Looming project creep

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project-clipart-coWe are ready to start our pre-holiday project(s).

There is always a pre-holiday project. One year we fenced in the yard. Sometimes it’s a paint job. It’s a summer project that kept sliding because it was too hot or there was something more fun to do. We like to do pre-holiday to add that tension of “will it be done by Thanksgiving.” Keeps us on our toes!

This year we are replacing the floor tile in the downstairs powder room. Straight forward job except for project creep.

Any project that starts out simple does not end up simple. It can’t happen. There is a bible of projects that says everything is connected.

It works like this. We have to take out the toilet. This is a good time to decide if we want a higher one. It’s not like you pull toilets every week.

I’ve always disliked the stupid toilet paper holder with the spring mechanism. All our other holders are simple bars that are easy to change (which encourages people to replace the toilet paper). We went looking for those.

The design we have has been discontinued (of course) but there is something similar enough (if anyone points out that my toilet paper holder does not match, they will be crossed off my Christmas card list).

The new style is a pivoting holder. Holy crap batman! Where have I been? I didn’t know that toilet paper holders changed? It’s pretty cool, easy to operate and not outrageously priced. No brainer, project creep has been fed.

Our room is wallpapered in my most favorite paper ever. It has beautiful dogwood blossoms. Of course that pattern was discontinued as soon as I got my order 13 years ago. There is no change of replacing it if there is an accident. (This would be a very sad project creep as I am the sole wallpaper technician in the house.)

You know there are accidents. Walls gets nicked. A fixture gets dropped (hopefully not on my toes). Something doesn’t match. The very last tile cracks.

That’s also in the book of project fubars*. I am hoping it’s not our wallpaper.

Please oh king of project fubars, please don’t let it be our wallpaper.

Let’s see, rip up existing tile, put down mastic and tile (with sharp edges), then grout. I’m doomed. Something is going to ding the wallpaper.

Note: Fubar is a military acronym meaning f&#%d up beyond all reason.

 

44 thoughts on “Looming project creep”

  1. We have a few projects that slipped by us over the summer. I wonder if I rename them “pre-holiday projects”, I will be able to grab H’s interest enough to accomplish completing – before Thanksgiving, of course! 😂 ~Elle

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  2. Love the title! I detest home projects because of “project creep” and because it turns my tiny world upside down. CH is wanting to redo the grout in the kitchen and I just can’t handle all that dust right now and I don’t want him being sore. We replaced our three toidies when we first moved in to this house with the higher toilets and I am a fan. We have a pivoting TP thingie in the master bath and one that you just slide the TP on the bar in the guest bath. Third bath is still in the dark ages when it comes to TP holders. Praying for your wallpaper and fast easy completion of your project!

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    • I am always conflicted because I like the update but hate both the work and the mess (mostly the mess). We have the TP slide on all except this downstairs bath (the line of accessories in that room didn’t come in it). It seems like a minor inconvenience but it’s the potty we use most. I was blown away by the pivoting thingie. Jeez, what will they think of next. I am considering a hands free soap dispenser and paper towels instead of cotton towels because I’m a bit of a germaphobic.

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  3. Oh how I understand your concerns of the dreaded you know what. I’m not saying it. I’m not bringing it to light. I’m just going to quietly say a little something to the lord of home projects that your wallpaper will remain safe during the construction.

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  4. My comment relates back to a previous conversation. We just remodeled one of our bathrooms and I put in a higher toilet. We don’t need it to be higher really, but after watching my father struggle, we decided we’d put in a higher one just because we might need it later. It seems like we are taking aging into consideration even if right at the moment we aren’t finding it particularly necessary! You’ll need a vacation when you’re through with all the decision making!

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  5. I want one of those higher toilets! My knees are killing me from these low toilets–and nothing to pull myself up by! I almost went to the medical supply store to get one of those things that sits on top of it haha.

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  6. The good news is that my husband is very handy. The bad news is that my husband is very handy. We ALWAYS have a project going and, unfortunately, they normally involve me. We are currently designing a new fence and designing a sun shade for our deck (both of with we’ll probably end up building ourselves because my husband is, you know, handy), and planning to paint the powder room (that one will probably be all mine).

    Good luck with your projects, I feel your pain.

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    • I’m driving the tile project because I never really liked the stuff in the bathroom. It’s hard dirty work. We have tiled our porch. My knees were sore and my hands were chapped. It will look great though. My husband is handy too. A double edge sword.

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  7. I am not handy at all. I can screw in a light bulb, remove a license plate from my car, and replace the air conditioning vent every two months. Beyond that it’s a crap shoot with any of my abilities. My wife, however, is quite handy. Next year we are buying our first home together. God help me…

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    • It’s early enough and we think it will take less than a week so we are making a run to get it done! There are new things out. I am astounded to find improvements on toilet paper holders. Really!

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  10. Pivoting holders…who knew?! Please keep us posted on your pre-holiday project.Why do I already know that I am going to laugh when reading that post?

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  11. You are a very brave soul. I will attempt most things though I stay away from electricity and plumbing. Too dangerous for me. But it always seems that even with the simplest projects something goes wrong and there’s always a domino effect with projects, one things leads to another which leads to another. Good luck…and go for the higher seat.

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