Ko’s Kitchen Remodel: Pt 4 The Final Countdown

Well, Hello.

There I was, at my friend’s Summer Salad Dinner, asking her – no begging her – to do the dishes.  Please, Meg.  When this dinner is over, I’m doing your dishes.

And when I did (with Anjali‘s help) it felt almost as good as…no better than… (__nameyourfavoritethingonearthtodo__).

Turn Me On.

These past two weeks have been ones of extreme productivity.  Electrician’s installed new outlets.  Plumbers finished installing the new copper piping.

This Baby Runs Hot and Cold.

L&T Cabinets installed the cabinets.  The template for the Marble counters has been completed – now they’re fabricating them.  Drywall, check.  Patching, check.

The Parts. Minus The Pepsi Can.

Yet, extreme productivity still does not mean “DONE.”  To finish the job, we still have the Counter Top application; The Flooring (Tile turning to Concrete); Painting of the house; The Appliance Application; and The Electrical and hardware completion.  My heart’s beating faster as I write this.

We’re at about “70% Done” so eating out, an overstuffed gullet, a bulging waist line, and an un-bulging wallet is still a requisite.  When the kitchen is done,  there’s a 30-day Home-Cooked diet in the works.

Now for the serious bit.  In these 5 Kitchenless weeks, I’ve discovered that there’s a great deal of similarity between Breaking Up with a Significant Other and the demolition of ones Kitchen.  Disclaimer:  Please do not use this post as the jumping off point for considering a spousal breakup.  You may, however, wish to break up with your kitchen.  I fully support your decision.

Be back in action….soon.

**For ONE, Crutchless (lacking boyfriend or burner), basic truths tend to reveal themselves, sometime with shocking results.  I’ve learned how much I depend on my kitchen for my solace.  That I love to entertain – and revel in opportunities to cook for and with others.  The smile on someone’s face when they bite into homemade Braised Lamb Ravioli or lick Thyme Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is something I take great happiness in.  Momma wants to make sure you eat.  And now Momma’s itching to do it again.

Remember Me?

Looking Better Everyday

**For Two, Learnings.  Appreciate the former for what it was and take these truths to your next experience.  If you’re not happy, there’s probably a good reason for it.  Trust your instinct.  In this case, the former kitchen’s cabinets floated above the island and blocked out the LA Night Skyline.  The view is now stunning.  The cabinets were inefficient.  Now, I have fewer cabinets, but in actuality, more space!  The Viking Stove I installed a year ago was too deep and I could not open the dishwasher without first opening the stove.   Problem Solved.

Efficient Use of Space

**For Three, Work.  Work on yourself and toward “something better.”  It will be painful, frustrating, hair-pulling at times, but at the end it will be worth it.

“The Next One”

**For Four, Hope.  The hope that “the next one” will share the right mix of values, ideologies, and support.  With the knowledge that compromise is inevitable, but that these compromises still generate a great deal of growth and admiration.

Currently, the kitchen and I are flirting…but it’s looking promising.  I have hope that we’ll be going steady by the end of Summer.