And so it begins

We've just started our reconstruction process and already it feels like it's slipping away from us financially.

I heard about people's project costs doubling. I'd been warned about extended time lines. What none of these fair weather warners didn't say was that it was self-inflicted.

DH and I went through the contract again. This time with a much more level head. We'd talked pie-in-the-sky when we first opened up the Medussa's box, hoping for the world.

Our contractor is good, fair and honest. That's on the plus side.

Costs of materials keep rising. That's on the negative side.

Our hopes and dreams (but not expectiations) are like a thong. Stuck in the middle.

This morning DH broke Rule #1 (for those of you who don't know or don't choose to remember, rule #1 is NEVER, EVER wake a sleeping woman) to tell me he got an update on the costs of three new windows as per the change request we were looking into. Three grand. I was awake faster then a double-espresso could shake me.

After a few mental explicatives, I started to do the math, knowing how limited our "extras" budget was. Where to cut, what to cut so that it makes a difference. (We've already commited to putting down our own floors in an effort to save some bling and flip it over to the fancy bathtub DH wants, and I've already poo pooed upgrading the hot water tank as a forced economy.)

Oh the joys joys joys of renovations.