Dust and Drawings: Week One in the Demo Zone

by Curtis Blais (with a little help from Copilot - ABBA Rhyming Scheme)

One week has passed, though time feels stretched,

The cabinets gone, the tiles removed,

Subfloors fought back, but still were moved—

My handiwork now long-etched.

The closet wall has met its fate,

The short wall vanished near the door,

We search for things we had before—

Each drawer now lost to demo’s slate.

I know just where the cream should be,

But now it’s down a flight below,

A coffee trek through dust and woe—

A two-floor quest for sanity.

Though tarps were hung with care and pride,

The dust has danced through every seam,

It coats each surface like a dream—

A powdery, persistent tide.

But today brought hope, a subtle spark,

They drew the cabinets on the wall,

Chalk lines revealed the island’s sprawl—

A glimpse of future from the dark.

A window ordered, doors en route,

A temp door stands in for the rear,

The finish line still isn’t near—

Yet visions bloom beneath the soot.

The insulation waits in stacks,

A fluffy wall-to-wall brigade,

Prepared to fill the plans we’ve made—

A fortress for the future tracks.

Dennis and Marco, calm and keen,

Advance the work with practiced hands,

Inch by inch, they meet demands—

Their skillful touch behind the scene.

It’s hard to grasp this months-long ride,

But even now, we see the end,

A home reborn around the bend—

With patience as our trusted guide.

View from the front door (wall missing to the right)

View from what was the kitchen (I'm standing in what will be the new pantry)

The Footprint of the Pantry (oh joy oh bliss)