List of Sentences?
One of the rights of spring in our home is to start up a list of the things around the house that need to be dealt with over the summer. The list typically starts relatively small and is reasonable to deal with (financially and in terms of time). Still, it inevitably extends into a wish list of the things we want to change about our house (which are, incidentally, quite expensive (in terms of money and time)). This means the list becomes larger and larger and more and more daunting to deal with. Finally, the list is lost or thrown out because it is far too expensive to deal with and seems impossible to complete.
This has happened a few times. Even though the list starts with a good concept, it becomes too large and unachievable. A few times, legitimate issues have arisen to stop the list from being dealt with. Some of these calamities include:
- Being laid off
- Surprise pregnancy
- Illness in family
All legitimate reasons to abandon the Honkin’ Big Summer to-do List (its new official title), but we will attempt to deal with it more maturely this year.
A Better Way?
I think dealing with the Honkin’ Big Summer to-do List like I would a Brain Storming list from work and then pairing it down around May 1st to make the list achievable (and revisiting any add-ons July 1st) should make the list more useable.
What is on this list? Some more minor things should have been dealt with a while ago, and much larger things like replacing windows that make my house look like a ram-shackled crack house (OK, it might not be that bad, but it is still pretty bad).
The vital point to figure out is what can be done financially and then what can be dealt with in terms of available time. Once those two variables are dealt with, creating a list is much simpler (it still may not succeed but it is much less huge in size).
Do you have a Honkin’ Big Summer to-do List? What is on the list? Do you succeed in your summer home repair plans?
@bcm – no idea how we’re going to get it all done.
Got a quote for $300 PER ROOM for the painting. Looks like that will be a DIY job.
I’ll do it for $350 per wall, but I am REALLY GOOD (honest)
I found that moving to a new house helps get rid of the list but after a couple of years the list is back…maybe it’s because you have to do everything to get ready to sell
Touche!
I actually don’t have one but I think it is because I live in a 4 year old condo lol. If I did make one I would probably have to hide it from The Wife so she doesn’t add to it.
Ok, first of all, I absolutely laughed out loud at ram-shackled-crack-house. I thnk I might have scared the cats. 🙂
I have a Honkin’ Big List for everything. I’m really working hard to pare it down and be reasonable. I’m also working at paring down the little things to a separate list and actually DOING them, which makes the Honkin’ Big List a little more manageable.
The biggest part of my list right now is to finish painting the *@^*#@(#@ upstairs. I keep putting it off because it requires dragging out the extension ladder and the roller extensions to hit the spot above the stairwell that’s 24′ up. Plus all that %^@$#^% fiddly trim and crown molding. Gah.
The next thing is the storage shed outside. The less said about that the better.
And so it goes. 🙂
Glad to see someone enjoys my overly descriptive similes.
Our first spring/summer in the new house, and a baby on the way, our (my) list is massive.
I still have drywall holes from the insulation we had put in last fall to sand.
Mrs. SPF wants all the carpet in the house GONE (hardwood underneath).
We have 3 fences to move.
After our break-in we need to replace the 2 exterior doors w/ ones that aren’t mostly glass, and that have dead bolts.
The front lawn is in bad shape – but this may wait a year.
We want to get a veggie garden doing which means building planters for the parking spot off our laneway.
We will need 5 ceiling fans installed to deal w/ no central A/C in the house.
We have to paint our master bdrm and move our stuff into that room, and prep the baby room.
Need to assemble shelves for the basement and control the chaos down there.
Need to move the laundry from the 2nd floor to the basement (one cracked laundry drum will teach anyone that laundry belongs in the basement).
General landscaping.
Build a shed.
I’m sure there is more … ugh.
I asked for a list, not a death sentence. How the hell do you expect to get all that done?
I think the question is, who DOESN’T have a spring cleaning list? Everytime that sun starts shining in the windows around April, it just picks up everything that you’ve given up over the wintertime – dusting, organizing, rough decorating, etc.
My springtime list includes reorganizing all the closets and well as doing some DIY on my deck. Good things!
Can you come over and do some of my To Do list?