We didn't get much done this break.  We had been looking forward to being very productive and having lots of fun with family but - well - things were really just pretty subdued.

Bryan spent most of his work hours during break trying to fix the upstairs shower.  To avoid spending another hundred dollars for shower bits, he took the downstairs shower out and re-used the practically new fixtures.  It was proving to be a freeze risk anyway, that far out from the main part of the cellar and on the very outer wall of this poorly insulated section of the house.  So he finally got the plumbing done, moved some wiring that was in an inappropriate spot related to said plumbing and replaced some of the small plastic bits inside the fixtures which were causing lots of dripping.  We have a shower upstairs now and we are all excited about how awesome the bathroom is going to be when we are done but it was very frustrating to spend so much time fussing with something that should have been fairly quick and easy instead of making progress in other areas of the room and the house.  We keep discovering more and more areas where the cold sneaks through and the warmth escapes.  We're generally cold just about everywhere in the house except the upstairs bathroom, right in front of the woodstove or in the LR when the fireplace is running.  Propane is expensive, though. 

We did get to play with lots of friends and family over break and we did a lot of much needed relaxing but we still didn't see everyone that we really wanted to see.  We didn't spend much time with my mom (but she did get to visit my sister in Rochester for the first Christmas any of us has been able to spend with her in many years - which is great!)  and I missed my dad's unexpected visit before Christmas because I was at work.  We didn't get over to my brother's house at all.  I still have three undelivered gifts under the tree.  

We did enjoy having people over for Christmas day and we discovered that the pool table - excuse me - billiards table make an excellent banquet table when covered with plywood and a nice table cloth.  Lots of elbow room for 12 people!  The kitchen was functional and lots of good food was enjoyed in spite of not having a dishwasher, kitchen cupboards or a counter top.  The South Studio was sealed off with plastic and made an excellent walk-in-fridge for all the leftovers.

If anything, Christmas break showed us just how over extended we are in general.  We're trying to re-organize our priorities a bit but that is hard when the thing that takes up the biggest chunk of our free time is Bryan's commute. 

We'll work it out.  It's January with February at the door.  Things always feel bleaker than they really are in this part of Winter territory.

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