The threshold issue: should I ask Mr. Barros to unlatch the bulkhead for me so that I can go by myself sometime after Dec 15, or should I wait until it is convenient for you to come with me, in which case we might drive to Hyannis in two cars so that it would be easy for you to go back whenever seemed best to you. Please give me your advice. In any event, I would accept the risk of keeping the bulkhead unlatched at all times, until the spiral stairs are in place. I think asking Mr Barros to remove his staging might seem unfriendly, and I would refrain from mentioning the staging, although I would not object if he removed it on his own initiative. My preliminary thought is that from whomever we buy the flooring, we should arrange to have it delivered INTO the house. It's too heavy for me, and you shouldn't risk your back. My tentative preference is for 2 1/4" wide strips of pre-finished oak because a) they would not need to be sanded and treated with polyurethane, and b) they would fit tightly and be much easier to keep clean. (I'm acutely and actively aware of the chore of scraping and wiping spilt feces out of the grooves that separate the bathroom tiles.) If there were excess flooring, I might consider using it in the basement on Nantucket (or for an improved countertop in the 174 School Street kitchen). My immediate task is to position the toilet bowl, and provide both it and the laundry tub with cold water from the garden hose. Next to reconnect the light switches and receptacles, then to set up a temporary shower with hot water, to accept delivery of the flooring (and the doors) and the trim ... If my health permits I expect to make several round trips with the car and to spend as much time on the Island to get done the work that I can do.