house renovation, day 31: slowly making progress

Forgive me, friends, for I have sinned: it has been two weeks since my last home renovation update.  Things have moved really slowly during that time, but we're finally seeing signs of progress:   all of our documentation -- photographs, estimates, etc. -- have been turned into our insurance company, and so now we wait to hear if they're going to help us out at all.  But I finally insisted that regardless of the outcome, we can't continue to live like this, so we've started some actual movement with the renovation and repair.  Alleluia.

So!  Here's what's been done so far:

First, all the disgusting, rotting, mouldy sheetrock and insulation has been removed and replaced.

Next, most of the brick from our Great Fireplace Made of the Massive Wall of Painted Brick Intimidation  has been removed and/or covered up with drywall, and the ridiculous brick seat in front of it is gone.  ALLELUIA.

Next, that really annoying pass-through between our kitchen and family room has been taken down.  It will be replaced by an eat-in breakfast counter/table thing.

The room already looks so much more spacious.  Thank heavens.

And finally, because we are fancy,* our cabinets from our very exclusive Swedish cabinetmaker** have been put together.

I was able to get very personalized service from a really hot cabinet-putter-together guy.  He has this really thick English accent that's sometimes hard to understand, but I gather his name is Marcus.***  He did it all by himself, and he did a great job.  I know this is crazy, but I'm hoping he calls me, maybe.

So that's where we are.  This coming week, the plumbers come to tunnel under our house (!!) to fix the leak, and we're told it should take a solid week to get it fixed.  While that is happening, there's a rumour that our upper cabinets will be hung, but I think we'll have to officially dry out the slab for a couple of days after the leak is fixed before the lower cabinets are installed.  I'll have to double-check with the contractor.

As for our own status:  the dust and debris is starting to really get to us, but honestly, I'm dealing well with it, because we're actually finally seeing progress.  Hopefully next week, I'll be able to share some more signs that we're moving in the right direction.

And with that, I return you to your regularly scheduled Chookooloonks.

*  We're not fancy.

**  It's not exclusive.  It's IKEA.  I love me some IKEA.

***  For those of you who are new around these parts, Marcus is actually my husband.  He actually is both hot and has a sometimes-unintelligible British accent.  I've grown very  accustomed to it.

Song:  Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.  I am not a fan of this song, but good Lord, it's catchy.