Basement project - part 3

I haven't posted here in a while, but I've been lurking around on everyone else's blogs.

I hope all is well in your part of the world.

The basement project is coming along quite well. Rick and Cait have accomplished a lot! Rick's Dad has been a big help and we all found out what a real drag spackling and sanding is.

It really sucks.

People who do this for a profession make it seem so easy and effortless.

Pfffftttt - it's not.

We glopped and schmeared and scooped and sanded and glopped some more and sanded some more. It's a dirty messy crappy job. The first day I have to admit I got into a "zone" and just had the radio on and once I found a rythym it was ok. After a while though your arms start to shake, you curse every screw hole you missed and have to go back and cover and generally start hating it more and more as you go along.

But enough about that!

This weekend Rick is hoping to lay the grid for the suspended ceiling. Everyone who has ever done this tell me it's a breeze.

I'm glad Rick is doing it and not me!

I am very impressed on how Caitlin and Rick have managed their expenses on this project.

Margie and I told them we will pay for the basics to get this project done and anything above and beyond the basics will be their responsibility. I told Cait that they have to keep in mind that this is NOT a permanent place for them and not to go too crazy with fixtures and paint and carpeting. The whole idea behind them moving it was to start saving money for their own space someday. (And to also not let them get TOO comfortable so that they never leave! Love ya guys, but we all must leave the nest sometime.) The expression "bargain basement prices" have really applied.

Here are a few pictures to show you how it's coming along. There is still some clean up to be done obviously, but it's much better than it was a few days ago trust me. I still have white foot prints all over my house from the spackle dust, but the worst is over - I hope!










To give you and idea of how dusty it is down there. I moved a tarp to get a better shot of the bar Rick is making and when I took a picture the flash captured all of the particles floating around.



Nasty!