We are now officially in the stretch run.

We're a couple of days and two weeks away from moving in to our dream house.

Trevor says the cabinets will be installed on Thursday, which will make a dramatic difference in the look of the public area. It also paves the way for all of the other finishing projects - like the flooring, as an example.

The maple woodwork and the Early American stain colour should pull in the green-grey paint colour on the walls to create a cohesive look.

I should add that until we see the finished product, we won't really know for sure what the complete package will look like.

You can study brochures and three-inch samples all you like, but predicting what a kitchen full of hand-finished cabinets will look like is like trying to draw the wind, to borrow a phrase from the greatest running back of all time, Walter Payton.

Of course, Walter was talking about trying to compare the great running backs throughout history, but I digress.

• The painters finished the exterior trim around the doors and windows. It looks awesome - as the bright white will contrast with the warmth of the finish stucco colour. It also makes the stone columns look more pronounced.Our living area focal point - the custom hand-milled mantle and columns surrounding the fireplace - is almost complete. The finisher just has to add the support brackets to complete the look. The painter will then come in and apply a colour match of the stain from the kitchen cabinets on the fireplace surround, tying the two areas together.
• Here's an important reminder - it's wise to book your installation appointments for utilities well in advance. MTS says it's their busiest season for phone jack installations in new homes, and we're getting ours done Sept. 20.

Our cable provider also requires some notice in order to guarantee service before our possession date.

• We'll be spending most of this week finishing up the packing, as, for the love of all things pure and holy, we move out Friday.

After four years in this house, we're bidding it adieu. While Rosanne says she's going to miss it the most, I have a feeling our cat may have her beat. He loves sprinting up the stairs ahead of us, and then strutting around like he's the new 100-metre sprint champ for the next hour. Because our new home is a bungalow, he'll have to find a new way to humiliate us until we finish off the lower level.

• Due up in the next week: The two coats of paint on the walls, the white lacquer finish on the interior trim, the cabinets, the heating system, the flooring, and the stucco.

It's a lot of action for a week, but once those cabinets are in place, it will look like a movie stuck on fast-forward as the contractors pile in to finish up.