I recently heard someone describe himself as incapable of organising his way out of a paper bag. I, on the other hand, eat, breathe and sleep organisation. I would know the dimensions of that paper bag, what to do if it gets wet, and what colours I could paint it.
In the last two weeks I have managed the renovation of our kitchen. Of course the project really began two years ago, when we realised that our oven was just not working properly despite attempts to fix it. In addition it looked awful. Well, not to my taste anyway.
So after many Sundays discussing what we could do to revamp it without spending R100 000, we settled on a plan to change some sections, open the space up and splash out on a new gas hob and oven.
The timing was also key as, to add to my stress levels, we are hosting this year’s Family Christmas. Catering for 18 means that we need to fit a turkey, a gammon, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, Brussel sprouts and whatever else I may have forgotten into or onto the oven. One working plate that goes from zero to nuclear was NOT going to cut it.
So, with contractors interviewed and a final design approved it was time to start.
Step one was emptying the kitchen. And when all our stuff was piled high on the dining room table and on the floor under and around the table it highlighted how much, well, stuff, we have. I remembered this from when we last moved house three years ago and I vowed that “I will never move again, ever”, as there was a never ending pile of things to be moved. Sadly I have not culled the pile, rather it has grown. But I digress.
The plan was to remove the old stove and the cupboards around it, replace the light fittings, the cupboard handles, the sink and taps, install a new oven and extractor fan and some open, floating shelves. In essence this also meant losing some cupboards, so a forced cull of extraneous things had to happen. And all our “cool items” like the pasta machine and bamboo steamer basket would now be on display. And it is hoped more likely to be used more than once a year
Cue day one of the renovation.
I knew there would be mess and dust and some frayed nerves, but to my delight things ran relatively smoothly. The loud banging that accompanied the removal of tiles was challenging, as was the frustration of dealing with what I like to call ‘Builders Time’: the way that they arrive for work and then spend 30 minutes or so having breakfast, as opposed to getting on with the job.
I also had to bite my tongue a few times when all the work they did on Wednesday and all the work on Thursday could have been done in one day, meaning we would have finished a day earlier. And I could have moved back into the kitchen sooner. But I am so delighted with everything that it really didn’t matter.
Even power cuts and load shedding bother me less, as I can now use the gas hob to make dinner or boil water for a cup of tea. My new stove is wonderful and I think I’m a little in love.
I just wonder why I didn’t do this sooner. And, now that I know how relaxed I can be when faced with chaos all around me, I think I should start planning the next project.
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