Abby’s Diary | Hanging up the Hard Hat, it’s time This Pig Flies Again!

For the last twenty months I have held the unofficial, hence unpaid position, of construction supervisor of the remodel of our home. Happy to say while painful, long, dusty, and absolutely exasperating at times, the outcome of the project far exceeds our wildest expectations, and I pinch myself every morning as I watch the sun rise, that I have been so blessed to be able to fulfill a dream that Juan and I have shared to make this our forever home, and something our children and hopefully grandchildren will enjoy for many years to come.

In twenty months I have learned more about construction, demolition, loan officers, subs, and just how many choices need to be made when building a home than I care to mention. I learned when to bake bread or cookies to get something done or when to wear steel tipped boots to kick some ass to get things done the way it was supposed to be done. I negotiated with contractors on price, brought in my own when they could do it better for less, and worked side by side with them if that’s what it took. While I did not earn a penny doing this job, I saved thousands of dollars in preventable mistakes by showing up 3 times daily to see who was on the job, what they were working on, and making sure they did it right. Don’t get me wrong we still blew the budget but when people yell from their cars or bikes driving by, or when strangers pull into your driveway to tell you how much they love what you did to your home, or offer to buy it as soon as they see it, the pride far exceeds the pain of the blood, sweat, tears, and cramped living we endured building it.

We moved in officially August 1. We are still in the process of decorating and putting things away that you wonder why you kept in the firs place, and getting the builder to finish the punch list but we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.

On Friday the final exterior trim piece I was waiting for was added, beside the shutters which will be installed the first week of October, and that told me it was okay to move on to my next adventure, which begins tomorrow.

You know the old saying “it ain’t over til the fat lady sings” well my version of that saying is “it ain’t over til the pig soars!” Well this pig never quits, never has, never will, won’t take no for an answer and now that the pig soars safely at home, she is ready to soar on to a new endeavor at 66 days short of the age of 59 on what could be her greatest opportunity yet helping to launch some new products that can change industries, and keep the people of the America’s safer and healthier in the process. Wish me luck and stay tuned. Almost done with the second book and I’m sure this new adventure will provide so many new experiences to write about in the near future!