In which our heroes go to IKEA.

Kevin and I went down to New Haven today to IKEA. First, we met up with Dave and had subs from Vito's. I hadn't been there in at least four years, and the second I stepped inside, Joanne behind the counter lit up. "Ahhhhh!!!! How've you been? Roasted pepper and provolone, am I right?" She is a miracle. And the sub...mmmmm...deliciousness.

So we got desks and whatnot - and then drove home in the rain. (A trip to IKEA isn't a trip to IKEA unless it either a) necessitates ANOTHER trip, to get the missing piece or return the extra thingey or b) it's pounding rain.)

Here's some of the whatnot.

When we got back, all was tidy, tidy, tidy. I believe that all the basic carpentry -- all the need for using the space as a workshop to cut, sand, or stain wood -- is at an end. Or so we think. Actually, I can imagine the need to cut some boards to fit into the wall-o'-books. Be that as it may, the place is looking rather inhabitable.

A view from the stairs. The framing is finally up around the door, and in between all the windows.

A view of the upstairs.

In fact, newsflash, I'm actually in the office right now. This is my view of me creating this blog post. I'm sitting where my desk will be, with my back against the wall. Kevin's going back and forth, transferring books and files to his corner.

All this tidiness comes at the expense of the closet under the stairs.

"Shhhhh, don't look."

Here's my inner list-maker:

1. Bannister for the stairs. Last I heard, the pipe was being made and/or cut. To jog your memory, it will be black pipes for the posts, horizontal cables instead of balusters, and a birch railing.

2. Tyler, the countertop guy, is coming on Monday. VICTORY! This means that the tiling can happen next week, providing Alan hasn't wandered off on someone else's job, heaven forfend.

3. Brad (the concrete guy) needs to conclude his ongoing fist-fight with the purveyors of concrete stain for the floor of the sun space. Whereupon the final bits of trim in that space can go in, and the transition from the living room floor to the sun space floor can be finalized.

4. Wall-o'-books in the stairwell.

5. Install rest of bathroom stuff - toilet, a lighting fixture that hasn't arrived yet, get the plumbing actually working. Oh, and install a wall sconce in the upstairs hallway that likewise ain't here yet.

6. Some kind of framing around the gaping maw - a raggedy hole in cinderblock - between the existing basement and the addition's crawlspace.

7. Unrelated to the project, and hence in the "since you're here....", venting the drier to the outside world, instead of to just the space underneath the front room of the house (which doesn't sit over the basement.)

Kevin just can't wait to move in - can you tell? I'll bet if Jonathan could see this, he'd tear his hair out. "No! Wait! Not Yet! We still have to....." etc.