#ItsAProcess - Completed

Officially, It's A Process has been completed for almost three months. The majority of the work finished up the week before I left for England (end of July), with bits and pieces completed over the following two months. It is strange how normal came to be while the house was on its end and even more amazing that normal switched so quickly once done.

Chaos quickly became blasé, dust became a good friend, and the construction crew morphed into members of our extended family. The day we swept the dust away, calmed the chaos monster and said goodbye to the guys who became family, Terrie and I sat in the silence, trying to wrap our brains around the words, "we're done." 

Reflection has a wonderful ability to allow the review of a time or situation without the messy accompaniment of emotion. Over the past month, I've looked back on It's A Process for teaching and learning moments. And here's what I've learned:

1. Get a contract. Read the contract. Sign the contract. Hold parties accountable to the contract. Require approval before deviation (including unexpected complications).
2. Insist on an invoice - both labor and material - at least twice a month. Review the invoice. Question the invoice. Have the uncomfortable conversation of, "what do you mean" and "I don't agree."
3. When a subcontractor is brought in and finishes the work, ensure a "Lien Waiver" is signed. When the contractor finishes the work, ensure a "Lien Waiver" is signed. This protects all parties involved.
4. Learn the hidden meaning of oft-used phrases:
1. It's a process. A) We encountered an issue and it's going to take us a bit to figure it out, or B) "I know I told you 2 weeks but it's a process."
2. Real quick. This is used like people use "um" and "ah" and "like" while talking. It means nothing and is just a space-filler. Especially when it comes to doing something. IE - "We're going to take down this wall real quick."
3. In theory. Theories are not only for scientists.
4. At the end of the day. This is used when the goals for the day are relayed to you. Often found in a compound sentence such as "In theory, if all goes well, we'll be done with this section at the end of the day."
5. In a perfect world. I got to hear this a lot. Nothing in life is perfect, especially in a 117-year-old house. 
6. We'll be done with (insert particular task) in 2 days. Automatically add a week (and longer for bigger projects) to any estimate you're given. That way, when it's done sooner, you're surprised and impressed.

All in all, I am very happy with the result and I believe the inconvenience, stress, and chaos were worth the improvements. I learned quite a bit about myself during this process (mainly that I'm not the stubborn badass I thought I was) and the lessons learned will be taken forward. Meanwhile, I am enjoying my home and continue to feel incredibly fortunate to have had this experience.

Music credit - Fatboy Slim