Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Day 23 Photos
Reminder: Click on any photo to see the full photo and view a slideshow of the day's photos. (This means you, Wife.)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Day 6
Sometimes I hate being right. I was right about having forgotten to move the outlet and phone line from behind the location of the new pantry. As the first photo in the Day 6 slide show clearly shows, they simply cut out spots from the back panel of the pantry so they'd stick through. Though it turns out the electrician would not have moved the phone line anyway. I'll have to get someone else out to the house to do that. Sure would have been nice had Sol mentioned that at some point, eh?
Anyway, right now we've got most of the lower cabinets installed. The drawer fronts and cabinet doors are not ready yet, but they don't get installed until the end anyway. What we can see though, we love. The drawers are good and solid quality, will full extension pull-outs. The pantry is huge, just as we wanted. The island is strong and we can already tell the pull-out spice rack next to the oven is going to be a great help. It looks wide enough to also hold bottles of oil and maybe even cans of coffee. I think the person who came up with this idea should be memorialized in one of those Bud Light salute commercials: "Here's to you, Mr. Cabinet Pull-Out Spice Rack Inventor." (I still won't drink Bud Light though. Bleah...)
But the goodwill of seeing actual cabinets was tempered somewhat when I got the first part of the electrician's bill. Everything that had been discussed as part of the initial project was dead-on. What I didn't know was that he added $60 for each under-cabinet light and $60 for each of the two pendant lights that were outside of the initial scope. Granted, I didn't ask Sol how much they'd be, though he didn't tell me either. It'll also cost at least $25 to install the lights I had to buy elsewhere, which means there's a total of around $765 I had not accounted for in my budget. Fuck! So the under-cabinet lighting alone will end up costing me nearly a grand. They'd better look spectacular when they're done.
And on top of everything else, Sol has left messages for the plumber about the inflated bill, but the plumber has not returned his call.
Anyway, right now we've got most of the lower cabinets installed. The drawer fronts and cabinet doors are not ready yet, but they don't get installed until the end anyway. What we can see though, we love. The drawers are good and solid quality, will full extension pull-outs. The pantry is huge, just as we wanted. The island is strong and we can already tell the pull-out spice rack next to the oven is going to be a great help. It looks wide enough to also hold bottles of oil and maybe even cans of coffee. I think the person who came up with this idea should be memorialized in one of those Bud Light salute commercials: "Here's to you, Mr. Cabinet Pull-Out Spice Rack Inventor." (I still won't drink Bud Light though. Bleah...)
But the goodwill of seeing actual cabinets was tempered somewhat when I got the first part of the electrician's bill. Everything that had been discussed as part of the initial project was dead-on. What I didn't know was that he added $60 for each under-cabinet light and $60 for each of the two pendant lights that were outside of the initial scope. Granted, I didn't ask Sol how much they'd be, though he didn't tell me either. It'll also cost at least $25 to install the lights I had to buy elsewhere, which means there's a total of around $765 I had not accounted for in my budget. Fuck! So the under-cabinet lighting alone will end up costing me nearly a grand. They'd better look spectacular when they're done.
And on top of everything else, Sol has left messages for the plumber about the inflated bill, but the plumber has not returned his call.
I'm marginally giddy right now...
I just got off the phone with Daughter. She calls me or Wife every day when she gets home from school. She says the kitchen guys are there and they've started putting in the island plus the sink cabinet and some of the cabinets next to the refrigerator. I'm going to go home and it's going to look like the start of a real kitchen. Of course it also means Wife is going to want me to drag one of the heavy tiles inside to see how they look against the cabinets. Ugh...
However, it also occurred to me that on that long list of things we needed the electrician to do, I did not include moving the phone connection a couple of feet to the left. The current location of the phone jack will be covered by the new pantry, which means they can't even put it in until the jack is moved. I'd better call Sol soon.
Also, Daughter's softball practice was cancelled because it was too cold, windy and wet. Note their first game is this Thursday and they've had only one real practice. I have to wonder how many of the girls on the team even know how to play at this point. And why the hell did they schedule games to start the second week of January? Also, why didn't they at least try to schedule some practices over the kids' winter vacation?
