Kitchen Refresh Project, Sunday - Day 3

Got up at 5:30 AM. Three hours before Home Depot opens. So, cleaned off the counters and stove in preparation for sanding the cabinet faces. Then I re-spackled the ceiling around the new attic stairs and few spots on the wall (especially where the phone used to be) I didn't like. Ran a load through the dishwasher. I had to throw away one of my dinner plates. Jake found it had a crack almost all the way through it yesterday.

No coffee today (pot's put away) and no shaving. Just showered and headed out. Left early enough to catch a quick breakfast (and coffee) at the Coney Island next to Home Depot before they opened. I spent another small fortune, mainly because I bought the new faucet I was going to put off until later. But, these things never seem to go on sale, and the Memorial Day weekend special 10% off made it worthwhile to get now.

Started by assembling the last five doors (yes, I know I said four, but there were actually five). Problem: a 5/8 inch brad is too small for my fat old farmer fingers. Tried holding it with needle nose pliers, no good. Finally found the end of my wire strippers would work. Really miss that air gun. I think it took as long to assemble these five as the first 10.

Next I moved to the kitchen (after blowing all the saw dust and plaster dust out of the garage). I can't do ceiling or walls as the spackling compound I applied early this morning is still drying. So, I pulled out the stove and used the orbital sander to rough up the cabinet faces, sides, etc. Big, BIG mess, but necessary, I'm afraid. I tried to contain the dust with two vacuum cleaners. Next, I taped off the cabinets, in preparation of painting them.

It was almost 1:00 PM, and Jake and Carla said they would be coming over, but my back was killing me, so I thought laying down for a bit would alleviate the pain. I woke up to noises at 3:00 PM. It was Jake and Carla, sanding the cabinet doors (okay, I felt stupid). They'd already followed my lead and painted the cabinet faces with the tinted primer. So, we got another production line going. Jake sanded the doors, Carla used the vacuum cleaner to get off the dust and then wiped them with a sponge and I primed the back side.

Amusing anecdote: I was carrying one of the pantry doors (the biggest doors) from the kitchen to the drying room (downstairs) and slipped on the stairs. The door bobbled and got yellow paint on the walls and on my face! Jake got the paint off the walls, but for the rest of the day I was a pirate, the dreaded "Yellow Beard!"

We came to the place I feared, but knew would happen eventually. The spackling on the ceiling and walls was still damp, the backs of the cabinet doors were drying, so there was NOTHING to do for now. So, (I think gratefully) they went home.

I went back and washed the kitchen floor and counter, then took a shower (no more yellow beard). I am out of Copenhagen, so got dressed and headed to the corner gas station. Since I was out anyway, I stopped at KFC and got a bucket of chicken for dinner. Came home and ate some chicken, watching a rerun of Extreme Makeover.

Then, its 9:00 PM and it's back to work! Dug out Jake's old halogen work light and plugged it in. I sanded the (finally) dry spackling compound on the walls and ceiling. I vacuumed up the dust and then, I used primer on all the spackle spots.

Next, I cut in the ceiling. I am using this great ceiling paint I found when I did the living room. It goes on pink, but dries flat white. Why is that important? Because you can easily see spots you miss. I am following myself with the Swifter, wiping up drops before they dry.

Now its 11:20 PM and I am wimping out. I know I would be sooo much farther along if I took an hour or so and primed the fronts of the cabinet doors, but I am beat. What happened to the guy who used to pull all-nighters to get something done? Apparently, he got old...

I tried to wash all the paint off me, but not much luck. Gave up and went to bed.