Author: peterb51

1st May 2023

Another hectic day ahead, first the weekly shopping, then the worktop templating in the afternoon and the weather was shite.

The expedition to Aldi was uneventful apart from two instances of people blocking my way to the refrigerator cupboards. First I wanted organic butter, my way was blocked, so I went to the next cabinet to get cheese, that was blocked as well, so I danced around until one freed up, that the total excitement on our shopping experience.

Then it was back home to wait for our designer Stacy and the templating man.

We had fun clearing all the worktop of Kelli’s cooking paraphernalia, the kitchen never looked so spacious. Having a shallower fridge and oven has made a big difference, it’s almost normal size.

Since we had decided to add another slim cabinet for oils and spices, I wanted to get started, so I set up the saw and cut up the plywood sheet in no time. Stacy had brought over the catalog of internal components to find one of a suitable size.

Then the templating man turned up with his bag of twenty-first century gizmos. I was expecting him to arrive with sheets of thin hardboard under his arm, like the one who did the templating for my kitchen in the cottage.

We went through some of the details, like how the wood top meets the corian. At time I feel like I’m speaking a foreign language trying to explain my ideas. “Ooh, we can’t do it that way” or “ we’ve never had to do that”.

Eventually we had an agreement, covering edge and corner radius, overhangs and upstand height. He then set about setting up his laser and started measuring. This took about an hour, and in the end he showed me the drawing on his iPad.

This he will send to the engineer back at the factory who will produce the proper drawing for me to approve. What slow process, the guy in England had the layout approved on site and the top was installed ten days later, I expect this to take four weeks.

Kelli was going crazy, she cooked breakfast on the table top oven she borrowed from her mother, the eggs came out with a texture of leather, I could have re-soled my shoes with them. She did get the slow cooker out and made a soup for dinner, just right for the cold and rainy day it had been.

I will try to wire up the oven and hob temporarily once I understand the wiring. I need to get a bit of advice before tackling it as there is four wires on the oven, and three on the plug.

The last thing I want to do is light up the oven like a Christmas tree.

30th April 2023

The heavy lifting continued, we had to instal the new oven cabinet. This meant moving the old cooker, this was not heavy, we just slid it out of the way.

Once moved, the side of corner unit was revealed, or should I say the lack of side.

This required a rapid change of plan.

There had to be extensive machining of the oven cabinet side panel in order for everything to fit correctly.

Whilst I was getting covered in sawdust Kelli was busy selling the old fridge to Big Dave’s wife.

Just before breakfast Big Dave arrived to collect the monster. Single handedly he wheeled the fridge over the road.

Our next challenge to the get the oven into the kitchen. We unpacked it so that we could get it through the door and into the kitchen area.

Like everything over here it weighs a ton, but somehow we managed to get it in the cabinet.

Then it was the turn of the other items that the worktop people have to take with them tomorrow.

The first crate that had to be opened was the sink. This was manufactured in Mexico, and as the top was lifted I expected to find an illegal immigrant inside, or a kilo of white powder, but all there was a beautiful copper sink.

Kelli got quite emotional because it was something she really wanted and I was glad it worked out.

Next out the box was the hob, nothing really special there, but the faucet was a beautiful sculptural piece of stainless steel.

Of course having caused upheaval in the kitchen we had nothing to cook on. We had to borrow a small countertop oven from Kelli’s mother. We managed to cook a pizza in about thirty five minutes under two hundred watt lightbulbs. Any later and I would have started to eat some of the abundance of packaging we have stacked in the garage.

29th April 2023

What a day it’s been, one that we’ve dreaded, not because we didn’t want to do it, rather the effort required in completing the task.

It was fridge moving day, out with the big mother of an appliance and in with sleek Italian model.

But first it was moving out the old monster that had to be disconnected from the water supply. This was because it had an automatic ice maker which the new fridge doesn’t have.

After getting soaked, thinking I had turned the water off, only to find I hadn’t, but once that was done stage one was complete.

Next step was to move it clear so we could bring the new one in.

First the floor had to be cleaned. It was very dirty under there, but I did find a pencil I had lost, a result.

We had borrowed a dolly from Larry and used it to move the monster closer to the door, allowing us passage for the new beast.

Our first attempt to move the new one failed because the garage door got in the way because the box was very tall, so we had to close it. Then because of its height it was hard to tip it and support the weight.

Kelli suggested that I go and ask big Dave, who lived across the road, to help us (where was he when we had to move the piano?)

He was sittings outside eating a pizza, as you do here.

Putting his lunch aside, he sprung into action, I’m sure he could have picked it up and carried it under his arm.

We finally got it in the house and could unpack it, getting the old one out was next on the agenda.

Kelli was revealing the orange splendour of the new fridge. The heavenly choir sang, as the sun shone even more brightly than usual, the appliance glowed, “I will name it Max Jaffa” I thought, I kept that to myself as Kelli wouldn’t know who I was talking about.

Big Dave returned with a strap to tie the monster to the dolly.

I had to remove the door and screen door to be able to get it into the garage, but once that was done it went remarkably easy.

We moved the new fridge into position whilst Kelli had to cull the bottles and stuff that came out of the old one. Downsizing is not a common thing over here, but the recycling bin soon filled up.

The “Max Jaffa” certainly takes a bit of getting used to, it certainly makes a statement, now the rest of the kitchen remodel can take place.

28th April 2023

It was a pleasant drive down to Byron Center to collect the beech countertop. John had done a great job, it was the first top he had made in beech. We loaded it into the back of the truck with about eighteen inches sticking out the back, then we secured the back door with a bungee. The next stop back was to pickup a dresser in Zeeland. This was a black painted piece that easily fitted on top of the countertop. Then it was back home to get the small jobs done on the long dresser.

