Everyone Has Something to Say

I suppose it goes without saying; choose to renovate an old house, and everyone you know, plus those that you really don't know, will give you advice.

So, first off, thanks everyone for caring so much about us! I say that with 75% sincerity, 25% jest. Among the 75%, my old Historic Preservation co-worker/supervisor; the wonderful company that did our asbestos abatement and who also happened to have tips on working with the plaster and insulation; our insulation/HVAC contractor; and our roofing consultant. There are so more that could be thanked.

The other 25%, well, they can have their opinion, but I wish it would remain inside their heads. For those that see us regularly, and especially those that have worked at the house with us already, it comes as no surprise that I'm attributing the 25% to generally one person. But that person has really caused me to go out of my way to be a nice man instead of flying off and making an enemy out of a new neighbor. It doesn't help that he "owns" the houses on either side of us (I use quotes because the County Assessor does not attribute ownership to him on one house, although he uses and claims it as his own).

This nice (to our face) gentleman has owned homes in the neighborhood for over 30 years, and yet they appear more dilapidated and run down than our home. Our home, mind you, was completely unoccupied for at least 3 years, possibly up to 6. Taking renovation advice and passive aggressive "oh, you're doing that?" comments from this person has been an exercise in displaying (and believing in) Christian love for one of God's creatures.

Thanks for taking the time to read my rant... sometimes, one just needs to express their frustration to the world and let the feelings out.