However, it also occurred to me that on that long list of things we needed the electrician to do, I did not include moving the phone connection a couple of feet to the left. The current location of the phone jack will be covered by the new pantry, which means they can't even put it in until the jack is moved. I'd better call Sol soon.
Also, Daughter's softball practice was cancelled because it was too cold, windy and wet. Note their first game is this Thursday and they've had only one real practice. I have to wonder how many of the girls on the team even know how to play at this point. And why the hell did they schedule games to start the second week of January? Also, why didn't they at least try to schedule some practices over the kids' winter vacation?
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Day 4
No workers came to the house today. But now I'm really annoyed because I don't think the plumber is going to be able to install the water line to the refrigerator behind the cabinets if the cabinets are installed on Monday. Then again, there's got to be some way to do it, right?
Today I picked up all of the tile. Combined it must weigh a quarter of a ton. I helped load half of it into the car and had to unload all of it myself. It wouldn't have been so hard had I not gone there directly after going to the gym. I also picked up the sink, disposal and air gap from the appliance place and got to tell Sam, the lady who sold us all of our appliances how Wife could not start the new washing machine today and thought it was broken. It turned out that the washer door was simply not closed. (I'll just say that Wife is not at her physical or mental peak right now...)
Tomorrow's plans include sleep, rest, nap, relaxation and poker...
Today I picked up all of the tile. Combined it must weigh a quarter of a ton. I helped load half of it into the car and had to unload all of it myself. It wouldn't have been so hard had I not gone there directly after going to the gym. I also picked up the sink, disposal and air gap from the appliance place and got to tell Sam, the lady who sold us all of our appliances how Wife could not start the new washing machine today and thought it was broken. It turned out that the washer door was simply not closed. (I'll just say that Wife is not at her physical or mental peak right now...)
Tomorrow's plans include sleep, rest, nap, relaxation and poker...
Friday, January 4, 2008
Detour: The ultimate evil...
All clowns are evil.
All cats are evil.
Therefore the epitome of evil must be embodied by a cat owned by a clown.
If you ever find yourself in need of a term to describe an incredible evil, feel free to use "He's as evil as a clown's cat." I won't even charge royalties for its use.
All cats are evil.
Therefore the epitome of evil must be embodied by a cat owned by a clown.
If you ever find yourself in need of a term to describe an incredible evil, feel free to use "He's as evil as a clown's cat." I won't even charge royalties for its use.
Day 3
And the non-existent god said "Let there be canister lights!"
From all appearances the electrician did a great job so far. However, the job is not yet complete, as the wall switches are not done and we want canister lights installed in the hallway next to the kitchen, above the wet bar and in the alcove outside the bathroom. Here's the exact detailed list of what we needed from the electrician. I'm sure he saw this list then pictured his kids at the Harvard graduation ceremonies...
From all appearances the electrician did a great job so far. However, the job is not yet complete, as the wall switches are not done and we want canister lights installed in the hallway next to the kitchen, above the wet bar and in the alcove outside the bathroom. Here's the exact detailed list of what we needed from the electrician. I'm sure he saw this list then pictured his kids at the Harvard graduation ceremonies...
- Add wiring for two outlets for the island to come down through ceiling along center post
- Remove wiring and switch for ceiling vent
- Add wiring for microwave above stove
- Wiring for garbage disposal
- Wiring for dishwasher
- Wiring for under-cabinet lighting (Note there will be seven total fixtures, see illustration below)
- Canister lights for kitchen (six total)
- Canister light in hallway next to kitchen
- Canister light above wet bar
- Canister light in alcove outside bathroom
- Lighting for above island (set up connection only, we have not purchased yet)
- Switch outside kitchen that currently controls kitchen and hallway lights to be expanded to four switches in this order form left to right: hallway, above island, under cabinet, kitchen ceiling
- Relocate outlet for refrigerator
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Day 2
This has been the hardest entry to write so far, because it encompasses all of the frustration and anger that can come with a project like this.
So it was plumbing day. There are two plumbing tasks we need done up front, moving the kitchen sink drain and water connections two feet to the right of their current position, and to cap off the water connection in the wet bar because we no longer want a sink there. The estimate we got from Sol for this work plus hooking up the sink and appliances after the cabinetry and countertops were done was $750. I'd have to pay the plumber directly as his services aren't covered by Sol's company.