The work I anticipated to do to the long dresser went a bit quicker than I thought, meaning we could bring the collection day forward, always a good result.

The garden is becoming a concern because things are beginning to grow but we have no idea what they are. For all we know we could be cultivating weeds. The problem is, Kelli has no recollection of what is where. We moved a lots plants in the autumn to group things together, but we have now forgotten everything, so we’ll have to wait and see.

27th April 2023

It was all happening today, we needed to get the long dresser finished for Friday to post for the weekend shoppers. I had to sand the top ready for staining, and get a coat of sealer on it by the end of the day. Kelli was keen to get it on Marketplace early, so as soon as the top was dry, we carried it into the house to take pictures. I alway urge caution because there were some repairs to some of the drawers, plus more coats of finish had to be applied before I was happy with it.

So it was posted, and straight away it was snapped up, now I had to set a time when it would be available.

It is due to be collected at four pm on Saturday so I will have to make sure it’s done by then.

We had a call from the guy making the wooden part of the counter top to tell me that it was finish and ready for collection, great news.

After that we had a call from our designer to say that the worktop fabricator will call on Monday afternoon to do the templating, so I will have to fit the oven unit ready for them, so the pressure is building up.

On top of that I have been continuing the painting and assembly of more doors and drawer fronts, I was worn out mentally and physically by the end of the day.

I don’t know how Kelli will take having the kitchen disrupted for up to three weeks, it’s going to be challenging.

26th April 2023

Today was the fourth anniversary of buying our house, since then it’s been a wild ride of practical was emotional challenges.

We decided to mark the event by having lunch out, at the Way Cup cafe, one of the few places Kelli can get anything to eat.

Before that we went to meet with our interior designer to arrange the worktop templating and to sign the disclaimer that effectively stated that if the world ends I will still be liable, and all that bullshit. We also settled on the handles for the doors and fronts, these are hand forged in unobtainiam and unicorn horn, so they should look fine even if we have to lock them in a safe every night.

Once all that was done we drove back and started our day job.

I had a drawer to make and one to repair, so my new saw came into its own, I even managed to paint more door parts. Kelli was busy working on the new long dresser, filling holes and sanding, a job she hates.

Outside the sunroom we noticed the a Robin had built a nest in the nook of the downpipe. It will be amazing to see if any eggs are hatched.

25th April 2023

Snow was back again, all two hours of it, how much more is there?.

Kelli had to drive to Zeeland to give morale support to Greer who’s husband Dylan was undergoing ear surgery.

This left me four hours all on my own. I could make as much noise as I wanted, listen to my old gits music, swear and fart to my hearts content.

Boy, did I abuse that, I did a lot of machining, and had my music really loud, although I couldn’t hear much as I had ear defenders on.

We had someone coming to pick up the two matching dressers in the afternoon, so I had a top to finish.

I even started on the rocking chair, removing the two loose arms and starting to strip the seat, I’m not sure that will clean up as expected because the black stain has soaked deeply into the wood.

Then Kelli arrived back, by then it was time for lunch

24th April 2023

The isles of Aldi were more crowded than usual, although the trolleys are much wider than English ones, they can still jam up the place.

There was one particularly rude old git who wanted to get to the cooler cabinets where the frozen fruit and vegetables are displayed. We had stopped to look for something in particular, but sensing this chap was in a bit of a hurry I stepped back to let him get the item he wanted, there was no acknowledgment, and he let the door slam shut, knowing that Kelli wanted items in the same cabinet. He just strutted off without a word, we both looked at each other in astonishment at the man’s rudeness.

Back at the ranch, Kelli was working on painting the second dresser of the matching pair. She decided to use some of the paint that I am painting the new doors and drawer fronts which looked good against the natural colour of the maple top.

We dragged them inside to take pictures and they were posted straight away.

I had more kitchen parts to paint and drawer fronts to assemble whilst Kelli finally raked the dead leaves fro the wild flower patch at the front, she also planted seeds, so heaven knows what will come up in the next few weeks.

On the way to the supermarket we picked up a long dresser from some Hope College students, it was the kind we’ve had before, but this had seen a bit of action with a cracked top and damaged side panels. We discovered once we got home that one of the drawer fronts had been glued in place with no drawer behind, so a bit more work that we planned.

23rd April 2023

We finally sold the mid century style dresser.

A guy turned up, loved the piece and bought it.

That was a good start to the day, the night was not perfect, but better than most.

There was plans to have dinner at Kelli’s mothers with the whole family in attendance, a rare and somewhat daunting prospect.

Kelli prepare our unique and healthy meal, and I was looking forward to that. Sometimes it’s difficult to enjoy our meal when the smell of meat juices are wafting around. There is nothing more seductive than the smell of burgers on an open grill as it drifts across the fence towards my nostrils.

Messages were going back and forth, always a dangerous sign, and the more that are received the less likely the family dinner will take place, and sure enough a decree was issued cancelling the event. The one positive thing that came out of it was I didn’t have to change my clothes, I could finish the day in my slob outfit, the one covered in dust.

I continued to work on the drawer fronts, assembling the corner unit doors and painting a load of wood parts.

It was another fresh day, back to coats and scarves, the rest of the week is similar, maybe rising ten degrees, but still not shorts weather,

22nd April 2023

The modified dining table was picked up this afternoon, the customers liked it, even though, to me, they looked like hoofs.

Boy was I glad to see the back of that bugger.

I finished assembling the first set of drawer fronts, started painting more.

It was another cold day, threatening to rain at any moment. It was like someone was looking down and as soon as we moved things outside, the rain would start. It was so annoying.

The turkeys were out in force this morning, strutting their stuff like they own the place.