Another update

As I lay here in my very comfortable bed typing this, I'm thrilled to write that the kitchen is now finished.  I can cook and find everything I need to prepare a meal. This is nothing short of a miracle for me.  It is a time I have long waited for.  

I am cooking in the kitchen.  I won't say I've been making gourmet meals, but the dinners have been much nicer when I have ample space to spread out on.  The problem though is after working in here, I can really see the major, and I mean major errors that company made.  The most important one to me is the 'natural stone' countertops that they didn't seal.  We have oil stains all over them.  Added to that, they are poured stone and so when I drop a knife, or a pan too hard, chips come flying off.  Our solution:  Epoxy!  Screw it.  The countertops I have now will last maybe 5 years at the outside.  With Epoxy we can keep them for perhaps 10.  Live and learn.

The other problem?  The floating cabinet is around 10 cm too low.  Every time I'm bent over and stand up, I bang my head.  It's a real pain.  One year I'll get used to it.  

The good news?  There are plenty of electrical outlets in the kitchen.  Albeit not in the position I want them in but there are plenty.  Sadly, the electrician didn't listen to me when I requested some usb-c outlets so I have to now have him return and install the original order.  Meh.  Living here has been a learning experience.

In other news, the pantry is now 90% finished.  I just have to frame out the refrigerator freezer and have Antonio install some floor level electrical outlets to run the floor cleaners and dehumidifier.  One more set of cabinets on top of the fridge, and I am completely finished.  

I wrote that 2 months ago and hadn't had time to finish.  So much has happened since then.  We have had guests come and go.  We have been to puzzle parties, we have hosted puzzle parties.  The world keeps moving and I don't have time to stop and enjoy it right now.

We attended IPP in Tokyo at the end of September.  DCD was the first Sunday in November.  AGPI was held in our home in October.  My months are as mixed up as my days.  

Once again I failed the Italian speaking test.  So I plug on at the University for 2 more months.  Today we are in Baden-Baden on our way home.  The drive from DCD to Panicale is 16 hours and I'm just not interested in taking it all in one day.

Sadly a friend who was visiting with us passed away. Thankfully the comune came to help and the process was much easier than I expected it would be. 

IPPXLIII planning is coming along smoothly and all invitations should be going out within the next week or so.  This too has taken up a great deal of my time these past few months. 

This morning I got terrible news. Our big beautiful home in Boca was destroyed this morning.  I'm not sure what will happen in that space now. Probably a large eyesore will go up but it's not my problem.  I don't live there.  It just makes me very sad to think that such a beautiful well built home has been destroyed.  I wish the new building nothing but happiness.  

As for that kitchen....I've contacted a new contractor to come fix the major problems.  Hopefully they will be able to have it done in the new year.  

Everyone cross their fingers for me.  I take the next speaking test on the 17th.  Third time's a charm?  Until then, send up a good word that I have time to blog a bit more frequently.

Moving along

This has been a very busy couple of weeks.  We returned from our short holiday On Saturday and spent the next two days cleaning and shifting boxes.

And now we have done it!  We are sleeping in our own bed for the first time in over 3 years!  It's amazing how wonderful a mattress can feel.  And to be honest, there is nothing like good sheets.  At the end of the day, it is a pleasure to sink into bed.  It really is the little things that matter the most. I wake up in the morning with no back pain and even my hips are not hurting as much.  And the room is just nice.  It's open and bright.  I loved our room in the castle.  Especially the view of the old church through the window, but this is ours.  We made it together.  George has installed a projector so we can watch our nightly movie in greater comfort.  I think he's in heaven now.

Yes, those are bananas hanging from the bedside. There is also a small refrigerator filled with my iced coffee and his orange juice.  The kitchen is 2 floors down and he's gotten used to breakfast in bed.  This makes it easier for me.  

Sadly, our Turkish sauna isn't finished yet because the man doing the pavers decided they didn't need to be sloped or installed properly so the floor cut our feet, and the water didn't drain.  We are now getting it redone using the same marble we have on the seat in there.  Sadly though, we have used all the existing Carrara marble in the local area and are waiting for a new batch to be brought in.  Until then, we shower in the room next door.  

Speaking of marble, we are doing a little upgrade to all of the windows.  Each of the sills here in the Palace are made of a local red stone that can never come clean and flakes if you put anything on it.  We have decided to cover them with the same marble used in the sauna.  A beautiful continuity throughout our home.  So far we have finished the kitchen and our bedroom suite.  I can't wait to get the other 30 (!wow! I just counted) windows done.  It will look beautiful. And yes, that is a monkey you see resting there.

The designer of the three rooms (I've mentioned how much I don't like his work in the past) has yet to send us the design for the steps to the bathroom so I've cancelled the order that was placed at least 6 months ago and am taking matters into my own hands.  We shall see how well my idea works.  Stay tuned.

The kitchen is finally unboxed.  Mostly.  I'm sure another box or two will show up as I can see I'm missing a few pans and quite a lot of cast iron.  For now, I can cook and am very happy.  At some point I will have to have a carpenter come in and do something with the heavy sliding doors that were installed.  If I can't move them at 50-something, how will I be able to move them at 80?  

Daniel did an amazing job on the pantry and I have almost finished moving everything over.  In another day or two I should be finished. Everything is labeled and I can see what we have.  No more wasting food because I had it in a cupboard down low that needed to have everything pulled out to see.

