My First Set-Back

(as a result of my limited internet access and laziness, this post was actually written about a week ago:)

So, I just realized that it's actually the second set-back of the remodeling experience if you count the A/C conking out on me last week. But today's drama was a disaster that was narrowly avoided…and it was ALL my Dad's fault!

Let me start at the beginning and give a little recap on the latest developments. As you know, we have been working in the kitchen installing some appliances and new counters. Of course we are doing things the 'McLarty' way which involves buying a product and then reinforcing and enhancing it before actually using it. In this case, I'm talking about the 10 or 20 extra wood blocks that my Dad screwed into the cabinets and walls before putting the counters on top of the cabinets.

Well, one of those screws happened to go right through the middle of a quarter-inch copper pipe that fed water to the ice-maker in the fridge!! No kidding…talk about wrong place, wrong time! But, he had NO clue at the time…the pipe was behind a metal plate which was under the sheet-rock which was behind the cabinet which was now behind an extra block of wood!

It was only a few hours later, as we were getting ready to install the dishwasher that he noticed a wet spot on the floor, seeping out from the corner of a cabinet. Locating the problem wasn't easy…I now have a hole cut in the side of a cabinet (you can't see it once the dishwasher is installed) and a hole in the wall (you can't see it either, now that the cabinet is back in place). But, the good news is…I DON'T have a hole in my pipe anymore!

Unfortunately, the work that ensued from the water leak put us slightly behind schedule and I now expect the kitchen to be finished on Sunday (not including the range). The master bath will also be completed tomorrow (no including the vanity top or shower). I'm so proud of how everything has turned out…I've taken photos the whole way through and the before-and-after shots are just stunning…this could be have been on Extreme Home Makeover:)!!

I must include a huge THANK YOU to my parents who have been amazing with their time and energy to help me make this dream a reality! The other day I realized that this is what I have dreamed about for a long time…every since I was a little girl. For some people, it's a 'big day', for others it's a world vacation…but I've always pictured how my own house would look. What I would do with the inside…What colors I would paint…Where I would hang things on the walls…How the plants would be arranged outside (Okay, so I'm not to the outside, yet!)...etc, etc.

My best friend, Beth, and her husband, Robert, are stopping by on Monday (9/7) for a visit! YEAH, my first 'visitors'! They are going to be driving from his parent's house on the West coast of FL to her parent's house on the East coast. I just happen to be right smack-dab in the middle, how convenient.

But, forgetting all the visitor excitement, I've got to get my house presentable! There are tools all over the place, dirt and construction dust in every room, and half of my furniture is still living in the garage! At least the Monday event has given me a deadline to have all the basics (like a couch and dining room table) in place…wish me luck!