was thinking about my Dad.  Of course it’s hard for me to not think about him a lot but when I’m at the cabin, he’s on my mind even more.  While sitting in my boat on that gorgeous day, giving thanks to the Lord for all that surrounded me, I asked my Dad for a sign that he was there too.  I didn’t think he sent any until I looked at this photo that I took during that same moment.  See the tiny little teal orb on the bottom?  There’s my sign.  Whether you believe or not is ok… I choose to believe 😇

Up Next: Progress… hopefully!

On Island Time

When I started blogging about our house, a lot of the work had been done already.  It was fun to write the posts and look back at the photos I found to add and appreciate all of the work we had already accomplished. Well, that is not the case with this cabin. It’s a bit daunting to think about aaaaaallllllll of the work we have ahead of us. BUT, this is what we signed up for and so the saying goes, “One day at a time.” Also the saying, “This is a marathon, not a sprint.” And .....“oh shit, what did we get ourselves into?!?” But also, “Hold my beer, watch this.”

Many of you that already own a lake place know that owning the actual lake property is probably the cheaper and easier part.  It’s all of the crap you want to buy to go along with it that gets expensive…. a dock, boat(s), gas, furnishings, golf cart, gas, beer, food, gas, UTV, jet ski, food, beer and don’t forget the gas, too.  A priority list was a must for us otherwise things can get overwhelming pretty fast.

We figured out priority numero uno was to level the floor of the cabin.  Through the years, the sides have sank a bit and the cabin itself is built on stilts so it needed to be jacked up and leveled out.  This is a total horseshit job to have to do and thank goodness for good friends that are gluttons for punishment.  

I don’t really have any good photos of this task except for this one:

This is Ryan and Dave Bies underneath the cabin, replacing one of the rotting sections of one of the support beams. Oh, Dave … I don’t think he knew what he signed up for that weekend….God Bless him!

Another item at the top of the priority list is to add on to the back of the cabin and also add a loft space.  In order to do that, we had to tear down the existing addition as it proved to be more work to try and use it rather than rip it down and start over.

Before:

During:

She gone!

We were lucky in that we found a Foreman that works for free...  

He's pretty bossy but will help get the job done... 😉

It's a lot of hard work and we know it'll be worth it.  Time and patience go a long ways but it can be easy to lose focus when frustrations arise.  But keeping that end vision in sight and moments like these remind you that it's already worth it.

Next up: Footings, framing, more leveling and more swearing.

Stay tuned!!

Heaven is a little closer at the lake

It’s crazy how fast life can change in an instant.. for the better or for the worse. In this particular case, both. In June we found out we were buying a lake cabin which has a been a dream for as long as I can remember.   The childhood cabin that my Dad grew up in and then later on, my childhood cabin, was up for sale and we were presented with the opportunity to purchase it.  I should also mention that this particular cabin was built by the Olson Family....  The same Olson Family of the house that we currently live in and the reason this blog even exists.  In 2004 we bought their house and seventeen years later, we bought their lake cabin.  

Then, on July 28th, we unexpectedly and suddenly lost my Dad.  Gene Skarsten, 74 years old, was gone.  In an instant, my life changed forever. 

One of the things I was most looking forward to with owning this cabin was being able to re-live some of those moments of the past.  Fishing on Island Lake was one of Dad's most favorite pastimes.  Mom reading her books and sunbathing on the beach.... I don't recall many summer weekends as a kid without those memories.  I can't even tell you how many hours I would stand at the end of the dock, looking out on to the lake, waiting for that little fishing boat to head towards me.  Something I've thought a lot about lately is I wish I would have recognized how precious those moments were,  IN the moment. We always cherish them later in life but to have the consciousness to recognize it in the moment... That is definitely something I have gotten better at.  I just wish tragedy hadn't been the call to reality. 

Bittersweet is the the word at the forefront of my mind these days.  I am devastated that Dad will not be there to see the transformation that's about to happen to this cabin. And believe me, there are going to be lots of transformations happening!  But I am also excited to get started and I know he will be there with us in spirit.

I'm in awe of many things these days... Probably one of the biggest things is the fact that I actually talked my Husband into this!  Three cheers for Milissa because she got him.. hook, line and sinker!

This cabin was built in the 1950's.  It's a wood A-frame on stilts and back in the day when our family would vacation there, it was basically a "wooden tent with electricity."  No running water.  There was an outhouse - that literally scared the shit out of me - up the hill from the cabin.  Let's think about that for a second.... 😲 Our potable or drinking water, was hauled by big jugs from a cabin three doors down.  They had a spigot on the backside of their cabin, hidden by ferns, that ALWAYS had tarantula-sized daddy long leg spiders that would many times cause me to cry and run away.  Anyways, I digress.  Thankfully, a bathroom and running water have been installed in recent years.

Lots of plans in store and it will take some time.  I have to keep reminding Ryan that this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.  I anticipate future blog posts expressing frustration and elation, accompanied by lots of profanity.  

So, stay tuned and I'm going to leave you with one last Dad moment.

As most know, my Dad and I had - and still have - a very big musical connection.  I was thinking about him and the cabin the other day and the song came on, "Drink A Beer" by Luke Bryan.  Trust me when I tell you that this was not a coincidence.  As crazy as I might sound, I know that my Dad still speaks to me through music.  And in that moment, I knew that was him.  Neither of us are big Luke Bryan fans, but, what we both have always appreciated, are good lyrics.

