For those of you keeping score...

While the presidential candidates debate changes to NAFTA and CAFTA afta the fact, here in the homeland we are all for free trade. As noted yesterday, the border to Kitchenistan is now free and open. Hopefully food supplies will flow through soon...

In Kitchenistan, they are all for opening borders too. Check out the swanky new brushed aluminum door in the photo above. No longer will I have to walk around the block to throw away garbage (hey, every country needs to have a plan for waste disposal). But the people of Kitchenistan are still concerned about national defense. That is quite the secure door. It has a turnbolt latch lock, but push the door lever upwards and three more bolts slide into metal ports in the door frame. And while that wood in the door will be replaced with glass at some point (transparency is important for all governments too) near the end of construction, no sacrifices are made in security. That will be double pane hurricane glass made to withstand a 2X4 shot out of a wind cannon. If someone wants in any door, they will get in, but this glass will not be any easier than the new steel door we put on the basement addition.

And that is not it for infrastructure improvements in Kitchenistan. Additional lighting has gone in (note the coves at the top and bottom of the south wall). We have received an utterly gorgeous cabinet door sample of sepeely wrapped MDF (more on that later in the week). Window framing above the light shelf is now in place. The tall and wide will be in place this week. The first coat of stucco went in place Saturday (though I am concerned about the rain tonight, though it is all well-wrapped in tarps).

And there is more to come. Framing in the basement (hey, you need infrastructure underground too, right?). Hopefully, the weather will allow the second stucco coat to go in place...though the predictions do not look promising. That said, wall board should start to go in this week or early next. And from there, it all moves very fast. We will be done this month...mostly anyway (countertops might take a while to get into place depending on fabrication time). We are buoyed and excited.