Procrastination.

One of the things I’ve been dealing a lot with as I go through this project is a certain degree of self doubt. It makes me constantly have to struggle to make myself begin each project. I debate whether or not I can do it...if I need to do it...how much am I willing to do...can I afford this...

Yesterday is a perfect example of what I’m talking about.

I’ve known since this whole project began that the kitchen sink was going to have to be replaced, it’s that 70’s green (with matching stove, vent hood, and floor) but the water here is terrible for all sorts of minerals that stain and leave huge deposits on things (you should see some of the Stalactites hanging from the shutoff valves in my basement) and the old faucet was a leaker so the sink was beyond cleaning and salvaging. For 6 months I’ve known it was coming and with the bathroom pretty much done I’ve started working on the kitchen. There were a few days this week I could have taken the sink out but didn’t. Yesterday after 3:00 when the house was empty and I could shut the water off was supposed to be my window of opportunity. But I sat around and procrastinated until almost 8:00 before finally getting up the gumption to just go shut the water and do it. It’s almost like I put my brain on auto-pilot once I make the decision and stand up to get started, that way I guess I shut off the Doubting Thomas voice (along with the rest) and just get rolling. Especially on a project like this because once you get started you really can’t stop until it’s done (gotta finish the plumbing before the water can be turned back on).
So with my brain shut off I went to the basement and turned off the water and headed upstairs. It took me until about 12:30 last night to get everything soldered together and pressure tested (turn the water back on and check for leaks) I actually did a little extra and made the small pieces to connect all the fittings I need together and soldered everything in place. The only solder connection left is the trap adapter I’m going to put on the drain line so that the next guy will have an easier time replacing things down the road. The chrome P-Trap that was in there was so brittle I could barely get a grip on it to pull it out (when I heated the solder holding it into the wall pipe) because it kept crumbling in my hand. With a trap adapter on the end of the pipe coming out of the wall you just have to un-screw the nut and you can remove the trap and replace it without ever having to light a torch.

Next thing I’ve been trying to find a way to not have to do is replace the countertop and backsplash. I’ll probably go up today and remove the countertop. It’s sooooo faded and there’s a piece broken off one of the corners...I could glue it back and you’d barely notice...but that’s one of those things where Dan is right...All New. With the amount of time I’ll be putting in here when all is said and done...why leave an ugly 30 year old counter top when I’m doing a new sink, new appliances and a new floor?
I went to the store yesterday morning to buy all the supplies I need to make a new countertop and do the backsplash...but I couldn’t bring myself to make the final decision to go for it so I left with nothing. I’m still debating even now...I just kinda had myself talked into leaving the countertops again. Ugh.