Night before leaving

I know that I just started this blog, but I felt the need to say something....anything.

It's 10:27 pm here in Virginia. I've spent the day finishing up the most urgent of my various projects before I have to leave. I took off from work (leave) for the past 30 days so I could spend time with the family and take care of those things that I didn't want the wife to have to deal with.

The biggest project was my upstairs guest bathroom. The project started with a small leak in my inlet valve to my toilet. I discovered water damage in my sub floor, which made me pull up the linoleum. I replaced the sub floor, added concrete board and installed tile. While adjusting the door trim to account for a higher floor, I discovered that the door jam was completely out of square and subsequently discovered that there where no studs in the wall that the door jam was attached to.

Long story short: I ripped down the walls directly adjacent to either side of the door, built in new studs, put up new drywall, created a custom door jam, painted the walls and re-installed the sink and toilet.

I re-installed the toilet today. I discovered that the owner before me used shoddy materials for the base ring of the toilet (NO SURPRISE!!!). I had to cut out the existing base ring and install a new one. Not an easy job with an existing tile floor that I had NO intention of tearing up. Lucky for me that I studied engineering in college and was able to create a solution. I am very thankful to my Dad for getting me a Dremel Tool! Very useful!

So, it's 10:30 pm and I'm up sipping on some Chardonnay and trying not to think of my upcoming travels. No such luck, hence my writing in this blog tonight.

I still find myself hesitant to write anything at all. I couldn't possibly understand that anyone could find this stuff interesting.

Anywho, I need to finalize my packing. I don't have any time in the morning. I'm taking my daughter to IHOP for breakfast. She loves pancakes!!!. This morning I took her to the YMCA for baby swimming classes. Not much teaching going on there, but it is an opportunity for her to become more comfortable in the water. More importantly, it's an opportunity for me to spend some more one-on-one time with my little 'monkey'.

I never thought that I wanted children. However, since she was born, I can't think of why I wouldn't want her in my life. She makes me laugh every day. I do get frustrated sometimes, but the 'special' times makes all of that go away. When she learns something new, or gives her daddy a kiss out of the blue, make up those brief moments and I am overcome with emotion and love for her.

OK, enough of that, good night......good luck.