Week 26

More big milestones this week. Getting closer to finishing!

But first, a picture from photojournalist AJ, of Amanda & me painting one of the kitchen walls last week:

Thank you for your contribution, AJ!

After painting all day Sunday last week, Amanda stayed overnight for slumber party fun times (which consisted of us all nodding off at 9:30) and to help with the painting happening on Labor Day. Unbeknownst to us, Pickles also brought home overnight guests that day: fleas. Then, on top of all of us getting chewed up the night before, the salad we ordered in with pizza for lunch on Monday wasn't...quite...right, & we all got belly aches. What a way to thank Amanda for giving up two days of her long weekend!!!

Anyway, back to Week 26. Two big things happened on Friday. First, the countertop was installed:

From another angle:

Inspector Pickles approves:

The counter is made from wood that was previously holding up the house. It makes for a very beautiful surface, with a lot of character. Here's a detail, showing one of the beetle-damaged pieces:

Here's a picture of the same piece of wood, from underneath:

Beautiful...when it's not holding up the house.

We also got a real doorknob and deadbolt on the back door:

Hooray!

Nothing happened on Saturday this week. Instead, the guys came on Sunday to install outlets and switches, and to retile the bathroom (it had not been done to Mr. Bunkport's satisfaction). Unfortunately, it ended up being unexpectedly loud, because they decided to rip everything out & move the tub valve. So now we're back to this:

Sorry neighbors!

Still, there is more good news. They vented the dryer:

Yes, that's right: for the first time in 26 weeks, we have laundry!!

We immediately did a load of stinky, flea-ridden dog bedding:

And then this happened:

Looks like a leaky drain hose. AJ, Mars master plumber, is going to pick up a new one tomorrow. Surely we will have laundry fully up & running by this time next week! It must be true!

Meanwhile, we do have outlets and light switches all complete in the kitchen.

Exciting outlet:

Breathtaking switches:

And the beginning of the outdoor light switches:

Mr. Bunkport & I also went over to a sort of junk yard for recycled building supplies to look for cool fixtures for the bathroom. We found this medicine cabinet for $10:

After Mr. Bunkport left, we moved the big blue chair temporarily in our storage/dining room  back where it belongs, in the sun room. The dining room is almost a dining room again!

It looks oddly under-furnished in there now. 

Pickles doesn't care. And she'll sit in that chair wherever she finds it:

We're both very busy at work right now, so losing our usual Sunday relaxation to construction was rough. But except for staining the counter, the windows, and the door, the kitchen is officially complete! We celebrated with a toast:

And we had our first dinner at the counter. 

Next up: staining the counter, completion of electrical & plumbing work, completion of the retiling, and beginning to move stored stuff out of our offices & back into the garage.