In all my infinite wisdom and high intelligence, I confess that I don't know shit about roofs. I know they comprise of shingles, and that they cover the top of your house. That's pretty much the extent of my roofing knowledge.
Mr. Recommendation and Mother had a contractor look at their roof a few weeks ago, the end result of the bad hale storm we had in September. I was milling around the front yard when the contractor asked if I wanted him to take a look at my roof. Sure, why not.
So, he carts his ladder over to my house and gets on the roof and comes down with a laundry list of everything that is wrong. Insurance company is called, a claim is filed, and I am to wait for a call from my adjuster. A few weeks later, Adjuster calls to let me know he's on his way...five minutes before he actually shows up. I call Contractor to remind him that Adjuster is on his way. Contractor is at another house, but will be there within minutes.
A gangly, geeky looking fellow who is my adjuster shows up with his own ladder. Scales my roof and does his own little survey. Meanwhile, I'm in my house hoping a stiff wind doesn't blow him off. (Say, if an insurance adjuster falls off your roof...who covers the claim?)
Adjuster takes pics with his digital camera and loads them onto a laptop for my personal viewing pleasure, which is cool because I get to see what hale damage looks like without climbing on top of my house. Adjuster tells me that the roof, while not damaged to the point that my house is going to cave in, could stand to be replaced. However, everything else is fine. So much for the laundry list Contractor found.
And where was Contractor at, anyway? Well, he never showed.
I did some research about the company Contractor worked for. No negative reviews, a positive rating by the Better Business Bureau, but there is still something that is gnawing at the back of my head that tells me that I should find someone else. I spoke with my insurance agent, who I've known for fifteen years, and discussed the who chain of events with him, and he even agrees with my unsettled feeling about Contractor. One thing I found a big red flag was when Contractor met with Mr. Recommendation's insurance adjuster. The adjuster disputed everything on the Contractor's list of things that needing replaced, and the Contractor denied that he was even the one who inspected the roof in the first place. "Wasn't me...must have been some other guy who had the same name as me and works for this company." Which was complete and utter bullshit.
I called Contractor today and left a message for him to call me back, but no reply thus far. I've gone from unsettled to being pretty annoyed to the point where I want to tell him to take his shingles and stick them up his ass. There's plenty of reputable places who would love to crawl all over my house in the cold weather.
Maybe I can wait until Spring and hope a tornado takes out the fence and that big, ugly tree in the backyard.
Showing posts with label Home Improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Improvement. Show all posts
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Soapin' It Up Old School
Into the life of a homeowner, a little rain must fall. Mine came in the form of a crapped-out dishwasher. Initially, I had noticed a couple specs of whatever left on my dishes after a cycle. Then, I had noticed my dishes weren't getting oh-so-sparkly clean, and I would have to run a load of dishes through two cycles. Two cycles became three. This morning, I came home from work to a small swamp in the bottom of the dishwasher. It was then that I could no longer ignore the bitter truth.
I needed a new dishwasher.
I don't know what the hell I was thinking, that I could go to Home Depot and just bring home another one. No, you buy it at the store, and then they deliver it to your house later. In my case, Wednesday.
What the hell to do with the dirty dishes I already had??
I remember when I was a kid, I loved to do dishes. By hand. Mom would put a chair up to the sink for me to stand on, and I would happily wash away. She never let me wash the glass stuff...I was a klutz even then. After dishes were done, I was rewarded with a chunk of peppermint. I'm confident I was a hard wage negotiator even then.
For much of my formative years, dishes were done by hand. In those days, dishwashers were a huge luxury item. It wasn't until I moved into my first apartment, that I got to experience life with a dishwasher.
I have to say, I was smitten. I also have to say, that my first dishwasher was exactly the same kind as the one that came with my house. I should have known then that there was a turd residing in my kitchen.
So, I stopped by Wally World, picked up a drying rack, some sponges, and spent the remainder of the afternoon washing dishes by hand. My hands now look eighty years old.
