Hi, my name is Nick Shell. I am 43 years old. And I live with my parents… as do my wife and kids.

I certainly don’t see myself as a pessimist. But I definitely do see myself as a realist. If I keep my expectations low, I put myself in a position where I am less likely to be disappointed.

Therefore, it is no surprise to me that we are still likely a couple more weeks away from actually being settled in to our house we purchased in Alabama; which we basically gutted other than the sheetrock.

At some point, my subconscious desire to symbolically “start over” with my new life in Alabama led me to have a Pedro moment:

Each contractor is somewhat dependent on at least one of the others before they can do their job. The new flooring had to go in first, but that contractor was delayed when the flooring materials we chose were out of stock for three weeks. That meant the cabinets nor the toilets and sinks could be installed.

Once the new flooring was finally installed, that meant we had to put up new base boards and door trim. Instead of hiring a crew to do that, my family decided to tackle that project, like we did with ripping up the old floor and tearing out the old cabinets back in March; which is saving us thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, my wife and I continue to work our full-time jobs from home during the day, then afterwards, we switch over to our “2nd job”: house renovations.

Oh right… I successfully drove a 26 foot moving truck 3 hours across Monteagle and never hit a pole or another car. Seriously, how was I qualified to drive that thing?

I remain fascinated by the Enneagram numbers of everyone involved in our big move and renovations.

Below is a review of the Enneagram Numbers. The number after the “W” indicates which of the numbers next to your main Enneagram number is the more dominant “wing” of the number next to yours. For example, I am Enneagram 9 (the negotiator) but I also heavily rely on the traits of an 8 (the challenger) as well.

1- The Reformer; 2- The Helper; 3- The Achiever, 4- The Individualist, 5- The Investigator, 6- The Loyalist, 7- The Enthusiast, 8- The Challenger, 9- The Mediator

My friends Kenny and Mohamad, with their dominant “1 wing” were extremely instrumental in our moving truck being properly loaded. Had it been left to me, I would have arrived in Alabama with a truck full of broken glass!

Mohamad’s wife Lena was there to help us with some much-needed last minute packing the morning I left with the moving truck.

Similarly, I fundamentally depend on my brother-in-law Andrew and his dominant 1 wing to manage all the precise measurements as he has ultimately assigned himself as “Door Trim and Base Board Manager”.

Sort of behind the scenes, my sister has been in charge of painting all the boards for those base boards and door trim.

And since most of the renovation had been taking place before we actually moved to Alabama, we especially depended on my mom to show up to let the contractors in, often on a moment’s notice.

My dad, being an Enneagram 8, has served as the ultimate “Renovation Boss” over the whole process.

Similarly, my wife who is also an 8, has been the Project Manager ever since the planning stage. Notably, she keeps all our contractors in line!

In the midst of all this, I am in a similar situation with the drawn-out process of my first book being published this year. There’s a rumor it may actually be coming out some time this summer…

Perhaps by the time the new school year begins, we will be fully moved into our own house, my book will be published, and I will have hair again.