Hibernation, Round Two

Here I sit, in the guest bedroom/office, with Jasmine (who isn't taking it quite as good-naturedly as last time), while the next round of Home Improvement Professionals (a.k.a. "the carpet guys") install carpet in my bedroom.

Jasmine was meowing a lot when I put her in here, so much so that I gave the carpet guys the keys and just locked myself in here with her.  Apparently confinement isn't so bad when you're enduring it with someone.  Explains the whole "solitary as punishment" thing in prisons.

I heard the carpet guys leave (temporarily), so I took a peek out the door.  My dresser is in the hall.  My bed is broken down into two rather large chunks; my mattress and box spring are standing up in the middle of the living room.  My TV has moved into the bathroom, as has the curio cabinet.

The old carpet in my bedroom is gone.  The old mat is gone.  All that's left is a cement floor and that tack strip around the edges (you know, the thing that looks like a ruler with nails pointing upward at regular intervals).  The room (although freshly painted and with a lovely new shutter) is looking somewhat naked.

I think your unfinished floor is something you're not supposed to see -- like, say, your own intestines, or how they make sausages.  They're things that you know exist -- and you probably know in your heart that they're pretty ugly -- but you prefer not to think about them.

So, I'll just sit here with the cat for the duration -- until they lay the new carpet and tell me it's safe to return.

I should also add the following note, for anyone who might be contemplating installing carpet in their closet.  The original estimator (who came out and measured my room) said I should just get the low-hanging things out of the way for the carpet installers, rather than emptying the entire closet.  I thought this a good idea, since emptying the entire closet would be a huge pain in the butt.  I even confirmed it with the guy on the phone this morning -- "I just have to clear the low-hanging stuff, right?"  "Right."  But nobody warned me about the massive quantities of DUST that tearing up one's old carpet and mat generate.  I have a feeling that I'm going to have to take all my freshly-laundered high-hanging clothes back to the cleaner when this is all done, as they are all lightly coated with the dust of twenty-some-odd-years of crappy old carpet.  Word to wise.

And, just so you know -- the crown molding likely won't be installed until early June, and it's very possible my laundry room door will remain on my balcony until that time.  (Please don't rain; please don't rain.)  The painter had recommended a carpenter to deal with both of these tasks, but has gone incommunicado on me ever since Sunday morning's promise to call me Sunday night with the carpenter's schedule.  I left a final message on his voice mail yesterday, and then just made another appointment with Handyman Network to send me a carpenter.  First available appointment:  June 3rd.  I really, really, really would have liked to have the crown molding installed before the carpet came (and I am getting mighty sick of moving my breakables in and out of the bedroom) but it can't be helped.  Sigh.