Kitchen Reface Project - Pandemonium Continues...

One Empty Cabinet!

I've decided to stop referring to this as Phase I. 'Cuz, let's face it, if I'm breaking this into Phases that would "imply" that there is some sort of "Order" to this whole project and - well, "Order" just ain't my forte!

I am an Organization-o-phobic! I need a Support Group, dammit!!!

Actually, I just went to PhobiaList.com trying to see if mine is a named condition, and, sadly - it's not!. Closest I could find was "Symmetrophobia - Fear of Symmetry!" (That ain't it. I didn't see anything for "Fear of DYMO Labels, either!")

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I emptied ONE cabinet yesterday. But it was a Hum-Dinger! It was the lower "blind-corner" cabinet. The one where you literally have to get down on your hands-and-knees with a flashlight and actually CLIMB INTO IT to get to the far back corner. That's where I kept my bakeware (and discovered a whole bunch of other sh*t I never knew we had!). I've added a whoooooooole lot to the "Donate" pile!!!

After completing the one cabinet (well, it's not completely-complete - I still need to scrape the rest of the @#$% Blue-Duck Contact-Paper off the bottom shelf), I bailed-out on the Kitchen Project for the day. Sharon (BFF since childhood), returned my "SOS" call. See, it's very rare to have Rog out of town on the weekend - and that's the only "free" time that Sharon ever has - so we never really get to have any Quality Girl-Time together. So she called me back and I begged her for ideas for "Things to Do" ("Just get me OUT OF THIS KITCHEN!!!"), She came through with flying colors! (I'll post about that separately, I think).

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I'm back in the kitchen today...

Right now, it's "B&B Time:" Break & Beverage. As of this moment, I now have... Let's see... Five (count 'em! Five!!) empty cupboards! The garage-pantry is stuffed to overflowing!!! Originally, I was all proud of the fact that I'd (ahem!) sorted and separated (but *didn't* alphabetize!) things by category, right? Electrics on the bottom. Canned goods above that: soups on the left, canned meat-like substances to the right of the soup, then veggies, then side-dish kinda canned-stuff (baked beans, chili, etc.)... Beverage-like substances were on the eye-level shelf (12-packs of soda, coffee, hot cocoa mix, powdered protein shakes). And "dry-goods" on the top shelf. (See?!! Heavy stuff on the bottom, lightweight stuff on top! Don't want Nancy pinned under a 7' cabinet when it topples over!)

Ohhhhh, I had such High Hopes!!! Especially at the beginning - when you could actually open the doors, look inside, and clearly identify what you were looking at!

But Noooooo! That's not how it's meant to be! I'm back to "shove it in any available open space" mode. Primarily because I have no choice! I've GOT to get the kitchen cabinets emptied out - and I realize (sadly) that I'm going to have to go through this exercise again - After the kitchen work is done.

Oh, yeah. And now that the garage pantry is full, I'm reduced to shoving sh*t in boxes. So far I'm doing "okay" with keeping stuff segregated properly. I've got one BIG box of Bakeware. Annnnnd (it was a challenge!) I was even able to tape it closed and have it retain it's rectangular shape (meaning I've gained another "horizontal surface" to pile sh*t on!!!). Ditto the "baking goods" (flour, sugar, cooking wines, vinegars, flavorings, little envelope/packets of sauces, etc.).

Like anyone cares about this stuff, right?!!! (Hey - there *might* be someone else out there who's going through a kitchen project themselves! Surely I can't be the ONLY one suffering!!!)

Anyway, the garage pantry is full; I have several boxes filled and - Aaack! - have run out of boxes!!! I sure hope I get some more Amazon shipments tomorrow! I actually do have one box left, but it's filled with Christmas Gifts ("Yes" she says in a sanctimonious tone "My Christmas Shopping is DONE!" "Nah-nee-Nah-nee-Nah-Nahhhhh!!!"). If I'm forced to use that box, I'll have to stop what I'm doing and start wrapping gifts instead (b/c - obviously - I can't have Rog see what I got him!)

Ohhhhh... And I have two HUGE piles in the garage (taking up about half the floor-space of a car!). One is designated: "Storage Locker" (that pile isn't all that big - thank goodness) and "Donate." The Donate pile is pretty big. Thankfully, this whole endeavor has put me solidly into a "GET RID OF IT" mindset (that happens VERRRRRY rarely!).

My New Manta: "F**k it! Chuck it!"

So I found a ginormous suitcase. It's actually a very nice bag and cost quite a bit, as I recall. It's one of those fold-out "suiter" kinda bags that sorta doubles as a garment bag. But the fact of the matter is, I HATE it and have only used it a couple of times (and it really doesn't hold all that much to tellya the truth). It's taking up Valuable Real Estate in the garage. So it's "History!"

And it's big enough for me to "hide" some of the pots/pans that (I hate to admit) probably have some "sentimental value" to Roger. He gets attached to some pretty weird things sometimes and - I mean no disrespect - but the mere fact that his mom gave them to him, 30+ years ago, is not sufficient reason to "keep them!" (Don't get me wrong, I, too, have more-than-my-share of "sentimental" and useless things as well - but I *can* let go!). I think his mom (bless her soul) would be glad to see this stuff go to folks who could actually USE them.

I figure, I've been living here since 2001. These pans have been stuffed in the far-back corner of the cabinet and have NEVER BEEN USED in all that time. We don't need 'em!!!

To be fair, there was ONE pan that he mentioned, specifically. An old Teflon pancake griddle (again, never been used in 7 yrs!). I did keep that. So there ya go!

(HA! Not to segue too far - but when I moved in, he did have a set of Teflon cookware, that his mom gave him 20+ yrs prior. When you'd cook with 'em, the non-stick coating would flake off into the food. I think I scrambled some eggs once, and we spent breakfast picking Teflon flakes out of our meal! Within a week, I'd gone out to K-Mart with mom. I bought a new set of cookware and told him "it was a gift from my mom!" I had a helluva time convincing him to "Let Go of the Cookware..." I did keep one of the lids from the original set - since it fit another pan I already had - so that's how we compromised!).

Anyhooooo... That's the Latest and Greatest from Kitchen Demo Land. I'd like to think that the "Worst" is behind me, but I doubt it! I still need to empty the DISH cabinet (dishes, coffee mugs and TONS of glasses). In fact, I think I may need to break-down and actually (GASP!) Buy a box or two that are intended for dishes/glassware... :::sigh:::

At least, at this point, I feel like I'm "Ahead of the Game" b/c the remodelers won't be here 'til the week of Dec 1. But you know how "Time Flies when you're Having Fun!" :::rolling eyes:::