I've had to postpone Pork Chop Tuesday, and I will probably be abstaining from any serious cooking until my new washing beastie is safety bolted into it's new home.
Thank God for paper plates.
On the opposite coin, I'm pretty stoked about the new dishwasher. I don't think I've been this excited in a while (since the arrival of the Keurig anyway). Some girls get excited with jewelry. Some with clothes. I damn near wet myself over kitchen appliances.
I'm so pathetic. But I shall be pathetic with clean dishes.
I needed a new dishwasher.
I don't know what the hell I was thinking, that I could go to Home Depot and just bring home another one. No, you buy it at the store, and then they deliver it to your house later. In my case, Wednesday.
What the hell to do with the dirty dishes I already had??
I remember when I was a kid, I loved to do dishes. By hand. Mom would put a chair up to the sink for me to stand on, and I would happily wash away. She never let me wash the glass stuff...I was a klutz even then. After dishes were done, I was rewarded with a chunk of peppermint. I'm confident I was a hard wage negotiator even then.
For much of my formative years, dishes were done by hand. In those days, dishwashers were a huge luxury item. It wasn't until I moved into my first apartment, that I got to experience life with a dishwasher.
I have to say, I was smitten. I also have to say, that my first dishwasher was exactly the same kind as the one that came with my house. I should have known then that there was a turd residing in my kitchen.
So, I stopped by Wally World, picked up a drying rack, some sponges, and spent the remainder of the afternoon washing dishes by hand. My hands now look eighty years old.
I've had to postpone Pork Chop Tuesday, and I will probably be abstaining from any serious cooking until my new washing beastie is safety bolted into it's new home.
Thank God for paper plates.
On the opposite coin, I'm pretty stoked about the new dishwasher. I don't think I've been this excited in a while (since the arrival of the Keurig anyway). Some girls get excited with jewelry. Some with clothes. I damn near wet myself over kitchen appliances.
I'm so pathetic. But I shall be pathetic with clean dishes.
Friday, April 10, 2009
God Made Dirt, and Dirt Don't Hurt
Ever since the recent Sutherlands circular came in mail, I've been obsessed. For there, on the front page, they were advertising 40lb bags of top soil for 99 cents a bag. I've been needing some extra dirt for the yard, and have been looking for some to buy. Some people are really proud of their dirt, and they want an arm and a leg for it. All I want is to fill up the saint bernard-sized holes in the backyard, maybe with enough left over to plant some flowers or shrubs. My backyard, pathetic when I moved in, now looks like a war-torn third world country.
Tuesday night, Mom and I stopped by the hardware store. We walked around inside and out in the little greenery area, and found no dirt. I asked a salesperson about their dirt, and they informed me that they were sold out. However, they would be getting a truckload the following day.
Before I went to bed, I set the alarm bright and early (for me) so I could call the hardware store to see when this magical shipment of dirt would arrive. Three calls later, they finally nailed down a time for me as to when the truck would arrive.
So, imagine my disappointment when I got to the store, and discovered they had just sold out. It was an actual shipment they got, but rather dirt on loan from another store as they didn't anticipate dirt being such a hot item. Meanwhile, an old fart in front of me was yelling at the clerk, saying they promised they would have dirt that day, and they didn't, so they lied. Because, you know, he would have to wait longer for dirt to put in his yard, and thereby delaying the chance to yell at those damn kids for walking in it.
Old Fart stomped off in a huff. I meekly asked about when they would get more dirt, and she said they were expecting a big shipment the next day, but I should call before I drive over.
The next day, I called in the morning. No dirt. After lunch, I called and they were just unloading the truck now. Naturally, I hauled ass over to the hardware store, where there was already a small crowd, all wanting dirt.
Not taking any chances, I ordered 20 bags of dirt. All to be put in the back of my PT Cruiser. The store workers even raised their eyebrows when I handed them the receipt, but they loaded up 20 bags of dirt, 800lbs of it, in the back of my car. I suddenly looked like I was driving a low rider. Good thing I didn't ask for 30 bags like I was contemplating.
