the end of an epoch

Hard on the heels of a historic presidential nomination, an event of almost equal magnitude occurred yesterday: our renovators trundled down our driveway and waved goodbye for the last official time. They might come back if needed, but as of last night, it was mutually agreed that they had fulfilled their contract.

Mr. Jeong and his intrepid crew had been coming six days a week since mid-September. The frequency of their visits fell off around mid-December, then suddenly sped up this week, perhaps because the crew was eager to get this project over with. They dealt with a major wiring issue, caulked up some of the gaps that had naturally formed at the joinings of the trim, bolted down our new but excitable dishwasher (it was shaking under the counter because it hadn't been properly fastened), did some final touchups of the paint job, repaired the hairline crack in the new bathtub, slapped on and grouted the kitchen backsplash tiles, installed the last few electrical outlets, finished 99% of the deck (the rest is up to Dad, they say), and made a few final tweaks.

It's been painful, it's been inconvenient, but the result is a totally transformed house. Mom is ecstatic, even though she's trying not to show it. While I still harbor some disagreements about the kitchen design, there's no denying that the kitchen is light years away from what it used to be in terms of looks, lighting, and accoutrements. The living room looks good with its new hardwood floor, but it's essentially a big, sad void right now-- more dance studio than relaxation area-- which is why the parents are out for yet another day of furniture shopping. The upstairs bathroom is much nicer-looking (a gigantic wall mirror replaces the old medicine cabinet-sized one), and the deck looks, at long last, like a deck.

Today finds me in an empty house: the parents are off furniture shopping, and I've been assigned the sacred task of clearing out the back yard-- something that should have been done a while ago, but was left by the wayside as the madness of Christmas and New Year's came upon us.

Now here we are, at the end an epoch: the renovation is done. What's left is the woozy aftermath as we stagger to our feet like hung-over partygoers, rising blearily from our half-dried pools of vomit, blinking and rubbing the mucusy crust out of our eyes, wondering what the hell happened and who the hell all these other people are.

The renovation is over... but the redecorating of the house has just begun!


UPDATE: For some bizarre reason, the store from which the parents plan to purchase their living room furniture has said the furniture will be delivered "in 3 to 5 months." I have a hard time imagining that sort of backlog for a damn couch set.


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