Almost there

...apart from moldings, baseboard, toekicks, paint and the left side Caesarstone panel for the island (once again the installer wasn't happy with the fabricator's work). It's frustrating that we still aren't done but at least we have a working kitchen for the first time in more than two months.


I was extremely excited to start cooking again, then I remembered that all the pans and utensils were boxed up in the garage and we had nothing in the pantry.



So I settled for shopping for supplies, opening those boxes and washing every pot in the giant Blanco sink. Very therapeutic it was, too!

Cat Assessed

... and found wanting.

We failed at putting up blinds, making the tree stand up, screwing the tree base to a plywood board and - spectacularly and devastatingly - I failed at overseeing the electricians' cable installation last week. We caught the damage today. I can't even speak about let alone post but let's leave at there is a huge hole in one wall and a white wire running down the side of the red-brown house. They will be back to make it right next week. (Promised). My Handyman would never have dreamt... and I miss him more than I can say.

Vanity countertop #2

The furniture maker had pre-selected another quartz sample for me, it's pretty close to the Caesarstone Copper Canyon: Camarthen Brown by Cambria but they don't have any in stock and it might take three weeks to get a piece unless they can find an offcut from somewhere. Choice #3 would be Silestone Mahogany, which is a little too terracotta or Kona Beige, which would mean going in a totally different direction. I've ordered the Cambria and asked them to rush it. Fingers crossed.
And on another tack, the landscaper informs me I have a break on the sprinkler line just where he's planting. That's the sprinkler line the guys fixed two weeks ago. It seems like everything that could go wrong is going wrong this week. I don't think I'm going to answer the phone or pick up anymore emails today because I can't cope with any more bad news at the moment.

Copper Canyon Shortage

Copper Canyon
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Apparently there has been a run on this particular Caesarstone in New york and the 3/4" is unavailable. I got a message on the answerphone to that effect on Friday. This is the top for the floating vanity that will go in the downstairs bath, As I had picked the mosaic tiles to match I am a little tigged, especially as they were supposed to install the vanity today.
I have a choice: go with 1.1/4" or choose something else. The deeper top will make the vessel sink too high, so I guess I'm off to choose something else. Rats.

Culture, cafes and work

Fine Arts Museum
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

This is Steven on vacation in unbelievably sunny Brussels (no rain for a month and temps in the high 70s and 80s) enjoying a drink on the terrace of the Fine Arts Museum cafe.
Minutes later his Treo crashed and died and he was phoneless for 24 hours until we got back to cold New York. The Treo was pronounced DOA by t-mobile so they lent him a regular phone until they can ship a new one from head office. The man is completely lost without continuous email access!

New profile photo

I haven't really calmed down enough about the Toto installation (or the shower base install* for that matter) to blog about it. At the moment I'm alternating between tears, swearing and sang froid, all the signs of grief, I have to note. I am too emotionally invested in this project.
But in the interest of looking at things in a more positive light I have changed the photo on my profile from the original photo I took of the back of the house on the day of the "walk through" April 2004, to one I took last year (2006) with the new paint and stain.

Just to remind myself that some contractors do a bang-on job, and that we have made at least one positive contribution to the renovation of our home.


*it looks like a Bugatti with a Trabi hubcap

Freakin' plumber

is making Jane freak out. This morning I went to take out the trash and I noticed that the Toto G-max fill valve was still in the Toto toilet box. Now that was surprising because the toilet had been flushed three times by the plumber before he left. I ran inside and opened up the tank and there was an ordinary Fieldmaster fill valve inside. Why? Why would anyone take a piece of equipment specifically designed to work with the toilet and replace it with some generic thing?
I rang Toto to see what would happen if we left the Fieldmaster in there and they said it would affect the fill rate and eventually the flow of the toilet. Great. I ordered the Toto is because the G-max has a great reputation and because all the plumbers like them. This plumber told me it was a "good" toilet. So once again why? I'll be asking him to explain and then install it as it was meant to be installed, but only when I've calmed down.