Day 114

"The Story Continues..."

Yesterday -- the electric still hadn't been connected, the appliances weren't all installed, and the lady who thouroughly cleans the house when they're finished had a death in the family and wasn't available.  You know, after consulting with the builder, I scheduled two full weeks of vacation to MOVE INTO THE HOUSE.  Yes, the house, the one we were supposed to move into in late July, early August, mid August, by August 19th, by this weekend...by this weekend.  I have tried to be very patient.  'We're going to be in this house for many years, so what's a couple more weeks I tell myself.'  But it's difficult to be patient when I ordered furniture and schedule vacation and planned nothing else during vacation except getting the kids to school and KAG into his office and professorial duties at UTPA so that I could have the luxury of taking my time unpacking boxes, welcoming my favorite dishes and china to Texas, unpacking linens I haven't seen in 9 months, standing in awe and rediscovering favorite works of art as they are hung on new walls and take on new light.  The furniture arrived.  I told the first furniture people... thanks for letting me know the table is in, I'll have it delivered when the other furniture arrives.  The other furniture arrived; Bonnie (our saleswoman) called and I told her probably Friday, Saturday at the latest, but I'd call her and let her know.  'Hi, Bonnie.  I'll have to reschedule.'  One thing after another.  I expected delay, really, I did.  But so much...  especially when I continued to be reassured that it won't be but another 'day or two.'  I've stopped believing.  People keep calling -- "Are you in yet?"  "Hey, I'm still free this weekend if you need me to help you move in."  Thank you, friends.  We adore your support -- and we'd still like to take you up on your generous offer of help and trucks and food...but I don't know when.  So yesterday, I felt a bit... well, heartbroken I guess is the only way to describe it -- not quite as deep as despondent, not in a depressed way, but I feel like everything is in a slow-motion, I just can't get there -- it's a yearning sort of feel.  It's like the scene in Monty Python when he runs up the hill again, and again, and again, and again and can't get to the top, except...there's no silly drum roll and no laughter.  Ok...just a couple more days.  We'll still be in by the end of the month.

Then... the afternoon came around.  Could things get worse?  YES...  I called the builder to have him let me in to the house (the real locks on the door are in and I've not seen Brian since they've been put on) because GDG's new bed was being delivered and since it was coming from Nevada I couldn't put it on hold.  The builder arrives, we talk about the wine cooler -- it's in.  Good.  It just needs to be retiled. The plumber was just in hooking up the dishwasher.  Good.  The refrigerator.  They (carpenter, plumber, tile guy(?) and whomever else) were (supposed to be?) at the house to install refrigerator since they had to shave a little of the cabinet since it was such a tight fit.  Well, they did and the freezer STILL DOESN'T OPEN.  Well, it opens, but only at about a 45 degree angle.  45 degrees.  No pan of mini cream puffs on a sheet pan are going to slide into a freezer whose door only opens 45 degrees.  No big bag of ice (yes, there's an icemaker, but parties always require just a little more) is going to get through that space.  And 45 degrees renders the bottom drawer useless beyond what could be slid in and pulled out of a 1.5" gap.  They had worked on it... there wasn't much else they could do.  WHAT?!  Finally, the builder contemplated the freezer door and compared it to the refrigerator door (which opens just fine).  If we had had electricity a light bulb would have gone off.  Hmm.. freezer.. not.. usable.  Go figure.  Personally and quietly I contemplated another style... maybe go back to a model that's not side by side.  No, that wouldn't work, because even if it was only one door it still needed to open to the "problem side" otherwise the open door space would open to the hallway and not into the kitchen.  (That wasn't a clear explanation... bear with me... Different style just doesn't work.)  What to do?

Tear open the wall next to the refrigerator -- make the entry wall wider -- make a wider arch -- take out wall.  Take out wall.  Take out wall.  The concept still echoes in the chambers of my ears.  Take out the wall??  What other choice do we have?  The cabinets can't be moved -- that would mean tearing up literally thousands of dollars of work in cabinets and in tile.  Take out wall.

I didn't have the heart to ask "How much longer?"

(above) Kitchen prior to cabinet finish work -- but it shows the space at the door as it was yesterday.
(below) My quick rendering of what a wider arch would look like.

It will work...
But how long?  I only have so many days of vacation left.

Comments

[DAD]

WE LOVE YOU DENISE!!!!
You are being very brave and sensible about this whole thing. (Good upbringing, Mom's doing, maybe a little from me.)
Let's hope the builder is tearing out the wall as I write this.

[Denise]

Thanks, Dad -- I appreciate your support. It was great to call Mom last night and vent and then to talk to you this afternoon to tell you about what was happening. THANKS!

Everything ultimately worked out. Take a look at the new photos.