Our first full “Heck’s Kitchen” meal for dear friends. Tuna, salmon, and sea bass (in courses) with Randy’s famous kid-friendly Brussels sprouts, salad, and risotto. Southbrook Winery provided a lovely 2001 Pinot Noir and a 1999 Lailey Chardonnay. Randy made his famous (and exclusive!) maple sugar butter tart pie for dessert, and friends brought an incredible 1980-something white port to go with. It was an amazing meal with a great table of participants.

Tonight Randy is making his mustard-herb standing rib roast. I’m doing my twice-baked potatoes and Texas green beans (bacon, onion, garlic salt, splash of lemon juice).

Spring is trying very hard to peek through. It was supposed to be 12 degrees today but made it only to about 5. Still, the weather people keep saying that it’s going to be 15 and 17 next week (which is a little bit above normal)

Chevey was feeling a little overwhelmed today, and Randy thought he was sick. Frankly, Randy focuses a bit too much on . . . shall we say, “elimination” . . . as an indicator of health J

Chev seems fine tonight, and he’s purring up a storm, even for Rhys.

Remember when I called the City for a copy of the original builder’s permits and plans? Randy went to pick them up last week. First, they gave us the wrong plans – for a house a few doors down from ours. Then, when they did retrieve the plans associated with our house number, it’s a different house. Different layout, different size, different everything. (Library? What library?) Uh oh. I can think of a number of implications, but I’d rather not. None of them are good.

If you’ve been keeping up with Randy’s Current Status blog, you’re aware that we had an issue with the granite supplier. I think we were waiting for a big problem to occur, because we hadn’t really had one up to this point. Today was to be the big finish day, when the plumbing would be hooked up to the sinks and the dishwasher would finally be on-line. Not having the granite backsplash causes the tile to be delayed. Not having the main sink installed means that the plumbing can’t be completed, and there will be yet another day with no dishwasher. Yes. ANOTHER day with no dishwasher. Honestly, if I have to wash dishes by hand in the laundry room sink much longer, there’s gonna be trouble. Perhaps even some breaking of plates, with no happy dancing, nor “Opah!” involved. If they’re broken, they don’t have to be washed, right? In any case, we are both very surprised that we are having difficulty with this particular company. Of all of the parties involved in this renovation, they were the last people we expected to cause problems or do poor work.

Chevey is widening his scope a bit in the house, as we’ve been able to let him out more often while we’re there. There’s less danger and risk that he’ll get into something he can’t get out of, or that might hurt him, now that the countertops are in place and most of the chemicals and sharp objects are gone. He still loves plastic and has now decided that the bathtub in the master bathroom is his own personal giant water bowl. He’s now putting things he likes in there. I hope that next time he steals my earrings, he’ll continue to put them in his real water bowl or else they’ll likely go into the bathtub drain. Oh – and he is now running up to me to say hello when I come home, with the purr meter on high. So cute!

I can’t believe it has been so long since I’ve blogged. There’s just so much going on and, frankly, Randy has taken over most of the project management piece of this effort. I can give you my take on things, however. When have I ever been reticent about my opinions? Hmm? 😉

Randy has been managing the crew and participating in the work, as well. He has all the tools that they don’t have and in the one case where he didn’t, he found one online and went out and bought one. What on earth would these guys have done without him? I’ll tell you what they would have done – they would have had to stop and come back later/next day, and our project would be very late instead of ahead of schedule. In addition to helping in the kitchen, Randy has managed to put up wainscoting and paint the dining room. It looks amazing. Then, as well as painting and framing/installing the antique air return grates, he painted the floor heat registers the same antique bronze color. So he solved our unusual size grate problem! Our only other option was to pay a fortune for real salvaged antique grates and somehow change the size of the duct holes in the floors. He’s amazing. I think I should marry him.

So the new, reworked pantry didn’t show up today. It’s now scheduled for tomorrow morning. Also tomorrow, the guys will be finishing the work on the outside window casings and brickwork from the vent hood installation. The island will be positioned and the electrical installed. And best of all, the cabinet installer will finish up, with the crown moldings and pantry. He’ll need to carefully fine-tune the cabinet door adjustments. One of my pet peeves is inconsistent gaps between double doors and uneven door bottoms. He’ll need to drill the hardware holes, too.

After tomorrow, we wait. Literally. For the granite countertops to be ready. Installation is now scheduled for a week from Friday – and that signals the end of the reno. Woo hoo!!