Venting

Vent & Hood
Originally uploaded by zostra

Some things started happening today. The hood and vent went in above where the stove will go. Still cement board behind the hood, as the tile for the mural backsplash has not come in yet. The dishwasher is mostly installed. There are more light switches. I learned that per state code 50% of your lighting in the kitchen has to be florescent. Wish someone had told me that before we installed the light fixtures. Ah well.

First Box

First Box
Originally uploaded by zostra

Don't get too excited. I'm not moving in yet. But we did unpack a couple of boxes in the kitchen today. I'm mostly posting this so I can do a count of how many days between unpacking first and last box. Any bets?

Lights, Camera...No Action

Light!
Originally uploaded by zostra

We installed light fixtures today, everything but the under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen. The only problem is that most of the switches haven't been installed, so the only ones we could actually test were the closet lights. Which are just about the least exciting fixtures possible, but they work, there's light in the closets! Dad worked on the shower and made some progress. Mom & Jo cut most of the rest of the shelf paper for the kitchen (Mom & I had started on it middle of last week). This week they should be putting in the central heating (last big thing), the finish coat of stucco, and finishing up installing appliances, switches, etc. Which means things will be nearing completion just in time for me to go on vacation with Daniel, but that's another story.

The Graduate

Amanda Grad 1
Originally uploaded by zostra

We took the day off for celebrations. Amanda's graduated! Mom & Dad hosted a family luncheon in her honor at their house. We had a lovely meal, with lots of family, and lots of fun. Hard to believe she's done with college, but I'm a very proud mama.

Door minus paint

Door minus paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

Today was one of those days where we did a TON, but the photos don't do it justice. Dad took approximately 1/16 of an inch of paint off the inside of the front door. That might not sound like much, but we figure it was at least half a dozen layers given the colors we found. It took two quarts of paint stripper and a lot of power sanding with the big belt sander and the orbital sander. We also caulked the inside of all of the windows, and put on the third (final!) coat of paint on all of the interior window trim. Daniel did quality control, wandering around with a roll of blue tape looking for places that need to be touched up. The house looks a little polka-dotted, but it's nice to think that we are nearing the stage of touch up instead of massive undertakings. Of course, they still need to finish the outside stucco. And the shower still isn't functional. But we're getting closer.

Adding Window Trim

Adding Window Trim
Originally uploaded by zostra

Now that the waiting is over, we're able to add the interior window trim. By 1:30 this afternoon we had all of the window trim measured, cut, and nailed in place. Thanks to Daniel and Mom all the nail holes got filled almost before they were made, and the windows were taped and ready to go. By the end of the day the windows had been primed and had their first coat of finish paint. Now, if I could just find the right flange for my shower.

Waiting

Garden Window with Paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

We've been waiting. And waiting. And waiting. For approval by the inspector for the windows to go forward. For the weather to clear so that stucco can be applied. For a three day weekend so we can spend all of our spare time working on the house. It might look like nothing has happened to this window but it has.

1) It's been approved & permitted.
2) There's stucco on the outside.
3) Where there was a hole around it, there is now wallboard & mud patching it.
4) Where there was mud & patch there is now primer & two coats of paint.

It's a good thing.

Kitchen Window

Kitchen Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

It's in! I could see the blue sky poking through the clouds through the lovely garden window in the kitchen.

They shrink when you cook them

Mini-Frank
Originally uploaded by zostra

I didn't see the sausage that Daniel went to put on the grill with my tofu dogs. I was envisioning some kind of large, bratwurst-like item. He checked on them a little while later and when he came back in said that they'd shrunk a little. This was what he showed me. I think I laughed for a full 10 minutes. I know I laughed so hard that I cried.

Expect Delays

Expect Delays
Originally uploaded by zostra

When the day starts with a phone call saying that your range/oven and hood won't be delivered until June 3 (almost two weeks later than the already-5-weeks-on-back-order-status) and ends with your contractor telling you about why the adjective-deleted building inspector not only hasn't approved the windows but also had doubled your permit valuation and therefore permitting fee and must reinspect things after a day unnecessary work has been completed, you still somehow land up smiling. How? Home-cooked dinner, glass of wine, and the purchase of a t-shirt (by the model, not the author of this post) that seems particularly apropos.

Stucco on Window

Stucco on Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

If the rain would stop long enough, they could stucco all of the window exteriors where they've been putting the new ones in. So far, there is stucco on two, trim on 7 out of 9, and one yet to go in (kitchen garden window).

Kitchen Non-Window

Kitchen Non-Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

So much for the kitchen faucet with water. It had to come out while they put in the new kitchen window. Oops. Could have predicted that, but I didn't.

Artichoke Gratin

Artichoke Gratin
Originally uploaded by zostra

We went for dinner at my college roommate's house down in Mountain View. Got to meet her husband and 6-month-old daughter for the first time, saw another college dorm-mate and her husband, and sat around chatting and making Vietnamese spring rolls which turned out quite well. Vegan German chocolate cake for dessert. The door prizes? Artichokes from their backyard! The next night Daniel made an Artichoke Gratin from Richard Olney's "Simple French Food." This is all that was left by the time I managed to stop eating and get out my camera to take a picture.

Pedestal Start

Pedestal Start
Originally uploaded by zostra

It turns out installing a pedestal sink is more effort than one might think, and is beyond the abilities of my nuclear family at this point in our skills set, so the contractor will be doing this one.

It Flows!

Kitchen with Water
Originally uploaded by zostra

There is water hooked up to the kitchen sink, but the dishwasher plumbing isn't hooked up yet (no dishwasher yet), so we can't really turn the water on full force. Still, it's exciting.

Fridge

Fridge
Originally uploaded by zostra

I have one. It's hooked up. Except for the fact that we need to put the brakes on it so it doesn't roll out when you try to open it, all is well.

Missed a few spots

Missed a few spots
Originally uploaded by zostra

The problem with trying to paint over a high-gloss white ceiling with regular ceiling white on a gray, rainy day is that when you come back on a sunshine-y day you realize you missed spots. Then, as you run around taping them so that you'll know where to touch up, you realize that maybe you should just paint the whole darn thing one more time.

Unmasking

Unmasking
Originally uploaded by zostra

Bathroom is painted, and has been unmasked. The light paint (Adobe White, sort of a hint of the tile color) makes a massive difference. Now we just need to get the shower working, and install the sink.

Kitchen-like

Sink and Faucet
Originally uploaded by zostra

It's starting to look like a kitchen. The sink is in and has cured, the faucet is partially on (still needs some parts installed), the plumbing is mostly done. Yippee!

Night off with Pizza

Night off with Pizza
Originally uploaded by zostra

Stopped working early yesterday, and took the night off. Daniel made pizza with caramelized onions and goat cheese, but we forgot to check the date on the yeast so the first batch of dough had...some issues. Luckily the local Italian restaurant has a wonderful owner who felt our pain and gave us (wouldn't take any money) not one, but two pizzas worth of dough. If you need a very friendly Italian place with yummy pizza dough (I hear the rest of their food's pretty good too) check out Villa Romano on Irving & 9th.