I’ve not posted on Blog Critics since my landmark expose on Peep Abuse that appeared Easter weekend. I have a very good excuse. I’ve been redecorating my 1,200 square foot condo.

I call it the Condo from Hell, but it isn’t really that bad. During the last big Texas oil boom of the 1970’s, former governor John Connolly spearheaded the construction of our condos. You may remember him for another reason. On 22 November 1963, he survived after being shot that day in Dealey Plaza. JFK did not. Eventually Connolly went bankrupt and almost everything he owned was auctioned off in a very embarrassing public display. My condos were part of that auction.

Consequently, things have always been very interesting around here. Connolly started having financial problems when he was halfway into construction. Fortunately for me, the earliest construction was of the units where I live. I live in one of the better-made units. This isn’t saying much; trust me.

After a few years of living in a resort community, you get to know which contractor to call and which to leave alone. I learned the hard way. By the time I was ready to start working, full of new ideas (thanks to Martha Stewart), I ended up on Jody’s four-month waiting list.

Fifteen years ago, when renovating my father’s huge 60-year-old flourmill, turning it into an art gallery and gift shop, my patron saint of a movie was The Money Pit with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. After a long day, and when my wonderful contractor would disappear to do a little deer hunting, I would go home, put on the movie, and just be thankful that “it wasn’t worse.” Trust me, it can always be worse.

My sister, a survivor of one massive home renovation and then recovery after an Easter morning house fire, likes to call it “a chain reaction.” I wanted to put a small closet office on the top floor of the condo. Currently I am using the dining room and table as my writing desk. I also wanted bookshelves. One of the great drawbacks of being a writer is books. You simply cannot write without books, especially research material. My books were everywhere. I could find nothing.

I’ve been talking a good redecorating game for several years. I had an idea what I wanted to do on my one large wall, but just couldn’t quite come up with anything practical. My condo is multi-level. The entrance is on the top level, where my kitchen and dining room are, along with a fairly large closet where I had nearly six feet of wasted space. In a small unit like mine, every square foot counts.