Hyper-variable Marionettes + Applied Campaign Strategy = ?

It's almost the end of February and I have almost nothing to report vis a vis progress at TOPH.  The truth is we have a massive, steaming pile of stuff to do.  We are way past the "to-do" list phase.  We have arrived at a point where all things left to do impact some or all of the other things that need doing.  And they all need money -- some a little, some a lot.  So, here we stand on the precipice of a domino-effect adventure.  And it's VERY hard to take that first step, however little, because the chain reaction may just be out of our league.  For now.  So we haven't.

We inhabitants of TOPH are marionettes with too many joints, plus the constriction of natural and unforeseen entanglements.  Sigh.

And then there's that marriage thing.  The hubby is a impulsive projecter with big picture deficit disorder and I am compulsive planner with eyes-bigger-than-stomach project completion disorder. There are those rare occasions when his technical talents intersect with my plans...  And those unforeseeable sweet spots most frequently occur exactly six and two thirds minutes before one or both children are tired, hungry and/or bored.  So, yeah, we're not getting much done.

In an effort to increase the number, frequency and predictability of these instances of promising team effort, I am now on a mission of variable reduction -- essentially I am planning, which is my "fairy talent" as my daughter would put it.  This is a tact both hubby and I have employed in taming chaotic political campaigns.  If you can get a strategy on paper and get buy-in from all the stakeholders, you are essentially eliminating noisy variables from the equation.  And you are creating a trajectory for future tactical planning, a framework for decision-making and a means to plan time, money and people effectively.

So, I am trying to get a plan on paper, with a little help from my friends, perhaps.  If we know what it's all going to look like when we're done, then maybe we'll see the best way to start.  I must say that this process is WAY simpler to apply to other people's stuff.  I am certainly seeing for the first time why candidates paid us the not-so-big-bucks to do this for them.

There is probably some witticism about doing things for yourself or knowing when to hire a professional I should be applying here...

Just Don't Look Up

We were marginally successful in creating actual living space for the holidays.  I can't tell you how amazing it was to have our comfy couch and chairs out of storage (sunroom) and arrayed in proximity to a fireplace and a TV.  It was like our own personal family decompression chamber.  For the first couple of days we were delirious and oblivious, which was nice.

The ceiling is still wide open to the upstairs joists and subfloor, which is fine.  It's a tall "ceiling" -- 10+ feet -- so it's not as obvious   And we're planning to put in some radiant heating (Ultra-Fin) for the bunkroom (later to be our Master), move some plumbing around and play with the positioning of a whole bunch of recessed lighting.  I also want to play with some gel-stain products to lighten up the super-dark, creosote-tone beams (and not have to mask while I'm doing it.)  Essentially, the room looks great, as long as you don't look up.  Or down.  I havent' finshed the floor yet.  But I am going to need a week of kid-free, well-ventilated time to do that.  Maybe this summer sometime?  No biggie.  See, I can picture what it's going to look like in my head.  The color of the floor.  The tone of the light once there is a ceiling and a floor in place...  The reat of y'all will just have to... not look up... or down.