2010, a year that wasn't: "Into each life some rain must fall"

that's what she said

The words of Mr. Longfellow certainly ring true, as the harsh light of the changing season reveals that our renovation progress is at a near stand still (again). Lousy smarch weather aside, we've been on hiatus for over a year and it has been difficult to re-motivate lately as the snow is beginning to pile up again. Our last significant project was completed about mid December 2009 and we set down our tools and focused our efforts towards completing our plans for the eventual permitting and major construction of the second story addition and new kitchen. Spring 2010 we decided to save everything we could, nail down the construction bid set and get in and out of the DC permit office. but our focus on parsimony was immediatly undone as I took off for Montana and Alli left for the south of france to cook dinner for someone else in a Barn.

cherchez la fromage

We also had a lot of snow...

The snows were 1.5 turkish-units (TU) deep

...and generally used any excuse possible to keep from getting the house dirty again. All the lights work, all the pipes drain and - generally - everything functions like it should, the prospect of major construction on the horizon is a little exhausting but can be avoided no longer.

The major work ahead is to turn the current "kitchen" into an actual kitchen amidst a second floor addition - complicated and rather time sensitive work that we will be subcontracting. to review, here is the current kitchen featuring approximately 1 TU of counter space - two working burners, and 4 drawers of storage:

We've made this work for 4 years but we're ready to move on. The plans are in a constant state of negotiation and even today still bear the scars of repeated redesign effort:

this is a "construction document" and an exhibit for divorce proceedings

And we have begun to pull together some appliances - including this slightly overscaled refrigeration unit obtained via craigslisting. Weighing somewhere around 19 TU it was a miracle this thing fit through the door.

probably not in this case