Plans For Renovations Of Our Home

                                                                9/25/2014

Mallery showed some very different symptoms that we had never seen before, while at our new home. She acted like she couldn't see me, even though she jump up into the lazy boy and never ran into anything. I would call her name, and she would run going in the opposite direction looking for me. A couple of times she ran right past me while I was calling her name. My daughter said she thought since we didn't have any furniture, our voice's were bouncing off the walls, confusing her where we were.

Then the next day she acted just fine.This happened several times. We wondered if maybe she wasn't getting enough oxygen to the brain. She was checked at MSU and they said she still can see, even though they didn't know how much. Mallery slept a lot at our new house.  I covered her with her blanket because the weather had turned cold and she couldn't seem to keep warm like she use to. At night, I would wake up and find her laying up against me whimpering. I would find her blanket and cover her up. Unfortunately she moves a lot during the night and I would wake up to her whimpering once again. So I would find her blanket and cover her up once again. My smart daughter said, "Why don't you put a sweater on her at night". Duh, Why didn't I think of that. We did just that, her coat in fact, and that took care of the problem.

We thought she was so cute in this picture, with her paw covering her nose.

We found ourselves running back and forth from the house to the RV, because half our stuff was in the RV and half was in the house. It was a real headache. By the 3rd or 4th week, we had brought 1/2 of our stuff into the house. I would take Mallery out to the RV sometimes when I went. (Because when I left she would stand by the door and bark constantly until I came back. Barking causes trachea collapse at night). When we got in the RV she didn't want to be there. She kept going to the door and then bark as saying, "Lets go" Joe and I were concerned how she was going to be when we hit the road again.

When we first bought our new home, my plan was to add a 3 season porch out front. After using the guest shower, I decided this bathroom needed to be renovated first.

The shower is smaller then our shower that was in our first motor home. If I were a guest, I would come and in a few days, be ready to head back home.

The toilet is right on top of the vanity sink.

Joe took out the cabinets before we left so it would be a little less gut job for the contractor. He took out the bottom cabinet also, but I took the picture before he took it out. We saved the cabinets because we might use them in the garage or his future man cave.

This wall next to the toilet is going to be knocked out to expand the room.

This hall goes from the kitchen through a laundry area to the back door to the back alley. The guest bath will be extended into this hall past the laundry area. After construction, there will no longer be a back door in this hallway. We have a door in the living room to the deck, a door in the dining room to the deck, and a door going out the side of the house toward the garage. That is the door we always used. We never used the back hallway door. It is always nice to have lots of doors, but 3 is plenty and the 4th will give us space we need for the bathrooms.

The furnace and water softeners are in a closet in this hall. This will be incorporated in the bathroom in a closet.

There is also a fuse box for the new addition of the house in this hall. This fuse box will have to be incorporated into our master bath. If it isn't up to code to be in the bathroom it will have to be put into the bedroom on the other side of this wall.

The laundry will stay and if possible have a door into the guest bath. Of course the original door from the hall in the log cabin part of the house will still have a door into the guest bath also. I enjoyed my washer and dryer while we were in Boyne City so much. I never had enough laundry to fill it up, compared to my RV washer and dryer which I can barely fit a few items in it and everything comes out wrinkled.

This is the small log cabin bedroom that has the fuse box on the other side of the now fake window.

This closet will be removed from the small bedroom to also enlarge the guest bath.

There is a closet just outside the small bedroom and we can either have guest use this closet or some day put a door from the bedroom into this closet also.

This is the master bath.

You do not realize how tight it is until you use it. You literally bump your arms against the shower wall as well as the sink cabinet.

 I have only had a shower available for me in the last 6 years. I really missed taking a bath. I enjoyed 3 long baths while in our house, but the shower leaked. I had to put a towel on the floor next to the shower to absorb the water. Joe tried to chalk it, but it still leaked. Oh well, this bathroom is being gutted also. It is being enlarged into the hall also.

The window will have to be moved as it is where a sink and mirror will be.

In our bedroom we have two nice size closets that run the full length of the bedroom.

On the other side of the bedroom is the bathroom and another closet. (Closet is where the mirror is).

Part of this closet and the closet in the hall will be used to enlarge our master bath also.

We found that this time of year is when construction is at full speed ahead. We called 3 different contractors and it took a week just to hear back from them and another week to just get them in to try to get estimates. While we were waiting for the first 3 to call back, we went to the local Ace Hardware and got recommendations of other contractors. We called 5 more. All of these guys called back relatively quick and we got them in the house much faster. Pretty much everyone of them told us they were extremely busy, but could work on the bathrooms this winter. The first three, that a interior designer recommended, told us they might be able to get to us next summer. These 3 are the expensive contractors who build and remodel the million dollar homes on the lake. We decided they were way above our budget. No one seemed to be able to give us estimates until we could tell them exactly what cabinets, counter tops and faucets we wanted. Before we left, Joe and I spent a ton of time looking at cabinets, counter top, faucet fixtures, and flooring. We still have not picked a contractor because we are waiting for Lowe's, and two other companies that came in and took measurements to get us quotes for the finishings we pick out. It is just crazy how busy all the contractors are in this area. They all told us during the economic recession in 2008, most of the contractors that were not good, had to leave town because there was no business. Now that things are picking up, the ones that are left are very busy. If you want work done in the summer, it is not a problem finding someone. No one wants their summer homes destroyed by contractors during their summer time fun. We are just behind the eight ball at getting on the contractor work list. The last 2 to 3 week while we were in our home , it was cold and rainy. Joe complained a lot and was so glad to leave. It didn't bother me as much, as we were shopping and I can shop in good or bad weather.
Mallery has got her Mojo back. We have been able to get 3 meals a day down her without any digestive issues. It is good to see her more active again and not so weak. She is enjoying the eggs and broccoli added to her Dr recommended dog food. The trick is to get nutrition in her so her immune system can improved. I just hate how she feels so boney when I pet her. I just don't understand how I didn't figure this out. Joe and I just thought she was getting boney because she was getting older. Old people get boney, so I thought dogs got boney also. The clue is when your dog gets boney in just 3 to 4 months, something is wrong. Think cancer!