So, now I have the dirt, safe within the confines of my garage. I don't dare leave the bags outside...someone might steal my dirt. If you can't trust leaving your dirt outside, then what kind of world do we live in?
I fear this may have created a new addiction for me. Dirt. I'll probably be returning to the store to buy more dirt. Why have 800lbs of dirt when I can have 1200lbs???? All for $40.
This home owning business has made me sick in the head.
Tuesday night, Mom and I stopped by the hardware store. We walked around inside and out in the little greenery area, and found no dirt. I asked a salesperson about their dirt, and they informed me that they were sold out. However, they would be getting a truckload the following day.
Before I went to bed, I set the alarm bright and early (for me) so I could call the hardware store to see when this magical shipment of dirt would arrive. Three calls later, they finally nailed down a time for me as to when the truck would arrive.
So, imagine my disappointment when I got to the store, and discovered they had just sold out. It was an actual shipment they got, but rather dirt on loan from another store as they didn't anticipate dirt being such a hot item. Meanwhile, an old fart in front of me was yelling at the clerk, saying they promised they would have dirt that day, and they didn't, so they lied. Because, you know, he would have to wait longer for dirt to put in his yard, and thereby delaying the chance to yell at those damn kids for walking in it.
Old Fart stomped off in a huff. I meekly asked about when they would get more dirt, and she said they were expecting a big shipment the next day, but I should call before I drive over.
The next day, I called in the morning. No dirt. After lunch, I called and they were just unloading the truck now. Naturally, I hauled ass over to the hardware store, where there was already a small crowd, all wanting dirt.
Not taking any chances, I ordered 20 bags of dirt. All to be put in the back of my PT Cruiser. The store workers even raised their eyebrows when I handed them the receipt, but they loaded up 20 bags of dirt, 800lbs of it, in the back of my car. I suddenly looked like I was driving a low rider. Good thing I didn't ask for 30 bags like I was contemplating.
So, now I have the dirt, safe within the confines of my garage. I don't dare leave the bags outside...someone might steal my dirt. If you can't trust leaving your dirt outside, then what kind of world do we live in?
I fear this may have created a new addiction for me. Dirt. I'll probably be returning to the store to buy more dirt. Why have 800lbs of dirt when I can have 1200lbs???? All for $40.
This home owning business has made me sick in the head.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tales of the Homeowner: The Shower
When I bought the house, one of the things that clearly did not impress me was the shower. Apparently, the in the 70's, the one-piece units for bathtubs and showers were the new hotness. I can imagine the sales pitch touting the fact that you no longer have to mess with grout. What they failed to mention were that not only were these things butt-ass ugly, they also consumed more space than a regular tub/shower.
To top it all off, it leaked into the downstairs laundry room whenever I used it. Which meant I really couldn't use it until it was fixed, and had to use the hall bathroom. The same one Brother uses.
The only decent thing was the shower head...and that was something I bought and installed myself.
And it didn't even have a door. Instead, I had to put up a shower curtain.
You can't just change out a shower the way you can just change out a light fixture. It takes a certain amount of time and preparation. I'd been agonizing over this shower since I moved in. It wasn't until I went to the Home Show last year and bought a shower panel, did a new plan formulate in my head.
It wasn't until these past couple of weeks, did we actually start working on it. It's my fault, I couldn't decide what I wanted. I'm sure it drove Mr. Recommendation nuts. When tile was purchased, Mr. Recommendation tore out the old one, where we found suspicious water damage coming from the roof, in addition to a 50 foot chain with no clear purpose, and a whole mess of old wasp nests. Nice!
First, the new shower pan went in. Then, the backer board was installed, building a little recessed area where I can put my soap, shampoo, razor, and maybe my foot when the need arises.
The next item on the list was the tile. I picked out the color, Mr. Recommendation created the pattern. I'm not a micro manager with such things, and he has good taste, so I let him have creative liberties on the tile. I figured I would be happy with whatever he created.
I was right.
