Today, I woke up to a long message on my phone through Facebook messaging. My dad had stayed up until four a.m. typing a letter to me about all he had done for me before I had come back for Christmas Break from college. He also made it clear that he stopped working on the house we moved into because he wanted to spend time with me while I was home. Here is what he said:
Every day, your mom and I were prepping for your Christmas visit- long before you came back home.We made decisions about this Olathe split-level based on what would make YOU happy. Even the very decision to stay in Olathe, so that you could spend one more Christmas and New Years in Kansas City.We prepared a room for you. It got new carpet, new blinds, new closet door stabilizers-the stain on the ceiling above your bed was even painted. Furniture was carefully selected and rearranged over and over, to try to make it the most comfortable for you. We wanted YOU to be happy. We wanted to buy food you would like and do things with YOU that you would enjoy.
I went from working 7 days a week on the house, many times working until 3am or 4am, then getting up 3 hours later to start working another 20 hour day- day after day. I wanted to fix all the “little” things before you got here:
There was no door on your room- only an unpainted door leaning against the wall in the garage. Your room smelled of cat pee and had stains on the carpet. The blinds were shredded by the cats that lived in the room before you did. Even the roof just outside the bedroom window, was loaded with piles of cat “poop” from the neighbor’s cat “visiting” the cats that lived here. The ceiling had collapsed into flakes above where your bed was to be. The room was loaded with dirt- even on the ceiling fan. The room was full of furniture.
We worked hard to make it just right for you. First we took all the furniture out of the room and had to try to sell it to people on Craigslist- meeting them at all hours of the day and days of the week. Trying to sell a piece at a time. The rest was placed in Ilene’s room for her to use. It was very heavy and falling apart- so the furniture had to be repaired before we could move it. We finally got all the furniture moved out, the boxes of poop loaded kitty litter, removed the cat carrier full of poop. I took the blinds off the window. I cleaned out the closet. Ceiling fans were wiped down, vents vacuumed, shelves wiped down. Bleach was used. KILZ sealing paint was rolled out on the floor to cover the pee and to seal in the smell. New carpet was laid down. New pad. New blinds were measured for and purchased and installed- nice 2” faux wood white ones, like YOU were used to at your old home. Ceilings were scrapped and then painted. A new door was first painted, then installed, walls literally were moved to make it fit at all. New door handles and catches and locks were installed. Door stabilizers were added in closet. Your furniture was moved in. Moved again. And again. Then moved one more time. It had to be just right. Your things were put in your closet. Your bed made. Pictures placed. Then just before you moved in, the hot water heater broke- water flooded our things in storage. It flooded the new carpet. It soaked the tiles in the hall at the bottom of the stairs. Then, the day before you were to be home, the furnace broke. We woke up cold that morning. The furnace was literally installed the day you came home. We now had hot water and a warm bedroom for you.
Since I have moved in here, or been working over here (2 weeks before moving in), I have supervised and helped install a new hot water heater, and new furnace.
