Kitchen Remodel Day 12 and Day 13

Many people don't know I wear contacts. That's because until I turned 40, I never needed vision correction. But that darn newspaper print kept getting smaller, and I could no longer read the fine print on the back of cans of paint. Oh, sure, I tried bifocals, but I don't like them. As a result, I wear monovision, with one contact lens at a plus 375 and the other is for distance at plus 125. If I'm not wearing my contacts, I do use reading glasses -- which is what I was wearing while lying in bed this morning to read the morning newspaper.

Pia, because she misses her daddy so much, started crawling all over me, licking my forehead, rubbing against my face and then she began gnawing on my glasses, trying to pull them off my face. She's very talkative. Lately, she's been yakking about the missing boxes in the living room. You see, I spent most of yesterday afternoon folding up empty cardboard from the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher boxes, including the box the sink came in.

My living room now contains just the stove and dishwasher, with everything else pushed up against the front window.

I haven't been paying as much attention to the cats as they would like. Last night, I had to draw up two purchase contracts for my new buyers in Natomas and send them off, plus I was gone most of the morning showing property. Throw in my computer time on top of the kitchen remodel, and my cats act like they are homeless and neglected. Cats have a sneaky little way of making you feel guilty.

This is my cleaned up view from the living room into the kitchen through my newly cut-out pass through. I dusted all the living room furniture, vacuumed the floors and moved the stereo and speakers back against the wall. It's one less cleaning job that I'll have to do tomorrow after the counter tops are installed.

I also spent a great deal of time wondering if I should have my tile guy frame out the pass-through in marble, bordered by the pencil tile. I moved some of the marble pieces into the sill, examined it from all angles. Should I or shouldn't I? After much deliberation, which ate up a big chunk of my evening, I have pretty much decided against it. I will border the inside of the kitchen pass-through with the pencil marble, but I think the clean open look is good the way it is.

Remodels involves 90% thought and 10% work.

While moving tile pieces around the window ledge over the kitchen sink, I managed to drop a few of the 1 x 1 squares inside the cabinets, and I can't fish them back out without removing all the drawers and contents. And I'm too tired tonight to do it.

Pica, my other ocicat, was sitting on the rolled up rug in the living room. Just sitting there. Doing nothing. He was probably wondering where all the boxes in the living room disappeared to and why the middle of the floor was empty. He's on Prozac, so maybe he was wondering who I was. Hard to say. But let me tell you, he must think he owns that rug. He won't be happy when he's locked back in the bedroom tomorrow when the new workers arrive.

I am enjoying using my kitchen, actually sitting at the table to drink coffee and read the morning newspaper. Only two more days.

It was going to be one more day, but when I called the plumber to remind him about our appointment for Monday afternoon, I was in for a surprise. No can do, says he. He accepted a "really big job" that started yesterday and runs through Monday. Buuutttt, but, you promised me you would be here Monday afternoon, says I. "That's the way these things go," he replied.

No remorse. Suddenly, I don't much like the plumber anymore. But I called a few other plumbers and was informed that my counter tops really should sit for 24 hours at a minimum before the appliances are installed because they can settle. I didn't know that. The plumber did promise to come first thing Tuesday morning, and as luck would have it, my husband isn't coming home until Tuesday night. So the timing is perfect. And the job will be finished on schedule after all.

I shot this photograph of our crepe myrtle to email to my husband. He left before it bloomed. This is the little tree we planted after losing our two huge birch trees in January's storm. Its roots don't grow deeply enough to meander into our sewer system. Fortunately, I am one of the homes in Land Park that has a new sewer, which replaced Orangeburg that had deteriorated.

With the crepe myrtle in bloom, the back yard doesn't look as neglected as it is. I haven't picked any tomatoes or cucumbers since this kitchen remodel started. Early morning watering is about all I've been able to muster. The black eyed peas are ready for harvesting as well. I have no idea what to do with fresh black-eyed peas. We've never grown them before. Well, maybe the counter top guys would like to take home fresh garden produce.