The Kitchen Project

Our cabinets arrived from the warehouse today, and Johnny and Billy (and another helper, whose name I forgot) worked to put them in place for us. Mark and I couldn’t wait until we got home, so we dashed home at lunch time to see the progress. They started at the fridge side, and have been working counter clockwise from there. While we were there, they put in another large top cabinet to the left of the stove and were installing the cabinets that flank the stove and dishwasher, including our new trash can. When we get home tonight, everything is going to be in place. I really can’t wait.

Mark keeps scratching his head over the wall color, but I think once we get the counter top in, the color will seem perfect.

Yes, Senator Ted Stephens (R-AK) made that phrase famous when describing the wondrous medium upon which you, dear reader, are currently partaking of this bloggery. What few may know, is that tubes have been used for communication for a long time. Our house has a collection of “Speaking Tubes” which ran from both the front and back doors to a place in the kitchen, already long gone when we moved in. We uncovered the tubes when we tore up the walls and ceiling.

They’re just simple metal pipes running around, and I guess your guest would yell through them like a simple intercom system. The upstairs unit even has a button to release the back door and let people in.

4:50 in the afternoon. I’m headed to the gym in 10 minutes. My mind’s already on the Green Line, then the bus, then leaping up the stairs and in the front door. I can’t wait to get home to see what’s been done today. It’s getting hard to stick to my schedule…

(Sorry, Mom. Hanukkah just doesn’t work that way.)

I believe the giant pipe in the middle of the room may have been removed. We shall see.

Today was day two of demo. So much was accomplished yesterday, but when the guys left, there was still a ceiling to come down and some of the wall board in the back hall. Yesterday was held up by the dumpster that arrived a little late and had trouble getting into the driveway because of a car parked across the street. (Grr!)

Mark and I peeked in through the plastic today and he said “Wow! They did the windows!” I noticed quickly that the floor was up. We now just have the wide planks that run perpendicular to the joists, with light from the basement shining up through. There are some big holes where pipes used to run, and some smaller ones from knots. The space was pretty clean, but still very dusty. The ceiling is very high up there (about 9 feet) and very open.

The windows have been adjusted as well: The two we’re keeping have been raised to start about 44″ from the ground. The one we’re removing has been framed and is gone. With very little light in the room, it’s pretty dark. Especially since all the walls are dark wood studs.

Phoebe explored the space and poked around for a while. She had trouble figuring out how to get back out, and meowed at the plastic sheeting some. Her face got very dirty, so I washed it. She wasn’t too pleased about that. We have a nice layer of dust over everything.

Tomorrow: electricity.