The next item was the shower panel. The much celebrated, and apparently "ostentatious" by one person who saw it in the box, shower panel. Six fixed body jet goodness, overhead rainfall shower head, and handheld shower nozzle to get the hard to reach areas.
One of the many great things about the new shower is that it freed up a good 4-6 inches of elbow or whatever room.
From there, Mr. Recommendation installed the shower door is selected. My one regret is that I wasn't as mindful when it came to shower doors. I selected a pivot door without realizing that there would also be an overhead component of the frame that the door attached to. Now, tall people have to duck to get into my shower. Not that I have tall people who are going to go into my shower, but you never know. At any rate, I'm toying with the idea of converting it to a steam shower down the road, and the door will probably have to be switched out should I decide to go ahead with it. But for now, it works, and there's no more ghetto-fabulous shower!!
Tah-dah! The finished product. Next week, we're going to start planning the rest of the bathroom. Mr. Recommendation has dropped some really good ideas. One of which being a heated tile floor, wainscoting, and a possible laundry chute from the bathroom to the laundry room. When the entire bathroom is completed, its going to kick some serious ass.
My inaugural shower was everything I hoped it would be. I even bought a new puff for the occasion.
Mr. Recommendation is available for home improvement jobs, so if you are interested, drop him needaquote@live.com.
To top it all off, it leaked into the downstairs laundry room whenever I used it. Which meant I really couldn't use it until it was fixed, and had to use the hall bathroom. The same one Brother uses.The only decent thing was the shower head...and that was something I bought and installed myself.And it didn't even have a door. Instead, I had to put up a shower curtain.You can't just change out a shower the way you can just change out a light fixture. It takes a certain amount of time and preparation. I'd been agonizing over this shower since I moved in. It wasn't until I went to the Home Show last year and bought a shower panel, did a new plan formulate in my head.
It wasn't until these past couple of weeks, did we actually start working on it. It's my fault, I couldn't decide what I wanted. I'm sure it drove Mr. Recommendation nuts. When tile was purchased, Mr. Recommendation tore out the old one, where we found suspicious water damage coming from the roof, in addition to a 50 foot chain with no clear purpose, and a whole mess of old wasp nests. Nice!
First, the new shower pan went in. Then, the backer board was installed, building a little recessed area where I can put my soap, shampoo, razor, and maybe my foot when the need arises.
The next item on the list was the tile. I picked out the color, Mr. Recommendation created the pattern. I'm not a micro manager with such things, and he has good taste, so I let him have creative liberties on the tile. I figured I would be happy with whatever he created.I was right.The next item was the shower panel. The much celebrated, and apparently "ostentatious" by one person who saw it in the box, shower panel. Six fixed body jet goodness, overhead rainfall shower head, and handheld shower nozzle to get the hard to reach areas.
One of the many great things about the new shower is that it freed up a good 4-6 inches of elbow or whatever room. From there, Mr. Recommendation installed the shower door is selected. My one regret is that I wasn't as mindful when it came to shower doors. I selected a pivot door without realizing that there would also be an overhead component of the frame that the door attached to. Now, tall people have to duck to get into my shower. Not that I have tall people who are going to go into my shower, but you never know. At any rate, I'm toying with the idea of converting it to a steam shower down the road, and the door will probably have to be switched out should I decide to go ahead with it. But for now, it works, and there's no more ghetto-fabulous shower!!Tah-dah! The finished product. Next week, we're going to start planning the rest of the bathroom. Mr. Recommendation has dropped some really good ideas. One of which being a heated tile floor, wainscoting, and a possible laundry chute from the bathroom to the laundry room. When the entire bathroom is completed, its going to kick some serious ass.My inaugural shower was everything I hoped it would be. I even bought a new puff for the occasion.Mr. Recommendation is available for home improvement jobs, so if you are interested, drop him needaquote@live.com.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Kitchen Project Revealed!
I know you've been waiting patiently for it. The kitchen is not completely finished, but I thought I would post pics of what has been done so far.