"Funny how the good ones go

Too soon, but the good Lord knows

The reasons why, I guess

Sometimes the greater plan is kinda hard to understand

Right now it don't make sense

I can't make it all make sense

So I'm gonna sit right here

On the edge of this pier

Then watch the sunset disappear

And drink a beer

So long my friend, until we meet again

I'll remember you

And all the times that we used to

Sit right here on the edge of this pier

And watch the sunset disappear

And drink a beer"

Let's Potty!

Today is March 23rd, 2020 and we are all enduring the Corona Virus pandemic.  Most of America is hanging out at home (hopefully) and many of us are probably bored, climbing the walls, looking for things to do, eating 17 meals a day and trying like hell to not drink alcohol before 5pm.  And that's ok - as long as we stay home!  In my quest for projects, I decided to take a look at my unpublished blog posts and found this little gem that I never got around to finishing.  I started writing it in 2016 (I think!) and thought what the heck... let's finish it.  So here we go....


2016
This is my first sequel and I'm so excited!  Remember Patsy's 24 hour bathroom makeover? If not, click here

Well, the time has come to re-do the makeover. Is that an oxymoron? (Careful - it's been a while and I use big words now. I also discovered gambling, but that's another story for another time).

Why are you re-doing your bathroom AGAIN, you ask?  There is one very simple answer to this question:  It's gross.

Since our house was built in 1776, our walls, for the most part, are plaster. When we updated the bathroom 10+ years ago, we did not gut it like we should have. So, those lovely plaster walls have just sucked up all of the yuckiness in life and it is time to be rid of them!  Sayonara! Adios!

Game Plan:
Demo DeMo DEMO!
Rip out EVERYTHING! Tub, toilet, vanity, walls, floor, ceiling.... Get down to the bones!!

Brian the Builder is being called in on this renovation. Typically projects like this, the Hubs and I tackle....BUT, we're tired!  Can you blame us?  So we are going to pay Brian to do part of this. Money. We have to pay him money. I tried to pay him with food and booze like The Dustin but he looked at me like I was bat-shit crazy. So, I'm still confused but whatever.

Back to the game plan... After the demolition, we are going to make the bathroom bigger by extending it past the hall closet and going into the spare bedroom closet and then installing a pocket door. So now, the bathroom closet will be INSIDE the bathroom. WINNING! Sorry, neighbors to the west. No more peepshows.

Once we have enlarged the bathroom, we will proceed to:

-Install a door.  Every bathroom should have a door....WITH A LOCK.  In this case, it will be a pocket door.

-Install a new, bigger, deeper and oh so wonderful new tub and surround that doesn't have little green men growing out of it.

-New toilet.  I'm sure that baby won't stay new for long :(

-New vanity, custom-built by our pals at Northland Custom Woodworking Inc.

-New Flooring

-Wood ceiling & crown molding

Chapter 987

We've done a lot of demo and home improvements to our house over the past decade and this demo was by far, one of the worst things we've ever had to do.  It was pure, rotten, smelly hell.  Grandpa George did one heckuva job putting up those plaster walls and they were not going to be falling down anytime soon.  In fact, they were probably helping to hold up the roof.  He was laughing his ass off at us trying to knock those suckers down... I'm sure he howled when we broke a sledge hammer.  Yes, we seriously BROKE the sledge hammer trying to rip down one of the walls.

A coupla before's:

The hallway closet and the decommissioned laundry chute.  I'm told that back in the day, the Olson kids would dive down the laundry chute to the basement.  I have no doubt if we would have kept it, people who live here probably would have done the same thing.  And our kids would have for sure!

Our goal with this reno was to just have a nice, clean, new bathroom.

Unfortunately, we are keeping this update basic.  Sigh.  BUTT.... That will not be the case on the next project which is going to be.....Ima notta gonna tell you!  How fun would that be if I did?  You'll just have to wait and suite.  I mean see 😉

This guy.... He has it all figured out.  Sioux jersey, paintball mask and a hammer.  What else does a kid need?  Child labor... gotta love it.

GUTTED!  WHEW!

What. A. Mess.

View from dining room

 View from bathroom

Ok... So in this ceiling photo, you can see on the right the outline of what was the spare bedroom closet.  On the far left was the old hallway closet and then going from left to right was the original wall of the bathroom and you can see how tiny that bathroom was.  What you can't see is all of the effing vermiculite that was hiding in the ceiling that we had to haul out once again.  Mad face.

Tub's installed!  Anyone who really knows us will appreciate this photo.  Enough said.

We have walls.  Nice, clean, new, non-plaster, sheet rock walls.

Happy Dance.

Flooring
We went with porcelain tile that has the wood flooring look to it and used this new orange meshy stuff to mortar it to the floor and it worked pretty slick!

We opted not to have heated flooring like we did in the downstairs bathroom due to the fact that I sweat like a whore in church that just ate 12 beef sandwiches when I'm showering and getting ready so... There's that.  Cold floor.  Much better.

Fast forward to 2020...

We did manage to finish the bathroom and no, it did not take us 4 years.  Just 4 years for me to update my blog about it.  I guess it takes a world crisis to get shit done at home...… 😜

The Before's AND After's:

In this photo above, you can see the bit of wall that sticks out between the tub and the closet. That was the original entrance into the bathroom and the linen closet is the space we stole from the adjacent bedroom closet. 👇

 We went with a wood ceiling because, I have no idea.

Pocket door instead of a swinging one to save space as the remodel made the hallway pretty tight.  Bonus: it locks!  Thank you Jesus!

Our vanity custom made by our friends at Northland Custom Woodworking Inc. We still haven't managed to put the hardware on it.  Something tells me that may finally get done in the next few weeks.....

Tah-dah!  There you have it!  Shitters Done!