An update in pictures.

Hi, everyone.

I have been remiss! There is no reason, really, other than that sometimes I just don't want to 'do' things. Sometimes that just means things like cleaning the bathroom or washing the dishes, but other times it means things like writing on the blog.

However, a mood like that can't last long around here, so here is what we have been doing:

 NEW HOOLIGAN! Did you know you can get a low-flow toilet for $100? Out with the old hooligan (that was half green - never realized that before!) and in with the new one. Installing toilets isn't that hard, turns out. Why is it called the 'hooligan', you may be wondering? Well, I didn't take pictures of the 'bathroom' it's in - which doesn't have a door or working sink, and also functions as our winter shoe storage. But mostly it's the door thing.

 Jainin was here! We made her clean the stove - bad us! But then we also let her drink all the wine she wanted, so I guess it was a win-win. (Right, Jainin?)

 Down with the kitchen cupboards! They are still intact. Do you want them? They're pretty awesome, actually.

 So bare - looking more and more reno-y in here!

 You may notice that we now have a cardboard carpet. It is the latest thing, really. Mostly to protect the hardwood from all the abuse that is about to be rained down on it.

 This is the current view from the front door. Actually, since I took this picture yesterday it already looks different. You'll see why in a second.

 Jake tarped off the doorways into the living/dining room and started the horrible process of getting the vermiculite (insulation) out of the walls. It is nasty stuff, let me tell you. Actually, Jake should be the one to tell you, since he's the one who did it all.

 He even bashed down the brick fireplace. It'll be someone's lovely job on bash-n-crash day to take those bricks to the dumpster!

 Post-vermiculite removal. Now it's REALLY nasty in here. 80% of the main floor is no longer functional or livable.

Speaking of dumpsters, this renovation is brought to you by the AUTOBIN! We have filled that beasty up many times with things we probably shouldn't be putting in there. On the other hand, the city is taking them away soon, so we have to make sure we get all the use out of it we can. I don't know what this neighbourhood is going to do when the autobins are gone. They are what make renovations possible!

Jake is giving me the stink-eye for taking his picture post round 2 of vermiculite removal. Doesn't he realize, my job is to DOCUMENT!? He'll be thankful for this picture one day.

 And finally, the new kitchen! Not bad, eh? I kind of like it, actually. I've been checking out apartmenttherapy's 'small but cool' contest, and this space reminds me of that. Everything you need at your finger tips! It's like camping with a better set up and fridge! The only thing that will get really tricky is when the sink is gone. Jake promised me a while ago when I was freaking out that we would never have to go longer than 5 days without a sink of some kind, but I don't know how that will work. In any case, this back room is just delightful. 

Next week is the big destruction weekend. We are getting ready in a big way. Radiators have been drained (during which we learned a valuable lesson about gravity and water. Jake opened the valves on the downstairs radiators so the boiler could continue to drain, which was working like a charm till he also opened the valves on the upstairs radiators, thus sending water spewing out of the downstairs valves. Hilarious!), various areas have been tarped off to minimize dust (as much as you even can. That stuff gets EVERYWHERE.), and just now Jake has been working away at the counters/lower cabinets in the kitchen to see if the hardwood runs underneath it. If it does, we're going to steal it from there to patch some of the holes we'll be making.

Right on schedule! I wonder how much longer we'll be able to say that?