Wife wasn't feeling well so she left work early. She got home around 3:30 and called me to tell me that there was no plumber in the house, nor was there any sign of there ever having been a plumber in the house at any time today. After the fiasco with the demolition crew yesterday I was getting even angrier, though I did bear in mind that the demolition worked out well in the end. The anger abated when Wife called me back five minutes later to say the plumber had just arrived. Knowing nothing about plumbing I had no idea how long the work would take but I knew there was no way in hell he'd be done today. Coming back the next day was fine as long as he didn't get in the electrician's way, I suppose.
I got home with the kids around 5:30 and of course the plumber was still going. He's hammering, pounding, cutting and having fun with a blow torch. The house was already dirty and dusty enough from the previous day's demolition, but with the added smoke I figured it was best to just tell the kids to stay in their rooms with their doors closed. Around 6:30pm the plumber showed me a problem with the wet bar area, telling me that capping it off would be more difficult than anticipated because he'd have to replace some Y-looking valve in the wall. Of course he didn't have one of those handy and would have to run to Lowe's to get one then come back and finish the job. I took the kids out to dinner bringing back something for Wife, figuring he'd be done shortly after we got home.
He didn't finish until 8:45. Then he presents me with a bill for the work he's done so far. It comes to $840. He says that installing the sink and appliances when he comes back will be $750. I start steaming at this point. According to Sol, everything total was going to be $750. I understood that the problem he had with the wet bar was going to increase the cost, but this was utterly ridiculous. It was too late in the day to call Sol, which I would do the next day. So there were a couple of possibilities: Sol's estimation skills are astoundingly bad, which does not bode well for the electrical work and flooring/tiling work that I've also agreed to subcontract, or the plumber thinks he can pull a fast one on me, which would not be smart for him since it could cost him Sol's business in the future.
So it was plumbing day. There are two plumbing tasks we need done up front, moving the kitchen sink drain and water connections two feet to the right of their current position, and to cap off the water connection in the wet bar because we no longer want a sink there. The estimate we got from Sol for this work plus hooking up the sink and appliances after the cabinetry and countertops were done was $750. I'd have to pay the plumber directly as his services aren't covered by Sol's company.
Wife wasn't feeling well so she left work early. She got home around 3:30 and called me to tell me that there was no plumber in the house, nor was there any sign of there ever having been a plumber in the house at any time today. After the fiasco with the demolition crew yesterday I was getting even angrier, though I did bear in mind that the demolition worked out well in the end. The anger abated when Wife called me back five minutes later to say the plumber had just arrived. Knowing nothing about plumbing I had no idea how long the work would take but I knew there was no way in hell he'd be done today. Coming back the next day was fine as long as he didn't get in the electrician's way, I suppose.
I got home with the kids around 5:30 and of course the plumber was still going. He's hammering, pounding, cutting and having fun with a blow torch. The house was already dirty and dusty enough from the previous day's demolition, but with the added smoke I figured it was best to just tell the kids to stay in their rooms with their doors closed. Around 6:30pm the plumber showed me a problem with the wet bar area, telling me that capping it off would be more difficult than anticipated because he'd have to replace some Y-looking valve in the wall. Of course he didn't have one of those handy and would have to run to Lowe's to get one then come back and finish the job. I took the kids out to dinner bringing back something for Wife, figuring he'd be done shortly after we got home.
He didn't finish until 8:45. Then he presents me with a bill for the work he's done so far. It comes to $840. He says that installing the sink and appliances when he comes back will be $750. I start steaming at this point. According to Sol, everything total was going to be $750. I understood that the problem he had with the wet bar was going to increase the cost, but this was utterly ridiculous. It was too late in the day to call Sol, which I would do the next day. So there were a couple of possibilities: Sol's estimation skills are astoundingly bad, which does not bode well for the electrical work and flooring/tiling work that I've also agreed to subcontract, or the plumber thinks he can pull a fast one on me, which would not be smart for him since it could cost him Sol's business in the future.
