How do YOU spell relief???

I spell relief:

Smash! Slam! Crack! Rip! CRASH!!!

Ahhhhhh…

There is very little that makes me feel better than some good old demolition. I grab a sledge hammer, a Sawzall and a pry bar and 10 hours later, I am sweaty, bleeding, exhausted and so happy. And surrounded by rubble!!! What a rush.

The day started simply enough. LeeMichael and I arrived at the house, where my ever-ready and generous father was already waiting for a day of destruction. The day was hot - in the 90s - and the house was stifling. But we pressed on. LeeMichael’s brother, Chris, and mother would join us later in the day. We began by pulling down the not-quite retro wood paneling around what we have dubbed our “Club Room” expecting to find a thin layer of plaster behind.



To our surprise, all four walls were covered in stucco.



Safety is of course our first priority, so we were sure to take all of the proper precautions:



Then we got to "work."





The morning progressed nicely until tragedy struck. Or rather, Bill stood up too fast and STRUCK a sconce, splitting his head open.



Luckily the bleeding was not severe. And Bryan's opinion was that the gaping wound wasn't so bad and he would be fine. But safety being our first priority, we put Bill on wallpaper scraping duty for the rest of the day.*



(Note the way Bill seems to have the same pose in every picture (except for his bloody head).)

Christopher got into the game. Being the electrical engineer that he is, he spent a lot of time wondering, should I cut this???



Inevitably, his answer always was a resounding yes.

Meanwhile, I spent a lot of the time pondering our actions.



Ultimately, we ended up with a room empty of all stucco, paneling and ceilings. It is ready for insulation, sheetrock and that personal touch. Our contractor has informed us that when you break it, you buy it. So, I guess this room will remain our minimalist room for a while...



Luckily, at the end of the day, there was a tremendous rain storm. For folks with no bathrooms, this provided a very opportune time to bathe away the dust and debris. And for the neighbors to check out the merchandise (meaning the 2x4s in the driveway of course!).



Though tired and sore, I am very glad we didn't let this project go by without participating in any demolition. There really is nothing like standing in a room, bashing the ceiling with a shovel and letting it rain down on you with a hard hat and respirator employed. We still have to destroy what is left of the 1950s kitchen. Applcations from stressed out folks are not required. They should just show up with hammers!

*Post script - So, Bill got home and showed his head to Lynne. And Lynne said - you are an idiot, you need stitches. To which Bill replied that Bryan thought it didn't look that bad. To which Lynne replied - you are all idiots.

Two staples later and one night of waking up every two hours, Bill is fine.

Sorry Mom! :)