In addition to having our entire kitchen piled in the dining room…

  …And to having the bathroom scattered about the guest room…

  …As of today, we no longer have a driveway.

  Our kitchen is looking great, you understand, except for the little detail of not having a counter or sink or plumbing of any kind. Which means that while we can technically cook, we more or less can’t wash a dish or a pot, unless it will fit in the bathroom sink. To make a cup of tea, it’s necessary to walk into the dining room, find the tea (card table in the corner), find a mug (dining room table, right side), and a spoon (dining room table, left corner). Carry those to the kitchen, put them–for lack of a better place–on the stove. Take the kettle, carry it to the bathroom, fill with water. The next bit, of course, is actually normal–stove, boil, pour–then find the sugar (kitchen table) and the cream (unbelievably in its usual spot in the fridge). Stir, then carry the spoon to the bathroom to rinse it off. You know, I really hadn’t appreciated how nice it was having everything for tea within a three-step distance, with only the refrigerator a couple extra steps!

We’re going to make a pot roast for Sunday dinner, though–in a foil bag in the oven. Baked potatoes. Mom and I figure we can handle washing three real dishes and sets of flatware (as opposed to the disposable stuff) instead of going out to eat–again! After a vacation’s worth of meals taken either in the car or out of styrofoam with plastic silverware, the idea of eating off of real dishes at the kitchen table almost makes me giddy!

So, let’s recap, shall we? Kitchen in chaos. Bathroom in chaos. Now, the driveway in chaos. This week, we’ll also be getting a watering system installed for the lawn–so that will be a mess. Our annual air-conditioning service is this week. I have to go to the dentist on Thursday for a temporary crown. And, oh yes, I consider myself lucky to be able to post tonight at all–while they were tearing up the driveway this morning, the pavers hit the cable–losing us both television and internet connections. (It wasn’t their fault–the cable WAS marked and they were being careful, but the cable was actually so close to the surface, there was no way they could have avoided it.) Mom and I were out, and the paving company called Optimum Cable for us, and it was repaired this afternoon–whew! With all the rest of everything in such a mess–a stressful situation for a household that’s usually so calm, quiet, organized, and neat!–if I couldn’t have gotten on to check my e-mail too . . . well, that would have been the end!

Ah well, you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs . . . or a working kitchen!

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Breaking Eggs //