Round Two...To the Wife

I am beginning to believe kitchens are like women's clothing. They get away with murder on what they charge, because women like this stuff. I found a perfectly good stainlees steel range for $450, but the wife had her eye on one for $2000. So, we "settled" at $1400. Most men would "settle" for a hot plate, and a countertop microwave.

Anyway...I am enjoying the demo more than I think I will enjoy the put back. Today, I tore out the old cooktop and cabinets to make room for the new range. Had to re-wire and install a 220V plug for the new stove which will be here Tuesday. Managed to do it without standing my hair straight up, or burning down the house. On a positive note, I am finally getting around to labeling the circuit box. I ended up turning off every item in the house in an effort to find the breaker for the old cooktop.

Some more befores and afters...

Change Order No. 1

This is why I don't hire a contractor to do this kind of work. Got the new fridge delivered yesterday, and had it placed where we thought we wanted it. Well, shit. This massive beast juts out into the kitchen so far, it looks like a wart on the rest of the kitchen. So, we figure I will be removing some additional cabinetry and placing the fridge in a different location.

I am attempting to post a few pics, showing the kitchen in its before state, and its current state, and the giant fridge.

The Battle is Joined

On September 11, 2008, I finally conceded, after seven years, one month and ten days, to move forward on the wife's much longed for kitchen renovation. She has been wanting to do this since we moved in, and I thought I had convinced her that puke yellow rubber counter tops and non-functioning kitchen sinks in the middle of the kitchen were making a comeback. But, alack and alas, she responded to my news of NOT getting the job in Amarillo, with the ominous phrase, "Sorry. Now here is what we are going to do to this house."

It began in glorious fashion last Thursday, as we spent a fun-filled afternoon, refrigerator shopping in the heaviest rainfall in the history of Lubbock. Battle One was fought to a draw, as we settled on a fridge that "split" the difference between my desired $600 model and her $2500 model. We settled at $1800.

Of course, stainless steel and granite are all we are considering, even though I showed her a nice piece of Formica that, to me anyway, had the exact same qualities of the granite. And how can I say no to a $1300 range with five burners (exactly 3 more than we use today) and a convection oven which will heat our nachos in half the time it usually takes? I have given up convincing her that yellow molded rubber and avocado were the granite and stainless of the 50's, and some day somebody will be wondering what the fuck we were thinking when we put all this stuff in.

In all seriousness, I repress the urge to push the cheapskate button every day. I want this to be nice, and exactly what she wants. (Don't tell her, but I think I may like the granite counter tops more than she does.) I am excited about the opportunity to build again. I will be doing all of the cabinet work myself.

Demo began Saturday, with the removal of the offending extra kitchen sink and accompanying cabinetry. I also removed the shelving that was blocking the view from the kitchen out the front windows. Of course, before we could begin, we had to pack all of the contents of these cabinets and shelves into boxes for safe keeping. She's such a girl. I was just going to stack everything in a corner in the computer room.

At any rate, it has begun, and I am only out $1800 so far. I have decided to shift my efforts to convincing her exposed walls and plumbing, offset by a shiny new stainless fridge are all the rage on the home improvement shows, and if we stop now, our home value could increase dramatically.

Stay tuned for how that works out.

Off to The Lake

I will be out of touch for a few days as I go off to meet my Aggie Buddies for the 31st Annual Big, Bad, Bodacious Bonfire and Cheap Wine Party at Possum Kingdom.

Although the bonfire has gotten smaller, nicer and more mundane...and the Cheap Wine is a thing of the past, I always look forward to getting together with these guys to catch up and re-live old times.

That lasts about 90 minutes. And then, they have pissed me off about something. I then begin to question why in the hell I look forward to seeing them every year. I think they do it on purpose. They enjoy it so much, I have acquired yet another nickname..."Mr. Grumpy". When they ask me why I am always in such a bitchy mood, I simply reply, "Look at the people I choose to hang out with!"

I will check back in a few days, assuming I have not been arrested for mass homicide.