Basement remodel for the clueless homeowner

My SmILE surgery blog post has been a big hit. I've been emailed about it by strangers and given high fives at the supermarket. (I'm lying about the supermarket. We do chest bumps there.) So I will try another post, which will take a while for me to complete on my adventure of remodeling my unfinished basement.  

Why is this interesting? Let's be honest. I'm not very handy. I didn't grow up helping an older sibling or my father work on cars or repair the house. I took a trimester of woodshop in 7th grade. At the home improvement store, I have to gesture how I would use a tool to the floor associate for help because I don't know the name of the actual tool. I'm proud of myself for finding the end of a roll of duct tape. You get the point.

This guy, with two thumbs that aren't good for much manual labor, was going to turn his basement into a family room, a bathroom, and two additional bedrooms. I searched the internet for some guidance - remodeling your basement for dummies - but it was all assuming I knew way more than I actually did. I learned a lot about what goes into a remodel. Now it's time to share what I learned. 

Well, soon. This page will be edited and expanded over time because I have a day job that takes up more daytime than I think is ideal.