Week 16

After six weeks of very little progress, we start week 16 with some real insights and future steps toward a functional kitchen—quite a bit because J1 returned on the task last week. Last week, he installed most of our (extensive) kitchen tile, highlighted a problem with the counter installation and worked with our Project manager to solve it, and today managed the counter fix, moved the island pendant light change, and installed the new range hood:

We are sooooooo ready to have a functional kitchen. Even our temporary plates are giving out after four months. (We got plastic ware to avoid breakages in the concrete basement, where we cook, and the brick patio, where we have eaten mostly during the summer. We hate them with a passion both in theory and now in practice, despite appreciating minimal breakage.) The basement “kitchen” enables us to eat, but not well.

Our new appliances are scheduled to be installed this Friday, with a big however: we don’t know when the requisite electrical and plumbing will be installed. I suspect, understandably, that our project managers and crew are loathe to promise us anything. For example, the plumber might not want to outfit the kitchen if the bathroom isn’t complete and we have no clue when that will happen. In addition, the electrician might want to make a single stop for both the bathroom and kitchen. I do know that J1 is doing everything he can to make the kitchen ready for a full installation of appliances, including all power sources.

To have a sink that works in a space where we can see the dishes. To have a dishwasher!

Those completely normal urges for adults who have never known times that dishwashers were not standard—even though I have lived in many places where the only dishwasher was me, myself, and I—makes me wonder about Glenn and Agda Welch when they built the house at 349 N. Esther. A “dishwasher” then was either a wife or “help”. (We suspect they hired help, but we don’t know.) Because of the plumbing configuration and a clear lack of changes in that configuration we saw as we replumbled the space, the kitchen sink was originally and always has been underneath the windows—so, help or not, they could clearly see what they were cleaning.

We are holding expectations low even as we have high hopes for a near future of a functional kitchen.