On Monday I got an itch and George and I installed "the flower" in the second floor entrance. It looks as though it were made purposefully for this spot.   Again we are very pleased.  The view at night is amazing.

The Puzzle Palace mosaic was installed by the masons who did the work in the kitchen.  Tell me why I don't like it....

And Tuesday morning I finally used the gym for the first time since we bought the castle in 2021.  I have great legs from walking all of the stairs, but not so much on the arms.  

Each day we do a little bit more.  The green room is almost finished.  The scaffolding has arrived and the Great Wall of China will soon be erected.  The billiards room is set up waiting for a table.  The breakfast bar is in place as is the wine and beer bar.  The rods have been purchased to install the Lovers in their new home. We've had a wonderful lunch in the biergarten

and have played a game or two of Eurorails on our game tables.  Our plan is to be done by October.  It looks like we just might be.

Small update on the new Puzzle Palace

 We are thrilled!  The first of the month Alex and Chris finished our puzzle bed and the built in furniture for the main room!  It looks amazing.  And yes, you heard that right.  It is a puzzle bed.  Even better, all of the furniture was made using reclaimed wood.  By that I mean, when the guys in Florida crated the puzzles, they used 2x4's and pressed wood.  We had so much of this left over, it has built 4 benches so far, 1 for the pantry, and 3 in George's workshops.  And now, our bedroom.  The bed itself is a take on the lost day puzzle.  Each of the 8 corner joints are an OCC burr.  It can be disassembled and put together elsewhere, but I have said many times, I am not moving again!  The built in cabinetry along the back wall use the same materials, but also some of the extra shelving for the faceplates of the drawers.  The bedside tables have puzzle opening drawers inside and are also made using 2x4's and shelving.  It truly is a wonderful job they did.  I am so happy that Chris was able to take my ideas from inside my head, add more to them and make them come to life.  He's very gifted.  And Alex was a wizard with that chisel.  

We can't thank them enough for the amazing work they did for us.  

I took the summer off from school as I mentioned in the last email and boy has it paid off.  Boxes are being unboxed, rooms are being completed. It's amazing how much happens quickly when I'm home and go on the rampage with the contractors.  We had a bit of a hick-up with the plumber installing a sink tap in the bidet and the designer ordering a pot filler with a 6 inch arm.  Apparently he doesn't understand the concept even though he drew it into the design.  I sent it back and ordered a new one to be installed by the 20th.  

Antonio and Claudio have completely installed the screens in the palace so there will (hopefully) be no mosquitoes getting in.  I am still waiting on some cabinets to cover up this god awful plastic orange exhaust pipe that no one wants to take credit for.  Daniel has almost finished my pantry shelving and countertop.  I think he only has the resin to do and that room will also be finished.  

Our good news!  We are moving in on the 20th come hell or high water.  We may have to shower in the room next door as the contractors have pushed the finish date back time and time again.  I think they realize this time I mean it.  I've terminated all additional work and will find new people to get the job done.  One and a half years is too long for a three room project!

We have received the Harold Razier collection and have distributed the boxes accordingly.  Next step is to open them and the rest of the boxes we have in the lower level of the Palace.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel as the saying goes.

Yes, we will be moving into a construction zone, but I will be able to cook in the kitchen I (mostly) designed and we will finally be able to sleep in our own bed.  I feel like I have been waiting for this day forever.  

The new marble sign has been delivered and we are waiting to install it.  

There was a guy who was supposed to do it for us, but we wanted him to gently chisel out the old piece rather than destroy the wall we just had finished.  Sadly, he commented that we had money enough to do it again so he would do as he wished.  Guess how long he remained on the property👿.  Sadly, one of our painters left in much the same manner after screwing up a wall and wanting to be compensated to redo it.  I don't suffer fools, and I don't throw money out the window (on anything but puzzles that is😂)  I'm sure we will find someone soon to finish the job.

George's workshops are finished!  He gave Hardy (Bambu A1Mini) to Stefano at the bar to use with his son; and Laurel (Hardy's partner) to our friend Rudolph who promptly ordered a larger version.  Have no fear, the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges are still in the workshop and printing as I sit here and type this.  

In the mean time, George and I have gone on another glamping trip.  This time to a naturalist camp along the west coast.  It is a beautiful area and just the kind of peace and quiet we need after these past few months.  

One thing about this kind of holiday:  There are bugs and birds and things that go bump in the night.  Here are just two examples of what I mean.  I spider that lives underground and centipedes!  EEK! 

The birds woke us up every morning and the bump in the night? Well according to the owner of the resort, it was a fox that hit the side of the tent.  

It truly was a wonderful week.  I was fortunate enough to get not one but two massages.  We swam a few times in the infinity pool here and the stars at night!  Amazing.  Sadly though, we didn't see the meteor shower.  

I have taken this time to catch up on my blog (obviously), and to do a bit of cataloguing of puzzles.  I have now completed our Berrocal list (348 puzzles, art, and books), the Hanayama cast puzzles (294), and the crystal puzzles (1198).  My next up is finishing the list of single player games (562) that I have purchased over the years.  One step at a time.  George continues to design puzzles in his sleep and then put them in his computer when he wakes up.  

This was a long overdue break.  I hadn't realized how tense I had gotten until I calmed down here.  Next week I promise to give an update on the work that has been completed so far.  While it may not seem like it, it really is a lot!