When I moved to Maison Robaire 17 years ago tomorrow, I didn’t do anything to the kitchen but buy a refrigerator and paint the walls yellow. It was a dreadful old kitchen to begin with, and 17 years of my entertaining and neglect did nothing for it. At last, the time for a new kitchen, Howard Johnson’s at Versailles, has come. This autumn I expect to celebrate my birthday in it.
There’s nothing like beginning a project by spending a week on vacation. But when I returned yesterday afternoon from Provincetown, I knew that I would have to a) empty what little was left in the kitchen cabinets, b) clear out the few remaining items in the pantry, c) hook up the new mini-fridge in the dining room, d) empty out the large old fridge, and e) buy some three-prong industrial-strength extension cords for appliances. Getting started, I was glad I had done so much already! By 8:30 PM I had completed it all, leaving only two armchairs and a very large box of papers for the construction crew to tote down to the cellar.
Oddly, the most involved part of all this was setting up the new fridge. Naive little me thought all I’d have to do was take it out of the box and plug it in. Not so! First the blesséd door handles had to be attached, the tape and plastic had to be removed from interior shelves, and then it had to be plugged in for four hours before anything could get into it. Kneeling on the floor so long, for a moment I was stuck, unable to get myself standing. And I thought “This is what you get for joking the last 20 years that you’d inherit your father’s body. Ta-da!” #badlifechoices
Cleaning out the fridge involved finally tossing out the three bottles of sparkling apple cider people bring to my parties that doesn’t end up getting served somehow, and more than a few aging condiments. This standard-size fridge has been far too large for me as a Bachelor Living Alone; the new fridge is a narrow counter-depth model that will conserve space and energy more efficiently.
After a rough night, I was up at 5:45 this morning for coffee, and the contractor and crew arrived on time a whisper after 7 AM. By 9 AM demolition was well under way. I confined myself to the dining room to sort the mountains of kitchen clutter. So many things are changing now in how I live daily life. My mail has always gone in the mail slots in the kitchen; they aren’t there now, so where am I going to put my mail? Suddenly I have to move the drain rack out of the bathtub when I bathe, and put it back when I wash my hands - or dishes.
Two issues came up during the day: the insulation inside the exterior walls (an unexpected type), and the galaxy of pipes underneath where the sink had been (most no longer needed at all). When I was called back about 4:00 for an end-of-day meeting, the demolition was complete. Fabulous! The contractor told me three layers of flooring had been taken up: two lino (ugly from even before I moved in), and what they said was a very old and warped hardwood floor (which I rather wish they’d let me see). They are now going to need to get plywood sheets to put over the subflooring, over which the vinyl tile I already have will go.
Walking into that stripped-down room it felt both smaller and larger. I am sustained by my vision of what the new room will be, more wisely laid out, with more amenities in less space.
Tomorrow I think both the plumber and electrician are coming, and then there will be several days of inspections. All the new outlets will be at counter height, whether there’s a counter under it or not. And recessed lighting in the ceiling with a dimmer switch.
Stay tuned for more of the adventure!