Another Step Up From Camping Out

This weekend was our first "normal" weekend trip since Labor Day.  There was only one oddity and that was that we had to drive two vehicles up since we had kept the Jeep in the Valley after using it to tow the trailer. It gave us the ability to bring up our bikes and a computer chair we got for free (found it on the side of the road - just needed a small fix and it works wonderfully).  Laurie did not like this trip as she had to drive and she has trouble driving in the dark. esp. on winding roads.

Brought our bikes hoping we will use them more here

After having breakfast at Tiny's (since the kitchen was still torn up and the 260 cafe is still closed), we went to Home Depot to pick up the rest of the stuff that was on our bid from June.  They have been calling us every few weeks about this, but we had no place to store it while the taping/texturing took place.  Now we have some room so we decided to get the remaining items.  The hardest part of the pick up was hauling the twenty 12' 2x6 boards that we will use for the front deck.  Using the bike rack that fits in the hitch, I was able to put down some boards that gave me a 10' bed in the Jeep and it worked very well.  Now we have even more stuff stored in our great room and den.

2x6 planks to replace the plywood on the front deck

The rest of our bid order, minus some things we returned

In the afternoon I started finishing up our master bathroom setup.  We had brought in the vanity and top, but did not have time to install the sink fixtures and I am glad I did not because, in the meantime, we decided to go with chrome fixtures instead of the brushed nickel we had previously purchased.  After two extra trips to Home Depot, I was able to complete the sink setup, install a new curved dual shower rod, install a toilet paper holder and put up the cabinet/towel holder we had in there before.  We no longer had to wash our hands in the tub and could take a shower again.  Just a couple of more items to install next weekend and it should be complete, though more painting is definitely in the bathroom's future as Laurie decided she wanted a darker color for the walls.

The completed vanity

A closer, brighter view

A better shot of the top, sink and new fixtures

A new curved dual shower rod - one for towels, the other for curtain

Cabinet/towel bar back in its original place

A new light fixture and it is not from Restore

While I worked on the bathroom, Laurie organized our kitchen.  We had taken all our dishes home the last time we were up so that we could wash them at home and get all the drywall dust off.  These had be put back in the cabinets and, of course, completely rearranged from the way it was before (I can't find anything now).  Now we had the ability to use the microwave and other appliances.

The new kitchen layout, similar to the old one

Shelving is rearranged, along with items on shelves and cabinet drawers

This is essentially the same except for inside cabinet and drawers

On Sunday we took the next step up in our kitchen facilities. When we first started our rebuild, we were doing dishes in the bathroom sink.  Then we brought up a camping sink table and could transfer hot water to the sink for washing.  Next I installed a faucet that used our kitchen plumbing so we could have water right at the camp sink, but we could not connect it to the drain, so all the water was emptied into a bucket and dumped into the bathtub.  On Sunday I installed a double sink with drain connections.  This will satisfy one of our permit final inspection requirements to have a kitchen sink.

We had found a cabinet and double sink basin at Restore in town about a month ago.  The cabinet was missing a door, but we liked the color and it was taller than the camp table or our bathroom cabinets.  I originally was going to cut a hole in some leftover plywood to use as a countertop, but we stopped at Restore on Saturday (looking for bathroom fixtures) and found a small piece of formica covered countertop that was the perfect size for our cabinet.  I cut a hole in the top to fit the sink and secured it to the cabinet.  I reused the old faucet and all the drain connections from the original kitchen setup that we had kept after the deconstruction (did not keep the sink as it was cast iron and very heavy).  It only took two more trips to Home Depot to get some fill-in pieces I needed and, just after lunchtime, we had a working kitchen sink with drain connections.  It is much easier to do dishes, but now I need to tell our son that he has been replaced.  When he stayed with us he was the designated bucket dumper and that is no longer necessary.  I guess we will have to find him a new job when he comes to visit.

All this from reused materials

It ain't pretty, but it works and much better than we had

The drain system we missed for so long

The afternoon was spent relaxing (trying not to work to the end of the day) and then we headed back to the Valley with just one vehicle.

Stats: 5 Home Depot trips; 1 Walmart trips
Remodeling expense 9/18-10/02: -$199
Remodeling expense to date: $32,093