The Visible Woman...December 1, 2003

I think the hardest part is the destruction phase, really. People are taking sledge hammers to what are, really, perfectly good tile and walls. What are we doing? Why are we paying all this money for this? What would the original owners think? They were the family of a high school classmate of Forrest's and they custom-built the original house and it was a fine example of a house for 1951. And really, honestly, a lot of what they did stood the test of time for me. Of course, building codes and modern tastes for space dictate something different.

And so we are destroying (mostly have destroyed) everything of our master bedroom and bath except for two windows and some studs...and the wood floor and foundation. We have a new set of piers and beams to add some space. Because, after all, how could two people live in less than 3000 square feet? The whole plan gives one pause when put that way. So we tell ourselves we are doing it for resale value. We say "no one would buy a house without a bathtub or a walk-in closet." We tell ourselves we will sell and "downsize."

Meanwhile, our punishment is living with everything crammed into the rest of the house. Learning that we could live with one shower and toilet and a cramped room with a pull-out bed. Could, would and are.

I don't look ahead at when it's finished. Dangerous to do that. Could be months...that's how these things work. It could almost be finished except that something isn't painted or whatever. And we have to buy a new bed. It could be ready to live in and we could have no bed. In time, though, we will live in it easily as if it were always this way. We will become accustomed to the space. And one day we will sell and someone will transform it into another space entirely. I'm sure the former owners (both families) would be amazed at this place today.

do you suppose they do things like this today?	life at a construction site It's bizarre living at a construction site. I think the hardest part is the destruction phase, really. People are taking sledge hammers to what are, really, perfectly good tile and walls. What are we doing? Why are we paying all this money for this? What would the original owners think? They were the family of a high school classmate of Forrest's and they custom-built the original house and it was a fine example of a house for 1951. And really, honestly, a lot of what they did stood the test of time for me. Of course, building codes and modern tastes for space dictate something different. And so we are destroying (mostly have destroyed) everything of our master bedroom and bath except for two windows and some studs...and the wood floor and foundation. We have a new set of piers and beams to add some space. Because, after all, how could two people live in less than 3000 square feet? The whole plan gives one pause when put that way. So we tell ourselves we are doing it for resale value. We say "no one would buy a house without a bathtub or a walk-in closet." We tell ourselves we will sell and "downsize." Meanwhile, our punishment is living with everything crammed into the rest of the house. Learning that we could live with one shower and toilet and a cramped room with a pull-out bed. Could, would and are. I don't look ahead at when it's finished. Dangerous to do that. Could be months...that's how these things work. It could almost be finished except that something isn't painted or whatever. And we have to buy a new bed. It could be ready to live in and we could have no bed. In time, though, we will live in it easily as if it were always this way. We will become accustomed to the space. And one day we will sell and someone will transform it into another space entirely. I'm sure the former owners (both families) would be amazed at this place today.
JUST TYPING Loud bangs and crashes. Your house destroyed. With you inside.
		Food Diary. *breakfast* nothing *lunch* Baked potato with cheese, nonfat yogurt, raw squash, green onions. Salad of spinach, Sister Sass Rancho Grande dressing with cheese, too. *snacks* none *dinner* cheese bread wine two slices pizza with white sauce, chicken, cheese and more cheese Today I - was definitely on my patented 'all cheese' diet.
		Time flies.... Spent a long time at the gym today including two showers. We went out to eat in the evening to discuss cabaret entertainment with our friend Kevin Ahart. At home after that one thing I did was set up his domain.

		Reading. I'm about to finish Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship.by Jon Meacham on bike.
		nothing
		Exercise one hour water aerobics 45 minutes recumbent bike abs/lower back 20 elliptical and treadmill
	. .	same old, same old
	It's a Tangled Web we weave...these days of our lives.	One year ago "Doing this, installing software and running nozzle cleaning to unplug the ink cartridges consumes a bunch of time. I print a number of the cards and set up the dining table with labels, return address stamp, red pens for writing personal notes and stacks of the cards (well, letters really). Add stamps and a bit of work and we will have our Christmas (more properly holiday) communication done. " Two years ago "We walk down Ninth Street to Lamar which causes us to discuss the Donna Memorial. SuRu asked if I'd ever made a WEB page for it. The memorial is no more, having been ruthlessly tarred over by a city crew. So it lives on only in our memories and T-Shirts. So, I said that no I hadn't made a WEB page. But then I did it."