Tuesday, May 13:  First set of photos:  Kitchen Cabinets at Home Depot!

1.  On the shelf - base unit for kitchen sink

2.  On the shelf - 12" unit with three drawers

3.  On the shelf

4.  Model kitchen display (this is maple, not oak, but the same style - everything the same except the type of wood)

5.  Inside the display cabinets

6.  Inside the display cabinets

7.  Model kitchen display (same style, different wood)

   Wednesday, May 14:  The Demolition

1.  Looking out the front door & eagerly anticipating the day's work.  (Weather:  drizzly & cool.  Back:  viable.)

2.  Fridge corner; note the uneven floor.

3.  Bye Bye Cabinets!

4.  From the hallway.

5.  Out the front door II - what happened to the debris pile???

6.  Into the front closet!  WooHoo!!!

7.  Bye Bye Cabinets II.

8.  The demolition proceeds without major incident.

9.  Note the brilliant strategy for moving the countertop!

10.  From the dining room.

11.  Getting there.

12.  Really getting there!

13.  Wow!!!

14.  Unbelievable!!!

15.  Note the evened-out floor!

16.  Out the front door at the end of the day!

17.  Looking back into the house.

18.  Closet & bathroom detail.

19.  Wonder what's happening in the REST of the house?

20.  Not as messy as it might at first appear!

21.  Nope not nearly as messy!

22.  See how tidy?  And that's all for Wed May 14!!

Thursday, May 15:  Hauling Materials Home (no photos, sorry!)

Friday, May 16:  Day of the Cement Board

Step 1.  Open the door. 

Step 2.  Screw down all the plywood real good. 

Step 2A.  Don't forget to hammer!

Step 3.  Install cement board, take picture.  Try to include head.

Step 4.  Take another picture just to be sure.

Step 5.  Keep going around the corner to the stove. 

Step 6.  Not shown here but somehow get the cement board under the fridge & stove.

Helpful Hint No. 1:  Always wear black when working with mortar so every little splotch really shows up well on camera!

Step 7.  Tape the seams.

Helpful Hint No. 2:  Try to set the camera so it doesn't crop off your head!

Step 8.  Stand back and admire the fine work you've done!

Helpful Hint No. 3:  Admire your craftsmanship from every possible angle!

Home of Mr. Stove & Mr. Fridge.

Bug's eye view.

Bug's eye view into the closet.

Bug's eye view toward the trash can.

Bug's eye view out the front door.

Bug's eye view of Mr. Stove & Mr. Fridge.

Step 9.  Close the door & call it a day!    Note: Cement Board Day does not have a reputation as an especially sexy day.  So you should try to remember the Freemasons' slogan:   "Fuck up the cement board, fuck up the job."   Maybe the next day will have a little more pizzazz!

Saturday, May 17:  Tiling Day I:  The Part People Will See

Note:   Because of the immense technical challenges inherent in tiling this particular space, the tile installation is expected to take two days - Day I for the part you'll be walking on & Day II for the part where the Cabinet & Dishwasher & Stove & Fridge Families live.  Then if all goes according to The Plan:  on Monday grout; on Tuesday start installing new cabinets; on Wednesday finish installing cabinets, reinstall countertops & backsplashes, and hook up plumbing; on Thursday molding & caulking; on Friday finish up — just in time to start ripping out the carpet!  Yay!!!

A lovely May morning!  Wet-saw set up for its inaugural run!

Don't forget to sweep where you're going to put the tile!

Dry-fitting the tile.

Still dry-fitting.

It fits?!!

Actual tile installation.

Half the front entryway done; should we call it a day?

Nah!

In technical terms, a walk plank.

Careful don't fall!

Yoga break!

Mud !    ♪ ♫     mud mud ♪  mud mud!    ♪ ♫     mud mud ♪ mud mud!    ♪ ♫     mud mud ♪ mud mud!    ♪ ♫   

Working my way into a corner or out of one.

Hold the tile down gently in case it wants to fly away.

Don't forget to mix more mud!

