"Honey, it's like one of those shows"

is what our neighbor said to his girlfriend upon entering our home. Even though from the pictures things don't look half bad, up close this house needs some care.

We accomplished a lot in the past week (thanks to help from some very generous parents, and a good sister who brought three lovely children and made us popular with the neighbors).

We've grilled (in our own yard).

We've demoed:

The nasty cat smelling carpet is gone, as well as the baseboards.

The poorly installed flooring (including the screws holding the bulges down) is/are gone.

We've vacuumed up all of the staples and items liable to puncture.

We've thrown some paint around.

And it's all been very gratifying.