Day 1
Well, Day 1 is finally here. I met with Sol to give him our garage door opener before I left for work. He said the demolition team would be coming by later in the morning to start their work. If my life were a TV show, when my phone rang around 11:00, the sound of the phone ringing would have been accompanied by the musical 'dum-dum-duuuuuuuummmmmmmm' sting intended to ramp up the tension of the scene.
Immediately upon noticing Sol's name on my cell phone my thoughts started flashing by in rapid succession, each envisioning some increasingly catastrophic discovery. Did they break a water pipe and flood my home? Did they discover rotting beams or mold behind the old cabinets? Did they find a skeleton inside the wall? Did I somehow miss something that I'd have to run home and clean out before they'd continue tearing everything down? (Actually that was the best-case scenario that came to me.)
So what was he really calling to tell me? Well, apparently the demolition crew had a stop to make before getting to our place. The problem is that the crew was shorthanded and they weren't going to be able to finish that job then get to our place and do all the work before 5:00, so it was going to have to wait until tomorrow to get started. On the pissed-off scale of 1 to 10, I was at about 23.8.
OK, remember how in the masthead I promised that readers would be able to learn from my mistakes? Well, here's an excellent piece of advice: Do not schedule any work for January 2. Whether the crew was shorthanded due to extended vacations or extended hangovers, I don't know or care. I just know not to rely on work to be kicked off on January 2.
Once I calmed down I wondered if they couldn't just pick up someone outside Home Depot. How hard can demolition be? All of the stages of construction, this is the one that requires the least skill, right? Get some monkeys, give them hammers and mallets then just sit back and watch the fun. Deciding them that picking up day workers wasn't a viable option because I didn't want to become Lou Dobbs' whipping boy, and the monkey idea didn't work well either because they may fling their poo beyond the boundaries of the kitchen, I became resigned to the fact that work would have to start a day late.
When my phone rang again around 3:00pm and Sol's name appeared in the window I immediately thought of even more potential scenarios for bed news. Perhaps my cabinets weren't ready because they couldn't find an axe to chop down the trees for the wood. I took a deep breath and answered the phone. Sol then tells me that the demo crew has been at my home for a while and they should be finished by 5:00. Now why he didn't bother telling me once he knew the crew was going to make it after all I have no idea but I decided not to pursue it and instead just revel in my blissful ignorance.
Finally I get home and it sinks in that we've progressed well beyond the point of no return. The kitchen is gone. What's left is a dirty, dusty, empty mess. Ever notice that when you move out of a place it always seems like the room is larger once you've moved everything out of it? What's odd is that even with completely bare walls the kitchen doesn't really seem any larger afterward.
Immediately upon noticing Sol's name on my cell phone my thoughts started flashing by in rapid succession, each envisioning some increasingly catastrophic discovery. Did they break a water pipe and flood my home? Did they discover rotting beams or mold behind the old cabinets? Did they find a skeleton inside the wall? Did I somehow miss something that I'd have to run home and clean out before they'd continue tearing everything down? (Actually that was the best-case scenario that came to me.)
So what was he really calling to tell me? Well, apparently the demolition crew had a stop to make before getting to our place. The problem is that the crew was shorthanded and they weren't going to be able to finish that job then get to our place and do all the work before 5:00, so it was going to have to wait until tomorrow to get started. On the pissed-off scale of 1 to 10, I was at about 23.8.
OK, remember how in the masthead I promised that readers would be able to learn from my mistakes? Well, here's an excellent piece of advice: Do not schedule any work for January 2. Whether the crew was shorthanded due to extended vacations or extended hangovers, I don't know or care. I just know not to rely on work to be kicked off on January 2.
Once I calmed down I wondered if they couldn't just pick up someone outside Home Depot. How hard can demolition be? All of the stages of construction, this is the one that requires the least skill, right? Get some monkeys, give them hammers and mallets then just sit back and watch the fun. Deciding them that picking up day workers wasn't a viable option because I didn't want to become Lou Dobbs' whipping boy, and the monkey idea didn't work well either because they may fling their poo beyond the boundaries of the kitchen, I became resigned to the fact that work would have to start a day late.