Don't forget to take another picture mixing mud!

Hallway-bathroom interface (within tolerance of 0.035").

Universal solution to the uneven floor problem.

Bye bye walk plank!

Don't forget to close the door!

Craftsmanship-admiration phase.

Remember:  Take photos from every possible angle!

Most human mortals would've missed this closet detail.

Just in case you missed it the third time.  And that's all for Tiling Day I!

Sunday, May 18:  Tiling Day II:  The Part Mostly Behind & Under Stuff

Step 1.  Pull out the little spacer thingies.

Step 1a.  Don't forget to put the little spacer thingies in the little plastic bag for next time!

Step 2.  Move Mr. Fridge & Mr. Stove.  Don't forget the plywood!

Step 3.  Get behind Mssrs. Fridge & Stove & take a picture.

Step 4.  Cut tile.

Step 4a.  Move camera so shadows don't mess up the picture.  (A lovely day here in SE Lower Michigan!  Temp maybe in the high 50s, breezy & partly cloudy, lots of seeds getting blown around, weeds growing like . . . weeds.)

Step 5.  Dry-fit tile.

Step 5A.  Snap second picture of dry-fit tile.

Step 6.  Actually install tile.

Step 7.  Step back and admire the fine job you've done!

Step 8.  Clean out the next spot!

Step 9.  Dry-fit tile again!

Helpful Hint 1:  Use tile scraps for under where cabinets will go.

Helpful Hint 2:  Take pictures from every possible angle!

Step 10.  Actually install tile.

Step 10, Substep 14a.  Glop mud onto cement board.

Step 10, Substep 14b.  Spread mud on cement board like butter on toast.

Wow!

Stupendous!

Extraordinary beyond actual measure!

Note the teensy-weensy scrap pile!

Plenty of room for all the debris!

Step 11.  Don't forget to clean yourself up!

Step 12.  Take a nap.

Step 13.  Get up & have yourself a well-earned cup of coffee!

Monday, May 19:  Grouting Day.

Another lovely spring day in Ann Arbor!

Step 1.  Gather together grouting materials.

Step 2.  Gather together grouting tools.

Still in Steps 1 & 2.

Pour dry grout into bucket with special liquid grout mix already in it!

Mix grout.

To the consistency of toothpaste.  Mmmmm!!!

Special Grout Mixture Label says let it sit for 10 minutes — so time to go visit the Bleeding Hearts!

Take a moment to smell the lilacs!

How's that grout doing?

Could probably use some more mixing up.

Actual application of grout.

Actually applied.

Looking good!

Big little space!

A familiar angle by now!

Clean-Up Phase I of MCXI.

Getting there.

Peeking!

To Home Depot!

Onto the car like magic!

Safely home!

♪ ♫     Ta dah!    ♪ ♫     

Welcome!

Remember, from every possible angle!

Sort of rotated I guess; anyway the closet.

The new kitchen sink & coffee center.

Now it's starting to look nice!

Oh yeah!

♪ ♫     Ta dah!    ♪ ♫     ♪ ♫     Ta dah!    ♪ ♫     ♪ ♫     Ta dah!    ♪ ♫     

Sort of like that.

Well whaddya think???

The backside; on the far left is the opening for the little door, which is less than 12" wide, more like 10" depending on where things end up.

Another angle of the far rear corner.

Base cabinet tomorrow!

Yet another angle!  And that's all for Grouting Day!

Tuesday, May 20.  Base Cabinet Day.

Step 1.  Pick up base cabinet.

Have kind stranger snap photo.

Home!

Down!

Unwrapped!

Measured!

Cut!

Installed!

Precision cuts!  The end!  (A short day, a rest day!)  (Photos seem grainier, not as sharp, though the settings seem to be the same . . . weird - I cleaned the lens maybe that'll help.)  Tomorrow:  begin real cabinet installation!

Brett watching the Pistons game in the garage with his new giant remote.

Brett & Abbie watching the Pistons game in the garage with Brett's new giant remote.

Brett at peace.

p. 2

L  to pAGE 2 !