Countdown Begins

No, not the ball dropping -- the countdown until we disconnect the sink for several weeks.

As promised, here are a few shots of our latest parts of the project. First, installing drywall to the right of the range (see right). This was actually around 9:30pm the other night -- I figured since the dry wall was already about the right size, it wouldn't take much to get it in the wall. All things considered, dry walling isn't the most fun but it's sure not hard, especially when what you're doing will be concealed by an attractive backsplash. Our new drill made installation generally quite simple, especially once I figured out which settings gave the drill enough power to get through the drywall and plywood behind it without.

On the other side of the kitchen, we had pulled out the dishwasher, thinking that'd be the best way to access and inspect a couple things on that side. Fortunately, Jonathan realized we could do what we needed to with the small power screw driver and that I didn't need to cut a whole in the dry wall behind the dishwasher. Sadly, this realization didn't come about until after I'd pulled out the machine, disconnected the old copper water supply line, and decided that I didn't much like the look of it. We also realized that the old water damage we'd noticed when we moved in wasn't a sink leak but probably a dishwasher leak, given the damage that was hidden by the dishwasher. It's dry now and nothing to worry about, but was a fun archaeological project. Speaking of digs, we also realized our tile floor is laid directly over the old linoleum.

So, here I am trimming the next piece of dry wall... Our friendly dishwasher is keeping me company in the middle of the kitchen. Re-installation proved entertaining -- but that's a story to tell in person.

So, the place resembles a functioning kitchen again -- so much so, we had friends for dinner last night. I do love my particleboard counters.

Tomorrow we'll finally disconnect the faucet and remove the sink. I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to continue using the dishwasher, since I have a cap for the side of the hot water valve that connects to the faucet -- the real question is whether we'll be able to get the waste line to cooperate.

As we look back on our "Christmas Vacation" I think we're both pleased at our success. The kitchen really is ready for the arrival of the template-making people on Wednesday "between 8 and 10 am."