When my phone rang again around 3:00pm and Sol's name appeared in the window I immediately thought of even more potential scenarios for bed news. Perhaps my cabinets weren't ready because they couldn't find an axe to chop down the trees for the wood. I took a deep breath and answered the phone. Sol then tells me that the demo crew has been at my home for a while and they should be finished by 5:00. Now why he didn't bother telling me once he knew the crew was going to make it after all I have no idea but I decided not to pursue it and instead just revel in my blissful ignorance.
Finally I get home and it sinks in that we've progressed well beyond the point of no return. The kitchen is gone. What's left is a dirty, dusty, empty mess. Ever notice that when you move out of a place it always seems like the room is larger once you've moved everything out of it? What's odd is that even with completely bare walls the kitchen doesn't really seem any larger afterward.
We now return to our regularly scheduled bile and venom...
Hello to the avid readers of My Kitchen Hell! Sorry for the long time-out. I was locked out of the blog for a while but it's all fixed and I'm back to posting. Check back frequently over the next few days because the bile and venom shall be flowing freely, and the streets will be painted in whatever color bile and venom happen to be. I've never really seen copious amount of either bile or venom, so I don't know if they're white, green, transparent, opaque or whatever. But just trust me, whatever color they are, that's the color the streets are going to be! Well, at least until tonight when the first of several large storms is supposed to roll in and I assume my bile and venom will be washed away. So if you drive past my home and see some bilious, venomous and/or otherwise unidentifiable liquids being washed away by the storm, you will know it's my bile and venom.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Day 0
Finally, our part in this ordeal is done. We've removed everything from the kitchen that we can do ourselves. Now totally emply and bereft of our clutter, it still looks like crap. We've stuffed a few large plastic containers with usasble non-perishable foods, with the rest of the food that we won't be able to use with only a functioning microwave stuffed into boxes and moved into the garage. Another container has paper plates, paper bowls, plastic ware, cups, napkins and everything else we'll need to maintain a marginally functioning kitchen area. We've still got the microwave of course and we'll be able to keep the fridge plugged in somewhere during the entire ordeal.
Packing up the kitchen
I am still in awe not only of the amount of crap we had stuffed into the kitchen and outlying kitchen-adjacent area to begin with, but also in the fact that we got rid of something like a dozen large hefty bags full of crap and we still have more crap than I'd have ever thought possible. I've discovered that Wife and I have developed some pretty bad habits together over the years. (In fact we're just two weeks shy of 14-years of cohabitation.) Anyway, let's say that we have a frying pan but the non-stick surface has gotten old and scratched, rendering the pan useless. We then go out and buy a new pan and voila, problem solved, right? Well, no, because the old pan is still in the cabinet, totally forgotten yet still cumbersome. That pan will then sit atop the previous retired pan, and in time would be covered by the newly purchased pan when that one has worn out it's usefulness. I believe we threw away at least seven frying pans of various sizes and levels of non-stick surface effectiveness.
Friday, December 21, 2007
What Was I Thinking? (Part 4)
This is where I can really start giving out useful advice. First of all, have a good idea of what you really want to do. Granted, each sales person that comes to your home will start offering ideas that you will not have considered. This may actually become a problem as it did for us because each successive salesperson gave us new ideas to consider. Early on in the process our rectangular island became L-shaped. Then we added an idea my brother had first come up with, extending the pantry into the dining room. Of course, if we were going to expand into the dining room we'd have to have all of the old paneling removed and the ceiling scraped of the acoustic cottage cheese.
The first guy who came out didn't actually offer a lot of ideas of his own, though he was exceptionally pleasant. With him we seemed to talk more about materials, countertops, cabinet pulls and suck. I managed not to choke visibly when we saw his initial estimate. He then knocked it down 20% and a little more because we were looking to start work in January, typically their slow season. Even after those reductions it was still outrageous but at least it gave us a good benchmark.
In retrospect I feel sorry for the second guy who came out, a nice Russian guy who we met at the Home Show. He came out one evening and while he was here Wife and I kept coming up with lots of off-the-wall idea, like adding extra cabinets above where the island is going be. That was also the first time Wife even mentioned the idea of getting a new oven and refrigerator. I'd never even heard of the idea of "counter-depth" refrigerators before. So here's this poor guy listening to our stream of consciousness ideas followed by me going crazy at the idea of spending even more money to replace perfectly working appliances. We weren't surprised that he never called us back with his final estimate.
