And so it goes

So, it's nearly the end of summer and it’s time to review the list of things I planned to get done over the past few months but never even started. House painting? Check. Rewiring workshop? Check. Finish painting garage? Check. Repair east side bulkhead doors? Check.

None of it finished.

Flagstone patio? No, I failed there. That one I actually completed, though it took me about four times as long as my initial estimate. And I think we’ve used it once since I finished it. Oh well.

So, outside of work and taking care of an incredibly energetic 9-month-old, what have we been doing?

Kitchen planning.

That’s right, the kitchen is finally getting renovated. We’re just about to begin tearing out the old 1940’s goodness, but I’m already exhausted (and slightly overwhelmed) by the planning process. Who knew that planning the freakin’ renovation could be so grueling? I don’t think my wife would argue that I am the absolute king of underestimating what it’s going to take to get a project done (see flagstone patio above). We’ve spent more hours than I care to recall sitting around discussing cabinet finishes, countertops, color schemes, floors, and appliances. In the process we’ve managed to spend a boatload of cash, too, but that’s why God invented gin: to soften the blow of these types of situations.

The one unanticipated problem is the placement of the cooktop. To maximize counter space near the sink we opted to place the cooktop in an island/peninsula that will separate the dining area from the kitchen. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem is the vent hood. Not only are island vent hoods damn expensive, but there’s the problem of ductwork. With a wall vent, you typically don’t have far before you hit an exterior wall. With this, I have to span quite a distance before I reach an outer wall.

The other problem is that the vent hood that we ordered from Jenn-Air is coming, ohh, at some point in the next two months. That’s the best estimate we could get. Which most likely means it won’t arrive until after the cabinets and everything else has been installed. So, I have to somehow manage to either (a) run the duct without actually having the hood, or (b) avoid duct and just use a recirculating solution, sans ductwork. From what I’ve heard, option B is not the best bet, but it may be my only solution at this point.

But first, I have to tear everything out. Demolition officially started last evening, and I’m sure we’ll document the damage here. Stay tuned.