Those of us who are further along all went through this. You will get through to the other side too. I am still waiting for permits to use our stove and we have been without a kitchen since 12/5/10 and only moved up out of the bsmt a few days ago since then. It is amazing how you get used to chaos and it can start to feel normal. I was getting ready for work this a.m. and after doing my makeup. started to head to the bsmt to get dressed when I remembered we are back in our bedroom now, lol. Everything takes longer than you expect and then you have to unpack when you finally get to use your spaces.
Try to focus on each step you take forward. It is overwhelming at times and so I just put on blinders and take bite size pieces.

Oh sumnerfan, believe me, I know what you're going through! My kitchen problems are described elsewhere so I won't recount here, except to say that I have been through enough to empathize.

Funny --I have the same deal here, dining room filled with cartons, handwashing dishes in basement sink. We're all in this together!!!

Everything takes longer than it should, and it is a rollercoaster -- you have problems, some of them get solved and may-be you get returned to where you should have been in the first place, but it feels like a triumph! And then more things go wrong. (Now, my tile is delayed.)

It will all be over some day. And hopefully we will forget the awful year (or more) or remodeling. Stay strong!

(((((Hugs)))) Venting is therapeutic and cleansing. I hope your day gets better and remember this too shall pass!

Hang in there! An idea, though: Is there any reason you HAVE to wait for your DH's schedule to clear? Can you just go pick it up yourself? Or you and a friend go and get it if you want company for the ride? The LL folks will load it for you, and you and your DH can unload it when you get home. That might be one small thing to take off your DH's plate, and will get you closer to your goal.

Hi Sumnerfan,

I know just how you feel as we went through some similar delays when our installer sprained his wrist :( but yesterday the final fix ups were completed and now I have a brand new beautiful kitchen. All of the waiting and unpleasant living through the chaos experiences seem like a minor sacrifice and actually make my new kitchen even more enjoyable. You'll get there, but I sympathize with you while you wait.

hey sumnerfan...

*grin* i so empathize about the friends/family not wanting to talk kitchen. and we just now ate lunch with plates on our laps! i have a good idea how you feel!

my mom was a teacher, and i remember the final haul from easter to summer vacation could be a drag.

and with the chaos of the remodel, it's a double challenge.

just remember how long you've waited for this kitchen... and think about how much you'll enjoy it this summer. it's almost there.

you'll get through it, you know you can. just hang on and hang in there! *big hug*

I feel for you and give you my quick(at least I'll give it to you quickly) story. Bertch(cabinet company) made two deliveries of damaged vanities to me. Each time this caused a delay of 6 weeks because countertop could not be templated until cabinets were in place perfectly. They actually thought I should give them a third chance. I gave up on one whole cabinet. That is why I will trash them any chance I get. They delayed my renovation by over 2 monthe and it was over the holidays and I had family and one bathroom. Everyone else involved was very good but they made our life a nightmare and then the plumbing supply place we purchased them through took forever to sort out the correct payment due. Sometimes it only takes one thing to delay everything but in the end I hope you will be happy.

Thanks ya'll. *smile* I appreciate your support. It was just a long day; I was tired, frustrated, and dwelling on what was wrong around here instead of what is right. School is particularly crazy this year because I am fund raising, planning, and preparing to chaperon a ten day senior trip on a chartered bus with a particularly precocious group of students. It will all turn out well. I just have to be patient, which is not my forte. I know so many people are dealing with so much worse. I just feel like the remodel has become stagnant, which makes the sacrifices harder to bear. It's easy to accept the mess when you can see all the wonderful progress.

As for the lighting, that's a whole other story. I've been waiting for more than a month for the ceiling fan to come in. Nova Lighting never notifies me of changes in ship dates, as a matter of fact they never let me know the fan was going to be backordered at all. So I strongly recommend you not order from them.

Thanks again. Now I've turned my attention to fabric for window treatments. I honestly wish I could just find something ready made that I would be happy with. My family thinks I'm crazy. My aunt told me she never knew anyone as concerned with the details of their home decor as I. Everyone thinks I'm a bit high maintenance I guess. *shrug, smile, eye roll*

Thanks again. Sorry to be so b*tchy.

We all feel your pain. If misery loves company, then you have found fellow sufferers, lol. We all sweat the details so you are not alone in being high maintenance. Our gc would probably say I am difficult to please, but I'd say he is not a perfectionist enough. I think I have taken a bunch in stride and not been hard nosed about some stuff, but there are others I do not want to compromise on and don't think I should have to settle for less about. I am always polite, but I have had to be firm about some things. I bet he has used the b word, but I really couldn't care less. If getting what you pay for makes you a b, then I am one proudly.

You're not high maintenance at all!! You just want it to be RIGHT. After all, why go to all the time, expense and hassle of a kitchen reno just to pick some ready made something-or-other or cr@ppy piece of something "just because"?? We all understand here.

I'm sorry you're delayed. I know the feeling. We've been out of our house since Halloween and still have no drywall up or even floors that are sheeted. Patience is not my strong point either. You WILL get through it. In the long run, one week for the counters isn't much. I know it feels like an eternity to you while you're waiting. Makes your skin kinda itch, doesn't it?

Hang in there! Have you checked out fabricguru dot come for fabric inspiration? Holy cow, don't go there unless you have a free hour cuz once you get started you can't stop.

I always tell myself, "Some day I'll laugh about this." Although it's simplistic, it really does help. I imagine myself smugly sitting in future looking back at the difficult day/weeks/duration and giggling at how black things looked back then.

It actually does come true and I do look back and remember how worked up I got 'way back then. Or sometimes I just repress the whole situation and keep going forward. Hard to suppress emotions, though. They're stubbornly memorable. Give yourself permission to forgive. And to let things go.

I feel your pain. We're doing a small remodel; strip & stain cabinet frames, new doors, a couple of new cabinets, countertops and new range hood & dishwasher. Got everything demo'd so there's nothing in the kitchen except the sink is propped up on some 2 x 4s in the sink cabinet. New cabinets went in a little behind schedule. Cabinet refinisher came in and the stain job is, let's say, not the quality we were expecting. Had to cancel the appointment with the granite guy, so he's on hold for now. Looking for new refinishing guy, but will now probably have to strip them ourselves this time or go way over budget. So with all the delays, we will be at least another month before we can even think about being back to normal.

We've been managing with a countertop microwave and the barbeque, but like you, we are using old cabinet doors for counterspace, and doing the dishes is a pain. The worst part is that if I'm downstairs, the living room is full with the refrigerator, stove, and all the kitchen stuff, and I don't really feel like spending any time in the bare skeleton that's the kitchen.

I hope you get resolution to your issues soon. Thanks everyone else here for sharing your stories. It helps to know you're not alone.