... the friday file

frank zappa ~ (if you don't know who frank zappa is please take remedial steps to correct this by listening to an album entitled Sheik Yerbouti or at the very least google him - he was a most excellent musician/writer/lyricist/conductor/funny funny man) ~ had a song called the "dangerous kitchen" and it was going through my head as I awoke this morning. and then I walked into my kitchen and thought "Damn but I wish I had some freaking cupboards."

ah yes - you don't know about the money pit. I bought a condo 4 years ago. don't get me wrong - I love my house, my neighbours are great, I will live there till I can no longer haul my ass up 2 flights of stairs. HOWEVER, as my first home purchase I was perhaps a tad naive in thinking that my best laid plans would go ahead on schedule. it is in a heritage building - built in 1914 almost 1000 sq ft of maple floors and 10 ft ceilings and oak door frames, transom windows, and an original coal fireplace. The plan was to pull the conglomerate kitchen cupboards from circa 1914, 1950 and 1970ish out and install some beautiful custom cabinetry - with punched tin insets (done by me) .

ok, so I pulled out all the cupboards except the base for the sink. I painted the kitchen - well my friend Nathan did most of the work, I assisted. my beautiful shiny new stainless steel appliances glow against the arterial blood red walls, and my stainless steel IKEA shelving looks just fabulous. Then we had to replace the roof of the Condo - yes really - the whole fucking roof - and there went my reno budget plus+ for the next several years. new condo associations don't have prolific reserve funds.

I had already purchased the new sink - 1 1/2 bowls with the drainboard built in, it's sitting in my bedroom closet. I had the new taps I purchase in 2004 installed last fall - so at least I can get hot/cold/warm water from one spigot. The remaining IKEA shelving is in the store room. I have 2 - 4'x6'x12" steel shelves stacked one on the other, that I use for storage against one wall. There are 10-12 boxes of china, crystal, dishes and glassware still packed in boxes as I have nowhere to put it, and every time I do laundry and pass by the storage room it cries out to me.
but we do have a nice roof.

I want my kitchen done. I don't want there to be a gaping hole where the taps are because we had to take the original backsplash off to find out what kind of plumbing there was for the taps. I want my shiny new sink with drainboard. I want the extra counter space I planned for. I want to retile the floor so that the ghosts of renters past don't stare up at me when i survey the room. I want ready access to all those things that make cooking and entertaining such a joy. I am tired of seeing all the dishes and dry and canned goods sitting on those ugly steel shelves.

yeah I know - wah! boo hoo! my mistakes ... I should be thankful for what I have and so on. but I still want a real kitchen ...