Late February - Kitchens & Moving!

Lots of progress!  Our permanent furnace was installed and ducts cleaned.  Floors are finished and kitchen cupboards installed.  The stairs were just finished the afternoon before the movers were scheduled.  I laid paper and cardboard on all the hardwood floors for protection. 

 

 

We spent Valentine’s Day moving, before our traditional dinner at Harvey’s.  The movers we used last spring were excellent so got them again – their slogan is “Sober Movers”! 

 

 

 

Judy got to the cottage at 8:00 am to meet the POD being delivered while we waited at the condo.  There were a few big things from the condo that got loaded up – the TV, my china cabinet, Ibby’s pinball machine – things we just didn't want in either a POD or an unheated storage locker.  Then we stopped by the storage locker for a few more larger pieces.  Once at the cottage the guys brought our appliances up from the basement, the truck was unloaded then the POD unloaded.  We forgot what some of our furniture looked like!  All the furniture was placed in the middle of each room until the trimwork and painting is done. 

 

 

But we do have an operational beer fridge now! 

No more snowbanks for us… 

 

 

Down here at the condo we were able to turn the couch around and have a smaller TV by a support post.  So it means we are now facing the lake and finally enjoying the view!  Still boxes here that won’t go until we have furniture in place at the cottage and can unpack them.

 

This past week Tony was working on the bathroom and shower stall while Stephen continued on with the trimwork.  And I cleaned and cleaned!  Want window ledges and baseboards to be as clean and dust-free as possible before the painters came.  Bill measured for the outside deck railing, only to discover that we needed a couple of extra parts, which of course are special order because of the colour we chose.  Then we will still need some welding done before that can be installed.

 

Cousin David helped Ibby move a couple of mattresses that ended up at the wrong house.  Ibby & I made many trips back & forth from one of the storage lockers which was emptied totally and turned back in.  We had that 2^nd small locker with miscellaneous last-minute things including our water heater, woodstoves, couch cushions, and misc boxes.  It was 2/3 empty already, but I just wasn’t ready for the boxes until after the furniture was there, so chose to bring that misc stuff over myself.  We still have the bigger locker with holiday decorations and sewing things, but at least now we’ve freed up $400 every month between the POD and small locker rental.

 

The painters arrived this past Monday and are blitzing right on through.  Will be done this week, then the plan is to move our furniture into place and settle in a bit on the weekend.  Still to follow will be the countertops, sinks & toilets, shower door, stair railings, appliances to install, and a tiny bit of electrical to finish off.  All little bits that are pending and either out for quote or in the process of being manufactured.  Then once the dust is gone – if it ever is gone! – will have the old clawfoot bathtub reglazed and installed upstairs.  Stephen took extra care in building a window ledge in the bathroom wide enough to place my glass of wine on it! 

 

 

And this month Ibby has averaged 30 hours every week of overtime.  A big migration plus the usual support stuff.  He's exhausted, but a trooper and still moving stuff or whatever needs to be done.

 

Can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since we bought the condo and dove into this adventure!  We truly are on the home stretch.  Thanks for following along with us!

Late Jan / Early Feb --- Lighting & Flooring

Lighting went up the third week in January, and the house is slowly starting to feel like a home.  Tyler W. and Mike brought our hardwood floors here on a flatbed – all 87 boxes, carrying half up one flight of stairs to the main floor, and the other half up 2 flights to the bedrooms.  They got their workout!  After climatizing for a week, Bill and Dan started to lay the floors.  They are nearly done now, and just finishing off the stairs.  Looks great!  It’s certainly helping to see less and less plywood and more finished surfaces.

 

 

 

 

Ceramic tiles for the kitchen and bathrooms were also delivered, and Tony and crew are installing those.  We especially like the way the wood great room floors brings out the red tones in the slate-style kitchen floor – they blend really well.  Since I hate cleaning grout lines, the tiles have the skinniest grout lines humanly possible.  Let’s just say that Jaime’s aim leaves a little to be desired…

 

The doors and trim for the windows arrived early this morning.  Friend, neighbour & finish carpenter extraordinaire Stephen is tackling those right away.  Tomorrow the kitchen cabinets are delivered, and installed Thursday & Friday!  Countertops won’t come for a few weeks though.

 

 

As for me, still making constant phone calls and arrangements.  After buying grout at Home Depot at 9:30pm, I slept here last night in a sleeping bag on hardwood floors, waiting for the door delivery today.  Sandra Dee picked up the dining room table top to have that refinished.  Ibby spent a long Saturday afternoon putting together our Ikea shelves for the basement storage area.  It’s been so great to get stuff off the floor – things like the infamous doorknobs, faucets, and other assorted bits yet to be installed.  Have also started to bring up daily carloads of awkward stuff that had been stored in the condo, so we’re slowly starting to see the floor there again!  But here I’ve been covering my beautiful hardwood floors with rolls of kraft paper for protection.  And we’ve got movers booked for February 14 – Happy Valentines Day!  Not exactly how we wanted to spend Valentines, but what can you do.

 

Jaime also moved houses the 3^rd weekend in January.  Still with the same organization, but their lease expired on the old house.  They now have a long-term lease on the new place which is good.  Still a convenient location to both the condo & cottage.  I spent a lot of time with him that weekend, both helping him get his room settled, bed made and dressers unpacked, as well as taking him off their hands during the big furniture move.  I’m sure he was anxious prior to the move but couldn’t express it.  After all, the last time he moved EVERYTHING in his life changed, so I’m sure that’s what he expected.  But he still has the same housemates, staff, school, etc – the only thing different is where he lays his head at night.  We made a big deal of it and got him an Avengers poster for his room, as well as a headboard and a really cool beanbag lounger chair.  In the end he was fine as soon as the TV was hooked up!

 

UPDATE:  The above was written earlier and is just being posted now.  Kitchen & floors are now complete and we’ve moved.  Pics and text to follow soon!