Pareto's Principle

Most of us call it "the 80/20 rule", the notion that in any endeavor, there's an uneven split between cause and effect. More specifically, the last 20 percent of a project seems to take 80 percent of the effort.

And that's definitely where we are now with The Big Remodel. Oh, we're eating dinner at the kitchen table (even though the vent hood still isn't hooked up). We're watching DVD's on the new plasma panel (even though the cable TV outlet still isn't connected). And we're going to move the dining room furniture in this weekend (even though the dining room lighting fixture, and many others, awaits installation).

There are a zillion nagging final details. We're really enjoying what we can use of the "new" house, but a little frustrated about the parts we can't use.

The "unfinished symphony" may be in my DNA. My dad was sort of famous for doing remodeling jobs that didn't quite get to the finish line. But he always had a great rejoinder to anyone who'd challenge him to complete the job. He'd invoke the spirit of Sarah Winchester, who kept building that house in San Jose because she believed she'd die when the construction stopped.

With that in mind, I'm OK with a few things being left undone.