Well that was basically the worst task I’ve performed so far in the making of this addition.  Preparing for the insulation crew coming tomorrow by vacuuming the cavities at the exterior wall, so that they don’t trap a lot of dust and debris in the space.  Locking it forever in the wall and, in my opinion, leaving some really good nesting materials for critters large and small.  Not that we have anything like that here in Texas.  The roaches are only 2-4 inches long, at most.

But, it’s done.  No more complaining.

Over the din of the shop vac, I was announcing that once the insulation went in, we wouldn’t be able to see through the walls like we can now, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the open wall studs.  What I realized was that the insulation won’t prevent us from seeing through the interior walls, we aren’t insulating the interior walls.  I also realized that I was forgetting to document all the guts in the walls, that were about to be encapsulated by fiberglass insulation and shortly thereafter, sheetrock.  For our clients, we typically photograph the walls before they get covered up so that in the future should the need arise, we might be able to tell where exactly the pipe runs, or which direction the electrical wiring goes.

The good part about construction slowing down a little bit to allow me to make all the various selections that have to be made, is that we’ve started to enjoy certain aspects of the house, even unfinished.  Although I can see through the interior walls a few more days, I can tell the quality of light in each room, and know which one I like best so far.  I can say with certainty that it’s not mine, but no matter.  I’ll probably hole up in the best room from time to time anyway.

Late last week, when neighbors wandered over for a tour, we stood in the garage looking out over the landscape, beers in hand, and I envisioned those lazy summer evenings doing just that, out of the sun, backing into the cool of the garage, folding lawnchairs beneath us.  I suppose this is a Michigan thing, I don’t recall people relaxing like this here.

And now that I think about it, I did get some satisfaction from cleaning my new house for the first time.  As tedious as it was, it’s the same kind of feeling I used to get when I had the summer job cleaning rooms at the bed and breakfast.  There, I walked into a mess, and left it pristine.  While I didn’t achieve perfection tonight, my effort wasn’t wasted, I know.