UMTravels

This is beginning to feel like a full time job. Out of the house in the morning, work all day, collapse in the apartment in the evening falling asleep with the television going.

Today’s progress: the flooring is in the kitchen with only a few places buggered up that will require some putty. The base cabinet bank on the sink wall is in and waiting for counter tops, a sink, and a dishwasher, not in that order. The stove wall base cabinets are built, and a third of them are in — I have to build some bracing for them to be screwed to for the other two since it’s a deep counter because of the stove.

Today’s anti-progress: the counter tops. The black locust which is so beautiful and would have made stunning counter tops is too moist for central forced air heating. The 25″x30″ slab that Whitaker glued up bowed and started to crack within 24 hours of it being in the house. He figures my place has about 6% humidity, and the lowest he can get at his place is about 15% (wood heat). The lumber has been air drying for five years, but apparently it needs to be kiln dried (and Whitaker doesn’t have a kiln). Damn. Time to come up with plan B.

Lots of guests tromping through the house today — probably looking to see if there is going to be a guest room (the answer is: yes, a single bed/couch in the office). Lynne stopped by for a couple of glasses of wine, and then Curtis and Kevin stopped by with the key to the church (they forgot it when they were by Tuesday to drop off the BMW and a bunch of boxes from the island).

Dinner was a mishmash of sale items from the store downstairs — I must be serious about finishing this place if I’m not entertaining in the evenings!