This is the kitchen, before I moved in. Note how the countertops were a golden-rod type color laminate. At some point in history, something thought this actually looked good...which leads me to believe that people in the early 80's were colorblind. Also note the plain white tile backsplash which are also used for the insides of bathtubs and showers. Blah sink (with partially clogged valves which made for horrible water pressure). Drop in stove. Blah island.
Instead of posting all the pics I took during, I'm just going to post some after pics.
New items of note: porcelain tile backsplash, Gemini range, laminate counter tops. I had originally wanted concrete countertops, but the time crunch didn't allow for it. I'm pretty happy with my choice in color, even though Mr. Recommendation wasn't certain about it at the beginning.
This is the new sink. Black granite, but it feels more like slate. It was significantly bigger than the old one. In fact, a half an inch bigger, and it wouldn't have fit. Mr. Recommendation replaced all the plumbing stuff below, so now I have water pressure. The new faucet is brushed nickel, as well as the sink drains, and that skinny thing on the left is my spout for the reverse osmosis water. Note: the small accent tiles behind the sink.
This is the new and improved island. Mr. Recommendation extended it by 10-12 inches so I can have a couple stools for an eat-in breakfast bar. He used three large tiles, four smaller accent tiles (same as what is behind the sink), and then surrounded it with the beige tiles. The brackets you see below are what stabilizes the top so no one has scambled eggs in their lap.
The not-quite finished product. As you can see, I've taken some of the hardware off the cabinets and am preparing to paint everything white. Right now, it's more an off white. With the red I have painted my kitchen and dining room in, it makes the off-white look even more yellow.
Almost makes you want to come over for a bologna sandwhich, doesn't it? Coincidentally, Mr. Recommendation is available for hire. Email me for more info. There isn't anything that this guy can't do.
This is the kitchen, before I moved in. Note how the countertops were a golden-rod type color laminate. At some point in history, something thought this actually looked good...which leads me to believe that people in the early 80's were colorblind. Also note the plain white tile backsplash which are also used for the insides of bathtubs and showers. Blah sink (with partially clogged valves which made for horrible water pressure). Drop in stove. Blah island.Instead of posting all the pics I took during, I'm just going to post some after pics.
New items of note: porcelain tile backsplash, Gemini range, laminate counter tops. I had originally wanted concrete countertops, but the time crunch didn't allow for it. I'm pretty happy with my choice in color, even though Mr. Recommendation wasn't certain about it at the beginning.This is the new sink. Black granite, but it feels more like slate. It was significantly bigger than the old one. In fact, a half an inch bigger, and it wouldn't have fit. Mr. Recommendation replaced all the plumbing stuff below, so now I have water pressure. The new faucet is brushed nickel, as well as the sink drains, and that skinny thing on the left is my spout for the reverse osmosis water. Note: the small accent tiles behind the sink.
This is the new and improved island. Mr. Recommendation extended it by 10-12 inches so I can have a couple stools for an eat-in breakfast bar. He used three large tiles, four smaller accent tiles (same as what is behind the sink), and then surrounded it with the beige tiles. The brackets you see below are what stabilizes the top so no one has scambled eggs in their lap. The not-quite finished product. As you can see, I've taken some of the hardware off the cabinets and am preparing to paint everything white. Right now, it's more an off white. With the red I have painted my kitchen and dining room in, it makes the off-white look even more yellow.Almost makes you want to come over for a bologna sandwhich, doesn't it? Coincidentally, Mr. Recommendation is available for hire. Email me for more info. There isn't anything that this guy can't do.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday Blather...It Is Tuesday, Isn't It??
Today was a fun-filled day, starting out by visiting the Fifth Circle of Hell again. They isolated my knee stiffness problem to some nodules formed on my tendons, not to mention that my hamstring is completely useless right now. So, Happy Helperton of the physical therapy department, proceeds to work out those nodules. Manually. I thought I knew what pain was. I was wrong. She tried to be cheerful during the process. People should never be cheerful when purposely inflicting pain. It pisses people off and they just want to kick you in the head. Four years of nursing has taught me this valuable lesson.
