Reflections

Since things are put on hold, I'm going to take this time to reflect a little on how Jonathan and I have been acting and reacting to this huge project.
I've noticed that timelines are no longer an issue, whereas when we started, we were quite specific on when everything was to get done. There's just no point! At least that's how I think. Jonathan still believes he can put a 2 week deadline and think it's realistic. He'll mention a deadline and my automatic reaction is rather pessimistic, thinking, "yeah right, look how long everything else has taken".
We're definitely learning about each other's personalities. He is definitely the more positive thinker (maybe it's to motivate himself), whereas I like to think of myself as realistic (but Jonathan calls it being pessimistic). I just don't like setting myself up for failure, and trust me, if I were to have stuck by the deadlines we started with, I would be devastated and would not be handling this situation very well. I'm the type of person that, if I'm counting on something, it better be concrete and legit or else I'll be VERY disappointed. I guess that's why I have the attitude of not counting on too much in life. It's a survival tactic.
Jonathan on the other hand, thinks anything is possible and will tackle these huge mountains that I look at and think, can't we just have a picnic at the bottom? He thrives on designing how the rooms will look MONTHS in advance, he'll talk about light fixtures and paint color before we've even begun to demolish anything. He'll lie in bed and I can almost feel his thoughts pounding in his head (I never need to ask him what he's thinking about!). We'll be driving in the car and all of a sudden he'll say, "I just had a crazy idea!" and then he'll go on to explain a frame built into a wall with contrasting colors, but what would that color be? And where to put the bathtub and whether or not we need a linen closet in the hall, etc. He jumps from one thing to another so fast that I barely have time to TRY to imagine what his first topic was when he's on to his third point.
We still seem to be able to communicate with each other, which is what's keeping us from going crazy. He'll respect moments when I feel overwhelmed and need space or help with cleaning up and I try to let him work on stuff as much as possible without complaining or making it difficult for him to leave. It's hard for me to help, 1 - because of Philippe and 2 - because tools just aren't made for my size. I've heard of a line of tools made specifically for women though! Not that I could afford my own tools, but it's still a cool idea.