Good News, Bad News

Yes, I have good news to report! The good news is I have not gone on a homicidal rampage yet. Or had an official nervous breakdown, just small ones where I curl up with a glass of wine and whimper softly. So I guess that's progress. I was fully prepared for the usual time (and money) overages, but days when workers simply don't show up were not in my plans and are sending me over the edge. I have tried to stay out of it, figuring if I mother-henned (OK, nagged) my contractor too much it would make things worse. And the problem is I have known him for quite some time so I have been hesitant to be more "firm" (OK, bitchy) with him. But I'm just about at my limit. Because things are going from bad to worse (more on that later).

On a bright note, the walls are looking lovely, painted in Sand Trap by Sherwin Williams.

And the wood floor unearthed under three layers of tile has been cleaned up enough to save it. Hurrah!

So what's the bad news? Well, besides the MIA workers just a few minor details. For one thing, the overall mess and dust storm is starting to wear on all of us. I mop, dust and generally clean every day, but the plaster was like talc in the way it exploded and migrated all over the house. It is literally on every surface here, including my upstairs bedroom on the OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE. It doesn't help that Kit Kat, our dog, is so happy when people are here she can't stay away from them. So besides the overall sheen of dust on everything, there are paw prints everywhere. It stopped being cute about a week ago and I have now sent her to the farm. (No, I didn't put her down, there's a boarding farm we use).

The cabinets are delayed, but that's actually a good thing as the floor is no where close to being finished (which is a subject that will get its own post). And likewise the appliances are late and the refrigerator is on back order. Who knew there would be a run of stainless steel French door fridges? I'm not willing to settle on different appliances, as these stainless steel goodies were the impetus of my fantasy and I have designed the entire kitchen around them.

And then there's the subject of our second kitchen. It would seem like a great thing that we have a second kitchen, but it's not actually helping. We have it sort of set up, but it's really impossible to reconstruct everything. And then the other shoe dropped: the dishwasher in that kitchen doesn't work. So I have given up even trying to cook full meals. I have switched almost entirely to paper and plastic and I apologize to the environment, but I am just over it. I have made one exception: glass wine glasses. I simply can't drink from plastic.

This project has made me so tired. By the end of the day I am so weary I barely have the strength to open a bottle of wine (no martinis - too many steps and additional things to clean).