From there, I go to the Pull My Knob store to inquire about hinges. I want to replace the ugly brass looking ones with white, only they don't sell my kind of hinges in white. I ask the guy what he would suggest. "Paint 'em" he says. Butthole.
From there, I go back home and eat a bologna sandwich. That's all I have time for as I get back into my car and head out to BFE, Johnson County for my one month follow-up.
My appointment was at 1:30. When I get there (on time), I find the waiting room is filled with people. All there to see one doctor, who happens to be the guy who operated on my knee. This doesn't bode well.
An hour and a half later, I am starting to see white spots, I'm so angry. Just when I'm about to go to the front desk and go postal, I'm called to the back. The nurse is all chipper and asks me how my day is going. Seriously?? I only grunt a reply. She doesn't say another word. Her intelligence belies her looks.
(Honestly, if I have an appointment, I expect to be seen within 15-30 minutes upon arriving. If you don't plan on seeing me for an hour, then make my appointment for an hour later. This is the one thing about doctors that pisses me off. They overbook. It's a travesty, and if I did my job in such a manner, someone would probably die.)
Another 30 minutes waiting in an exam room, and I finally get to see my doctor...who tells me that all the stiffness, the pain, the angst, the nodules, the crying at beer commercials...it's all perfectly normal, and it could be at least 2-3 months before I will notice how well the surgery worked. He writes me an order for a brace to wear at work, and some more Percocet, and blows out of my exam room, having been in there for less than 10 minutes.
I finally get to go home. Too tired to cook, I offer to take Brother for a quick dinner at the nearby Chinese restaurant. He accepts. We go. We eat. We come home to find Mr. Recommendation and the Rocket Scientist leveling my kitchen oven so that when I bake cakes, they are not five inches on one side, and one inch on the other.
I take a two hour nap, wake up, pop some Percocet, ice the knee, and seal the grout in the kitchen. For those who have never sealed grout while on Percocet...it's just as boring a job as it would have been without the Percocet. You know, just in case you were wondering.
The kitchen is almost complete. Tomorrow, I shall begin painting the cabinets. It's going to be a magical experience, I'm sure.
I'll post pics soon.
From there, I go to the Pull My Knob store to inquire about hinges. I want to replace the ugly brass looking ones with white, only they don't sell my kind of hinges in white. I ask the guy what he would suggest. "Paint 'em" he says. Butthole.
From there, I go back home and eat a bologna sandwich. That's all I have time for as I get back into my car and head out to BFE, Johnson County for my one month follow-up.
My appointment was at 1:30. When I get there (on time), I find the waiting room is filled with people. All there to see one doctor, who happens to be the guy who operated on my knee. This doesn't bode well.
An hour and a half later, I am starting to see white spots, I'm so angry. Just when I'm about to go to the front desk and go postal, I'm called to the back. The nurse is all chipper and asks me how my day is going. Seriously?? I only grunt a reply. She doesn't say another word. Her intelligence belies her looks.
(Honestly, if I have an appointment, I expect to be seen within 15-30 minutes upon arriving. If you don't plan on seeing me for an hour, then make my appointment for an hour later. This is the one thing about doctors that pisses me off. They overbook. It's a travesty, and if I did my job in such a manner, someone would probably die.)
Another 30 minutes waiting in an exam room, and I finally get to see my doctor...who tells me that all the stiffness, the pain, the angst, the nodules, the crying at beer commercials...it's all perfectly normal, and it could be at least 2-3 months before I will notice how well the surgery worked. He writes me an order for a brace to wear at work, and some more Percocet, and blows out of my exam room, having been in there for less than 10 minutes.
I finally get to go home. Too tired to cook, I offer to take Brother for a quick dinner at the nearby Chinese restaurant. He accepts. We go. We eat. We come home to find Mr. Recommendation and the Rocket Scientist leveling my kitchen oven so that when I bake cakes, they are not five inches on one side, and one inch on the other.
