Kitchen, Phase 1

Last weekend we started the kitchen, Ikea all the way. Our neighbor recieved and signed for the shipment so when we arrived those signature flat boxes were all stacked up in the middle of the living room. My Dad very generously came up to help with the installation, as I get increasingly useless the closer I get to my due date. I am, however, a master at reading Ikea directions, so I was able to help some. I also assembled the occasional drawer.

Here's dad with the drill gun, beginning cabinet #1.

Ben, with 3 assembled base cab's. He had the harder job of cutting the butcher block counter top to fit, as well as cutting the hole where the kitchen sink fits in. Our Ikea sink turned out to be too small so I made an emergency run to Home Depot, where I bought a sink whose hardware didn't fit our thick countertop, so we weren't able to finish the installation. We started feeling a bit dejected because we really wanted all this done, so that when I have this baby we can go there and actually use the kitchen and bath. No more camping with a newborn! Hopefully we have a few more weeks (please don't come early, little one...)

Relaxing after the workday, grilling up some corn and Lamb
that came from our local Farmer's Market.

It had been raining most of the day, and around 5pm this gorgeous rainbow emerged- a full bow from one end to the other, right there in our open sky. There was a faint double bow as well, which doesn't show up here. It was a magical sight.

Morning sun, stretching from one side of the
house to the other (granted it is not a far reach).

Ben will finish the kitchen this weekend. Hopefully there will be water in kitchen, bath, and laundry very soon (though it's still running a bit rusty colored...)

Bamboo Floor

Bringing us up to date! This previous weekend's project was the floor. Ben hasn't had any experience putting a hardwood floor in but we had heard it was pretty easy if you rent the air compressed nail gun. Originally we were going to put down nice plywood and paint it, but were encouraged by a couple people (Art, Marty) to go for a more professional look, and a bit of research showed that we could buy Bamboo for pretty cheap, so we decided to go for it. It's MUCH more chic!

First we nailed down roofing felt to minimize squeeking.

Ben begins- the first strips are "faced-nailed" straight through the top. It's very important to begin with a straight line, otherwise by the other side of the room you may get a totally wonky thing happening.

Friday I was helping Ben, but the first hit with the rented nailgun was a really loud ear-splitting noise and I felt the baby in my belly literally jump. I was out of there fast and wouldn't go back in the rest of the weekend when they were using it.

Saturday morning our friends Steve and Sibylle arrive to help. Thank god. The not-so-fab nailgun (Steve is using it below) does not sink the nails all the way into the wood as it should, so they have to hand sink each and every one them the rest of the way with a metal thing (nail set) - that's over 1500 nails hammered basically by hand. It was hot and brutal and frusterating but Steve kept Ben somewhat sane just being there working next to him. We are extremely grateful!! Still, Ben's hands and back are still bothering him several days later.

Meanwhile Sibylle and I have a much easier time doing much less- we do all the womanly things like going to the store, preparing food, doing dishes, relaxing by the pond, and making sure there are ice cold beers ready for when they quit.

Below Steve is hard at work laying floor in the bedroom.

They're getting there...

As an aside- our washer and dryer came and got hooked up. Not that we can use it yet with our dirty water, but whatever. Eventually we'll get to drag our city laundry up every weekend which totally beats going to the laundramat around the corner.

At the end of the day we all relax and BBQ up a nice meal.

The crew, with the (almost finished) floor. The rest will be done by hand this coming weekend. These guys really saved us last weekend.

Thanks guys.