And got up way too early for the real job. lol

Insulation in the attic is blown in... Even wearing masks..we felt like we inhaled a lot of Pink Panther.. Man..I never realized how much I like batted insulation.

I'm hoping to get the closet area finished up and get the sheetrock on the walls before the end of the weekend. Then next week it can be taped (Mike'* brother is a taper/drywall guy). Hmmm I never even thought about this day when he was towing me with his truck and I was piloting his dead atv back to the house. To do the ceilings..I need to scrape the existing ceilings. Bummer

Once it'* taped and the drywall is all set, then it'* time to build the island and find a pantry cabinet face. (looking already, thanks Mike).

Getting on a ladder with either a circular saw or sawzall is one of my least favorite chores. It has to equal a cardio machine. I blew the pink into attics one summer in Denver in a large sub development. It was a good paying, God awful experience. High 90'* outside and Hades in those attics.

Island bar; Is it going to just be an island? Or are you going all out. I've seen them with wine racks on the sides. Wine racks and glass fronted fridge. Flueless fireplaces. Indoor BBQ'*. Built in bookshelves. Wet bars. Deep sinked vegetable wash stations. Inset bookcases. Flat panel TV'* pointed toward the living area. Your only going to build it once. Make it count. LOL

It'll be a reasonable two level island. Only thing I think it'll have is electrical. Part of the reasoning behind that and the laminated flooring is the future plans include renting the house out and picking up another. Therefore make it nice enough to live in comfortably without going crazy.

Good sound reasoning. Although the housing market is weak, rentals are doing well. It is an excellent time to pick up a house you feel is a step up and keep the old one for income. Most retirement funds are semi flat again after the initial bailout trickle down. Oil'* going ballistic again and stocks, they are a tumblin.

Yep... for the most part if you buy a house at the right time, you can't typically lose. I bought mine below market value and it'* been worth more since then.

BTW John, you mention being on a ladder with a saw. Uh.. not usually my area, I chose to let the expert do those parts. If the expert wasn't there, well...I'd do it and make sure it came out right.

I have seen a few pro'* who can consistently cut rafter supports horizontally on a ladder smoothly. Me not one of them. Had an older, wiser, supervisor show me once with a Sawzall. I went to Sears that afternoon.

Pulled the pics off the camera. Working from home today. :Thumbs

Here'* the old work before it was cut out
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2 x 12 beam across the dining room
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Wall in the kitchen
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The new
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Bill, Looking very good! Is that a nine foot ceiling I see outside of the kitchen?

On the laminate front, there is a stigma that laminate is not as good as hardwood. I doubt it will change, but in my book the laminate is often the best floor all around. It is not a lifetime floor like hardwood, but styles change. Look how much ugly tile can be seen in bathrooms.

That is actually part of the beauty of laminate. Everyone will say it'* not as good as hardwood, likely based on the cost. Yet it should take traffic better and how many people have tack strip nail marks in hardwood....my parents do.

The living room is cathedraled to about 12 foot. I buy the biggest tree I can each christmas.

LOL,

Mike you'll probably be able to relate to this one as you've done a ton of work on your house.

I am working from home, get up from the office chair in my bathrobe, pick up the Fat Max 30' measuring tape and saunter to the kitchen for laminate measurements. 10x11, 5 more boxes of laminate that I'll pick up today before the sale is over. That'* another $40 in savings.