I take a two hour nap, wake up, pop some Percocet, ice the knee, and seal the grout in the kitchen. For those who have never sealed grout while on Percocet...it's just as boring a job as it would have been without the Percocet. You know, just in case you were wondering.
The kitchen is almost complete. Tomorrow, I shall begin painting the cabinets. It's going to be a magical experience, I'm sure.
I'll post pics soon.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Almost Complete
Thursday night, Mr. Recommendation and Rocket Scientist stayed until 11pm putting the tile back splash up. The following morning, they came over and grouted and installed the sink while I slept. When I got up, the only things that remained was finish getting the new sink installed, and bringing the new stove from the garage to the kitchen.
The cabinets will be started on next week. It's a completely separate project that will not render my kitchen incapacitated, not to mention this will be more a hands-on project for me, whereas Mr. Recommendation will now start on building the custom counter top for my island. I will only be able to work on the cabinets during the week as I am now back to work full time. (So, Faith, if you are still interested in helping, let me know.)
The new stove, as awesome as it is, comes with a fat owner's manual that I will need to read before I make any attempt to cook on it. Too many bells and whistles confuse my house. I have ordered Brother to not use the oven until he's been through the inservice.
The new sink, also awesome, was a lot bigger than I thought when I bought it. If it had not divider, it would comfortably seat a midget for bathing. A half an inch bigger, it would have been too big to install.
The back splash rocks. When I initially picked out the tile, I think Mr. Recommendation didn't think they completed project would all go together. He pleasantly surprised at how well it does, and commends me on my eye for color. Mom's the artist in the family, I'd like to think I inherited it from her.
I will be posting pictures of the end result as the kitchen project is completed, but I have been taking lots of pictures during the entire process. I just got a new digital camera that I'm infatuated with. I actually like taking pictures again.
The cabinets will be started on next week. It's a completely separate project that will not render my kitchen incapacitated, not to mention this will be more a hands-on project for me, whereas Mr. Recommendation will now start on building the custom counter top for my island. I will only be able to work on the cabinets during the week as I am now back to work full time. (So, Faith, if you are still interested in helping, let me know.)
The new stove, as awesome as it is, comes with a fat owner's manual that I will need to read before I make any attempt to cook on it. Too many bells and whistles confuse my house. I have ordered Brother to not use the oven until he's been through the inservice.
The new sink, also awesome, was a lot bigger than I thought when I bought it. If it had not divider, it would comfortably seat a midget for bathing. A half an inch bigger, it would have been too big to install.
The back splash rocks. When I initially picked out the tile, I think Mr. Recommendation didn't think they completed project would all go together. He pleasantly surprised at how well it does, and commends me on my eye for color. Mom's the artist in the family, I'd like to think I inherited it from her.
I will be posting pictures of the end result as the kitchen project is completed, but I have been taking lots of pictures during the entire process. I just got a new digital camera that I'm infatuated with. I actually like taking pictures again.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Blowing My Wad and Other Blather
Life without a kitchen is hard. Brother and I are living off of anything that either doesn't need to be cooked (i.e. bologna sandwiches), only needs to be reheated in the microwave, or whatever Mom happens to be cooking that night. We take advantage of that last one as often as we can.
The original plan was to just keep the existing stove and replace it with what I wanted down the road. However, in the land of home improvement, once the old stove came out, a new one had to go in it's place if I was to get a new one at all.
I've always loved the Maytag Gemini, ever since I first seen one at Kant's house. I've lusted for this oven for YEARS. However, I've always stopped short of buying one because I've balked at the price tag, not to mention I lived in an apartment until a year and a half ago. Paying well over a grand for an oven seemed silly when you could get a new oven that worked just as well for around $500. Granted, it wouldn't have the dual ovens, it would still bake you delicious homemade Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies.
I've always gone by the mantra, "If you are going to go for it, go big, or go home." I figured that if I absolutely had to have an oven, I may as well get the one I want the first time around. However, Kansas City is home to a very awesome animal known as the Sears Outlet Warehouse. In this place, you'll find all new appliances, some discontinued, some with a scratch or ding here or there...all for drastically reduced rate. AND, they come with original warranties.