By myself, I have installed doors, moved walls, painted walls, painted doors, painted trim, painted baseboard, painted floors, vacuumed, used a wet/dry vac to suck up water, installed door handles, removed door handles, installed hinges, removed hinges, added door knobs, made 30 trips to Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Sutherlands, Target, our old house, bleached floors, removed mold, tore out a wall, built new walls, removed old pad, removed old carpet, met with carpet salesmen at 5 different stores and one in my home. Looked at many carpet samples, installed hooks, repaired sink bases, finished sink bases, moved mirrors, installed mirrors, installed closet hooks, removed wiring, replaced a faulty light switch, replaced several burned out bulbs- both fluorescent and regular ones. Fixed 2 lights that had old dangerous wires that were about to burn the house down, installed 9 smoke detectors, and one CO2 detector. Cleaned windows, repaired 2 windows. Installed 2 inch blinds in whole house (almost). Removed wall paper. Carried furniture and used tools until my fingers literally went numb and were cracked and bleeding from use- I had to put on 4 band aids each morning just to be able to use my fingers/hands. My back was having spasms from carrying heavy furniture out of one house and into this new one. I cleaned cobwebs, I mowed the lawn twice- Once to cut up the thick leaves, then again to suck them into bags to be thrown away. I cleaned out the gutter leaves, I buried cable that was sticking out of the ground, I raked leaves. I swept leaves. I bagged leaves. I swept floors. I painted the basement floor three times. I added insulation to the hot water pipes. I put metal tape on the vent pipe, so that we would die of CO2 poisoning, I worked on the mailbox. I worked on the garage door. I installed an antennae, I used chemicals to remove glue from shower walls, along with hand scraping off old paint. I installed a plug in bottom of shower, so that it wouldn’t leak water all over the floor. I added a stabilizer bar to shower so that the door would actually shut. I removed the light & light bulbs in the master shower. I rebuilt the hole in the wall in the Master shower. I plastered and painted it. I installed a new light above the master sink. I rearranged the mirror and rehung it. I painted all the doorways in the hall and the doorways leading into the bedrooms. I installed outlet covers and light switch covers in many rooms. I helped clean every room in the house. I took windows apart to clean them inside and out. I gathered up boards with nails sticking out of them, from almost every room in the house. I put door knobs back together. I gathered up house parts and car parts from all over the house and organized them. I oiled the chain on the garage door opener. I super glued a seal back down on a shower. I moved a towel bar to a new location in master bath. I reset a tripped GFI outlet. I cleaned out and replaced the water filter on the humidifier- and bought a new valve and had it installed, so that it would work properly again. I bought new valves and water pipes for the hot water heater install. I added an end piece to the drain hose, so that water would go down drain, instead of flooding the basement again. I fixed the hardware on the closet doors- all 10 of them. I cleaned out the air conditioner compressor. I prepped a cable for the internet. I fixed the kitchen pantry doors. I reset the clocks on the stove and microwave. I screwed the railing back on the stairs. I reset the thermostat so that it would stop dropping the temperature down too low. I painted several ceilings. I put patch in several holes. I removed many, many nails from the wall, along with push pins. I put a filter in the furnace- it had none. I adjusted the hot water heater. I painted railings. I put registers back on floor, where there were none. I tightened the toilet lid. I moved the sink base over. I adjusted shelves. I checked wiring. I added bolts to the garage doors, so that they would close. I repaired loose deck siding. I added insulation foam. I added a pull to a ceiling fan. I cleaned out the sliding glass doors, so they would open and close easier. I removed curtain rods. I raised the entryway light. I oiled the front door. I replaced a burned out light in the refrigerator. I cleaned out the ice maker. I pulled large objects out of the guest bathroom drain. I replaced a ton of burned out light bulbs. I slid flooring pieces back into place. I cleaned out showerheads, so they would not be so clogged. I screwed down return air registers. I plunged a toilet. I fixed and reattached kitchen vertical blinds. I painted whole rooms- and closets. I tightened windows on storm doors. I reattached trim. I oiled door tracks and hinges. I moved furniture into EVERY room in the house. I screwed down the electrical pipe going to the washer and dryer. I searched Craigslist and found a shelf for your bathroom, drove to Lenexa to pick it up- so you would have a place for YOUR bathroom stuff.
I stopped working on the house (except some when you have been asleep) so I could spend time with you and interact with YOU during your Christmas break.
Now, it seems you stay out late with Caleb, then have to sleep in until noon. Then get dressed. I don’t get to do anything with you. You are either on the computer or on your phone or running around with mom. We have got to go to church together ONCE. We have had a few meals together. We had an hour once to “shop” for Christmas. But it would be nice to get to be with you more. Now you are running off to Karen’s Tuesday. Every day, it is something else. Now I have been up until 4 am writing this and will be so tired tomorrow. That is all. Love dad."
My dad is my best friend and I don't want that to change. I didn't mean to leave him in the dust, just had to take care of textbooks early in the break while seeing my boyfriend, family, and friends before spending time with him. He was supposed to get the extra time when I was home but then I didn't want to leave. I'm sorry, dad. I guess I have to get my priorities straight.
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