Screw the plan, what's going on now?

Kitchen Status
- Tile and Walls are in and done. Painting to be done.
- Cabinets got installed today.
- Granite template Monday and install by Friday (maybe)

Pictures to follow once I unpack my camera cable...

I hate Christ-mass

You all know this. However, this past holiday magical Saint Nick dropped by our apartment, where we were still living until the house got "done".

Here is a picture of him appearing after I opened a bag of cracked corn

See Eliot in the back? We had invited him over and put him to work. However, Santa mistook Eliot for an escaped elf, on the run from Santa's workshop after embezzling toy funds and breaking Santa's heart after a closeted, yet passionate, sexual relationship. Santa couldn't resist a taste of that elf and made his move.



Santa was surprised by the Elf's reaction, and proceeded to drink copious amounts of scotch.

My Buddy

A former resident was discovered above our kitchen's dropped ceiling. We found his hideout, no signs of others.



I named him Bruce and, as per Mike's request, have had him laminated and mounted in the basement.

December Demolition

As many have heard, the one room we knew we were going to renovate, right after the house was purchased, was the kitchen. I thought - new cabinets, new appliances, and some tile and paint. Sounds like a lot but it also sounds do-able.

So, the 2nd weekend of ownership, which was the first weekend of December we gathered what friends we had to wreak the kitchen. Completely. Check out the shots of what we accomplished in that day.

Window view (not radiator location)




Stove view (note door location)

TOC

1. December Demolition
• Much destroyed
• Treasures found
• Smells smelt
  
2. January Joining
• Fixtures picked
• Some were delivered on time
• ...Others were not...
• Europe in the 1950's
  
3. February Finale
1. "It looks just we thought!"
2. " WTF ?! "
4. Post Mortem
1. Picture-by-picture
2. Those who we salute
3. Those who we curse
   

Why today?

It has been a long time.

No good excuse exists beyond trying to recount the epic tale that spins the vision of the feelings we've had working the smell out of the house. We've been successful on various fronts but final completion still remains weeks away. Not months. Not days. Just a few short weeks.

I'll now try and revitalize this blog to bring everyone up to speed on what's transpired and as future events unfold. It's not quite in medias res, but it'll have to do.

OK, now the hard part....

As of today I've taken ownership. My first actions were to take some pictures and then scout out the neighborhood. Union Square has several good places to eat and a seriously gritty feeling to it. Not like those gentrified wanks off the red line.


It's very clear and sunny out today. See my car in the magnificent 2 car tandem driveway?

Elizabeth and I call our street light "Night Star" - She protects us from the evil darkness of nighttime, adorned with her cable and DSL box equipment.

Today's word : Thanksgiving 2007

Countdown to PS3...er, Closing.

Tuesday I get the keys. The shear magnitude of home ownership is making me lose a little sleep, but I'm excited.

This weekend will be the first home despot run, lots of tools & stuff for demo-ing.

But before that begins, Thanksgiving must be completed. Elizabeth and I are doing the Mid-Atlantic tour again. Perhaps next year we'll have it up here in MA. That would be trippy.

Must....keep....Posting!

1st and 2nd weekend in December are Demo Days. Complete and utter destruction of said property's kitchen until (and several nearby walls)

Cabinets have been selected. Granite is down to the last 2-3 choices. Flooring is color selected, but not pattern-wise. Other painting are in the final quadrant of visible spectrum. Convergence is close.

No layout again (very lame!) but we are getting close.

1 week away from legal ownership....

Anyone gonna get the Wii?

P&S has been signed by all.

OK, so it's a big deal. I'm comitted now. Closing is set for Nov 21st. Figure within a week demo is complete. Elizabeth and I are now trying to figure out the layout and kitchen details. It's kinda scary, but when we were there doing the measurements I had a chance to just sit there. It was very cool to thinik that it's a home, we can do anything we want to it. Very scary. Very exciting.


On a side note...my IACUC tenure has come to a sudden close. The company laid off the entire R&D staff last Friday. I am not a jinx.

Wait, I can post on your blog, too? That's awesome. I didn't know I could do that. Here's a picture to commemorate the moment:

Appliances

I learned today that the appliances I like cost too much. It's very sad.

Measurements....

...were made today, actually just tonight. Funny thing - see, you're only supposed to go to the house with an agent. In this case - our agent - when visiting a house that you still don't really own. So, we walk in and 4 seconds later she says,

"Is it Ok if I leave? Just lock up when you're done OK?"

So she left us there. Then we found the switch for the disco ball and...well, you'll just have to see it when you come over. The rooms are a good size for the two of us, I think all of our stuff will fit. The kitchen is the big problem to solve. Right now it's planned to be demo'ed down to the studs and new floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets, appliances, electric, perhaps some rough plumbing....and maybe knock half a wall down. We'll see. I'm gonna try to use SketchUp to previs some stuff.

So now we've got our measurements and we've emboldened ourselves into doing some exploratory demo right after we close on the 21st.