So it was at this magical place, that I found my dream oven. A black Maytag Gemini Dual Oven Smooth Cooking Surface (with five burners) Stove. Retail: $1400. What I paid: $800.
They had three, so I picked out the one that had the least noticeable cosmetic flaw, which would be a tiny white scuff mark on the side, which will not even be visible once it's slid into the cubby that has been prepared for it's arrival.
The only downside to buying from Sears Outlet is that they don't deliver. So Mr. Recommendation has to go pick it up tomorrow.
While Mom and I were out and about, we stopped at this place to look for new cabinet pulls for the kitchen. The name of the store is Locks & Pulls. I, on the other hand, kept forgetting the name, so often referred to it as the "Pull My Knob" store. Yes, the sales clerk really liked that one. He said they were originally going to name the store "Knobs and Knockers", but thought they might attract the wrong kind of clientele.
What currently exists are these awful brass looking pulls that's supposed to look like a suitcase strap or something equally retarded (I can't understand why you'd want to switch those out! ~Jeff, Salesclerk). What I selected was just a plain black door pulls. I bought 30 of them, which only set me back $50. I had anticipated spending closer to $100.
As of now, the backer board is in place, and the counter top is currently sitting in the basement, waiting to be installed tomorrow. Sink, faucet, tile work will be done this weekend. Next week, we shall begin constructing the custom built island surface which will be extended an extra 10 inches so I can have a eat-in breakfast bar.
All I know is that if this no-cooking policy continues, Brother is going to suffer a breakdown due to lack of frozen pizzas.
The original plan was to just keep the existing stove and replace it with what I wanted down the road. However, in the land of home improvement, once the old stove came out, a new one had to go in it's place if I was to get a new one at all.I've always loved the Maytag Gemini, ever since I first seen one at Kant's house. I've lusted for this oven for YEARS. However, I've always stopped short of buying one because I've balked at the price tag, not to mention I lived in an apartment until a year and a half ago. Paying well over a grand for an oven seemed silly when you could get a new oven that worked just as well for around $500. Granted, it wouldn't have the dual ovens, it would still bake you delicious homemade Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies.I've always gone by the mantra, "If you are going to go for it, go big, or go home." I figured that if I absolutely had to have an oven, I may as well get the one I want the first time around. However, Kansas City is home to a very awesome animal known as the Sears Outlet Warehouse. In this place, you'll find all new appliances, some discontinued, some with a scratch or ding here or there...all for drastically reduced rate. AND, they come with original warranties.
So it was at this magical place, that I found my dream oven. A black Maytag Gemini Dual Oven Smooth Cooking Surface (with five burners) Stove. Retail: $1400. What I paid: $800.
The only downside to buying from Sears Outlet is that they don't deliver. So Mr. Recommendation has to go pick it up tomorrow.
While Mom and I were out and about, we stopped at this place to look for new cabinet pulls for the kitchen. The name of the store is Locks & Pulls. I, on the other hand, kept forgetting the name, so often referred to it as the "Pull My Knob" store. Yes, the sales clerk really liked that one. He said they were originally going to name the store "Knobs and Knockers", but thought they might attract the wrong kind of clientele.
What currently exists are these awful brass looking pulls that's supposed to look like a suitcase strap or something equally retarded (I can't understand why you'd want to switch those out! ~Jeff, Salesclerk). What I selected was just a plain black door pulls. I bought 30 of them, which only set me back $50. I had anticipated spending closer to $100.
As of now, the backer board is in place, and the counter top is currently sitting in the basement, waiting to be installed tomorrow. Sink, faucet, tile work will be done this weekend. Next week, we shall begin constructing the custom built island surface which will be extended an extra 10 inches so I can have a eat-in breakfast bar.
All I know is that if this no-cooking policy continues, Brother is going to suffer a breakdown due to lack of frozen pizzas.
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