24 March 2007

We have moved into the stage of finishing everything in the house that we possibly can by ourselves (no paid workers or services except for the woodshed roof which is already scheduled) . . . and this includes the plumbing!

So, here you see my determined husband last weekend hell-bent on installing and hooking up the kitchen sink - drain and all - for me in the last few hours before he leaves for a week! And, did he succeed? With only 45 minutes to spare before he had to leave for the 3-hour drive to the airport . . . YES! (Couldn't you all hear me hooting and hollering with delight!?)

And, as an aside, I must mention that plumbing ain't as simple as it used to be. Now that plumbers are using Pex tubing, you now have the added complication of connecting the Pex to your copper tubing or brass fittings. Once you have all the right connectors, it's fine, but proper planning in getting to that point is the (big) trick!

So, the results of my plumber husband's handiwork are that I have been basking in the luxury of a fully-functioning kitchen sink for over a week now! And, until you've lived without it, you can't fully appreciate what it's like to have it! I'd been without for over 6 months - with only a hose in the downstairs bathroom to serve as my running water and the toilet bowl to serve as my drain. Needless to say, the conveniences of running the cold water faucet for a glass of fresh-from-the-well water . . . rinsing out and refilling the ice cube tray . . . making (and rinsing) homemade cottage cheese . . . completely cleaning out the refrigerator for the first time since we've lived here . . . and the simple, glorious task of doing the dishes IN THE SINK . . . have been heaven-sent.

As I've said before and will say again, it's the little things (although this was a fairly big "little thing").