Catching up on a few things

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've bothered to post; there's not a lot to write about right now--not that I'm willing to put out in a public forum anyway!

As you can see from the two snapshots above, we've had a good wallop of winter weather. First with snow and bitter temps, windchills in the minus 20s Celsius (I know, I know, it's been colder in other more westerly provinces!). Then with rain and freezing rain and more rain.

So it's been messy, grey, gloomy, dreary, and dismal, and I'm feeling the effects of almost zero sunshine since what, October? Early November? On the plus side, we're on the right side of the winter Solstice and the daylight is increasing. Thank goodness!

I have not been idle, though. I'm now booked for a trip west in early April to visit my dad. His wife will be away at that time, on vacation overseas with her sister. Apparently she had suggested (to Dad) that I come out and keep him company. So I will go for a week and we'll muddle along with the cooking, as neither of us does that. As an aside, it will the circle of life--I had been out for Dad's 60th birthday, and now I will be out there for my own 60th birthday.

I'm also in the process of getting e$timate$ for a full kitchen reno, which desperately needs to be done.

There is nothing salvageable in that space, original to the building (so almost 40 years old, in deplorable condition, and missing the cupboard doors for about 20 years), other than the fridge and stove, which I bought in May 2022.

I have received really nice designs from a couple of companies and have an appointment tomorrow afternoon at a third one, as his "design" was a rough sketch on graph paper and does not give me a sense of what the cabinets would like, etc. 

I'm pretty clear in what I want: cupboards to the ceiling (including trim along the top), white shaker style, minimal design, modern brushed nickel hardware, a drop-mount sink, quartz countertop, cabinet fittings that allow for easy access, and a drawer unit (with pull-outs) to replace the rough-made cabinet in the "island" (visible below). That overhead cabinet above the "island", also roughly cobbled together by the handyman who was doing the work on the unit when I bought it almost 24 years ago, will be removed and will not be replaced. It's actually a hazard, I've almost taken out my eye numerous times on its sharp corners.

The flooring will be redone as well, though perhaps not at the same time, I'll see. Whatever I do for that (it's just vinyl sheeting right now) will also be done in the entryway. I'm thinking along the lines of luxury vinyl, but I don't know if the weight of the fridge (which I regularly move out to clean behind) would damage it. It certainly has damaged the vinyl sheeting. I don't want anything I have to regrout or that will be slippery underfoot.

I've learned a few things along the way, such as if you want a drop-mount sink, you have to go for a stone counter, you can't actually do that with laminate. Also, I will have to go for a single sink, not a double one (as I currently have), because the space is too small to get a lower corner cabinet unit in otherwise. (Right now the under sink cabinet has a lot of wasted space because I can't access it at the back.) I don't mind going to a single sink; a 25-inch drop-in sink will actually give me, in theory, six inches of additional counterspace, given that the current double sink takes up 31 inches, measuring across. In a kitchen as tiny as mine (7x8), any additional counter space would be welcome.

I should add that I'll be choosing middle-of-the road products -- not low-end builder-grade, but not custom-made wood cabinets either (out of my budget). I'll be looking for good quality, durable products that will stand up to the heat and moisture of a kitchen, and to my own clumsiness. The designer from one of the companies, when I told her that, said she has something in mind, good quality MDF cabinets with painted doors (not plastic-wrapped, as the lower-end ones are, which can peel). So I'm sure I'll be able to find something that will work for both budget and quality.

I'm not looking forward to having to pack up every single decorative item on the main level, but because it's such a small, open space that will get completely filthy with the demo, everything has to go, including the curtains. I'm currently stocking up on drop cloths and have bought a few king-sized flat sheets from a local thrift store too, for the couch, dining table, and other large items that can't be removed.

I hope to decide on a company within the next few weeks, then refine what I want and go from there. I can't imagine this getting done until at least May, which is fine by me. I don't want to start anything in March, not before I head west, given that there will be delays and glitches with the reno along the way.

That's the "big" stuff going on, other than the complete sh*t show that is work. I will not discuss that in a public forum, however. Nothing to do with our unit, I mean the organization as a whole. Whooo boy. Let's just say that in my 23+ years there, this is the messiest, ugliest, biggest pile of doo-doo I have ever seen. And I've seen a lot of it there.

That's about it, I think, other than some discouraging knee issues (for a few months now) that I'm trying to resolve, so far without success. There has to be more to getting older than body parts hurting! LOL.

I hope everyone is well. I'm still reading blogs most days, though commenting is hit and miss. Take care and stay well and let's hope Spring comes early this year.