The Re-emergence of a Kitchen Renovation Homeowner

So, a few months ago, I blogged about an earl grey latte (as it were) and in the background of the finished product picture are my ugly old outdated cupboards. I mentioned that I hoped the next time I posted pictures of the kitchen that they would be fresh and white and new in our renovated kitchen.

On Wednesday June 8th, right after work, HOTGI and I left for the NSJC Jamboree for 2011. Le pooch went for a sleepover with the neighbours. They love having him and we love knowing he's being cuddled and cared for like nobody's business. The Jeep Jamboree seemed better than almost any other, and this was my seventh one. The explaination of how that particular event struck a special chord with me this year is something that can go in another post...

However, the event ended with us coming home around lunchtime on the 12th. Tired, oh so tired. All attempts at napping and going to bed at a sensible hour were foiled by good times with great freinds. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but oh... does my body and mind now ache with exhaustion. But there are cupboards to be packed and things safelt stashed away (but oh, even when packing with "like" items, you will never find that one bottle of seasoning you know you packed somewhere...) because the demoltition -- of the stupid corner unit -- begins that night!!

I packed, and HOTGI took down the stupid corner unit. I packed things away until I was so tired I thought I might throw up. At the same time I am fighting a cold that I got from playing with my friend's adorable but fresh-with-a-daycare-cold daughter. Meh, it wasn't that bad of a cold. I drank my Immunizer tea from David's Tea (my newest obsession) and I just kept working because the demo wouldn't stop just because I had a cold.

So we demo-ed.
And spackeled.
And sanded (OH how I hate sanding walls!)
And cut-in with the paint, and rollered the walls.
Laid a sub-floor -- with apx. 1800 screws holding it down
Sealed the subfloor
Laid in-floor-heating lines
Poured NINE bags of self levelling compound over the heating lines and the rest of the floor
Cleaned up leaking-into-other-rooms compound
Go to Wendys for a ghetto supper and finally get sight of myself in a mirror. Oh for shame.
Check for flaws/low spots
HOTGI and awesome-helping-friend lay tiles. They did an impeccible job. Flawless.
Next day, HOTGI and same great friend grouted. I am not good at the grouting. History... well. Not good.
This morning... the grout is dry and IT.LOOKS.AWESOME.
Almost all the haze is off but another couple washings and it'll be flawless.
Super happy with the grout colour I chose.
I picked it Friday morning while I was eating breakfast, because HOTGI was picking it up at lunch.
Grouting was happening that day.
No pressure.
SO happy it looks so awesome!

I had 2 good night's sleeps execpt for waking up this morning feeling like my back had been fractured; I believe as a result of the roundest of felines choosing my lower back as a comfy place to sleep. Urg. Muscle relaxant + hot tub as soon as I got up and hobbled downstairs helped make some of the worst of the pain go away.

Next post will be a pictures post outlining all the parts of the demo progress.

I have no idea when I can post pictures about the cupboards as our cabinet guy seems to vanished. WTF, I know... vanished? Seriously? Yep. Dude is gone somewhere and nobody seems to have any idea where. He didn't go to his day-job all week. Not at his shop, not answering at his apartment (phone or door) from both us and one of his coworkers whose girlfriend is my favourite bartender at the curling club I belong to! Anyhow, he's AWOL. I just hope he surfaces soon and puts in my cabinets. We won't be great references I'm afraid.

Until then, we bbq and eat in the camper, etc,etc... and make do without a kitchen. I am getting innovative. And fed up. I want my kitchen back!!

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