The next three estimates came from another company we met with at the Home Show, another company we initially met at the home show but whose rep lives in our townhouse complex and has done over 30 kitchen here, and a company who just opened a storefront down the street from us that seems specialize in the inexpensive $5,999 kitchens you see advertised in the newspaper. We'd finally reached a consensus on the cabinet layout, countertops, floor and wall tile/backsplash.
The three estimates were pretty close to each other and each option had it's positives and negatives.
- The guy from our complex, Sol, a compact Israeli with the strongest handshake I've ever encouintered, came in with the highest total bid, and was compounded by the fact that he didn't take credit cards, so that meant our 5% credit card rebate would be moot except for the things we had to buy ourselves. Also some of the work would be sub-contracted, though Sol would still supervise everything.
- Johnny, the Armenian from the store down the street was very amenable to every idea we had and gave us some great ideas for the floor and backsplash, but we were concerned because his company's experience was most putting kitchens in new houses but very new to doing renovations.
- Alex, a Russian with a very thick accent, had the lowest bid. It seemed nothing we suggested was a problem. Add a canister light over the wet bar? No problem. Add a separate wall switch for the under-cabinet lighting? No problem.
Laundry Day Minus One
Well, tomorrow is a milestone day in the Elf family household. Our new washer and dryer will arrive. Those of you who have actually seen my home will know that our washer and dryer are in the garage, not the kitchen, which would then make you wonder just what the hell a new washer/dryer combo has to do with a kitchen blog.
The answer is: Not much really. We've needed a new dryer for a while now and our washer, while adequate, was nothing special. While shopping for kitchen appliances I noticed how cool some of the front-load washers looked. Again, anyone who knows me is aware that I would never spend an extra penny on anything just because it looks cool. Case in point: I drive an Aztek.
What I did notice beyond the coolness was that many of the front-load washers qualified for $250 rebates from the LA DWP because of their low energy and water consumption. So given a choice between a $500 standard washer or a $1000 washer that I could get for $750 after rebate that would also use less electricity and water and also do a better job cleaning clothes, I was sold. Hell, we're already taking out a loan to pay for the kitchen, so why not add a little more to the loan and upgrade? There were other rebates available on the washer and dryer as well, plus the dealer was running a 2-for-1 special on those (surprisingly expensive) pedestals that raise the washer and dryer up so you don't have to bend over and wrench your back to get that last remaining sock. Add on top of that the fact that the manufacturers rebate was about to expire and the DWP offer may not last forever either, plus the chance of the price going up after the new year, and we figured we'd better just buy the dammed things and be done with it.
Also slightly annoying is that we'll have to use different detergent. Regular detergents get too sudsy in front-loading washers, so we'll have to buy "HE" ("high efficiency") detergent from now on, and I don't think they carry that at Costco just yet, though I hope they will soon. (Update: A co-worker informs me that there is indeed a Kirkland-brand HE detergent. How did I miss it when I looked?)
If anyone is really that interested in the appliances themselves, here's the WASHER and here's the DRYER.
So anyway, they'll both be delivered on Saturday, and whole new era in laundry will begin.
Of course, what we really need is something that will get the kids to start a load of laundry without being prompted and before their dangerously overflowing hampers have to be declared an eco-hazard by the EPA. Actually, I think I have another one of my brilliant invention ideas. How about selling a clothes hamper that emits an annoying noise if it gets to the point where it's so stuffed that the lid can't close? It can be a siren or a recording prompting the owner to "DO YOUR LAUNDRY NOW!" that can play continuously or intermittently until the problem is addressed and the lid can close. It could have a feature similar to an alarm clock snooze button for those times when you can't just go do laundry immediately. This sounds like a novelty gift idea since nobody would ever buy it for themselves, but I can see people buying it for friends. It's no stupider an idea than the Chia Pet, right?
The answer is: Not much really. We've needed a new dryer for a while now and our washer, while adequate, was nothing special. While shopping for kitchen appliances I noticed how cool some of the front-load washers looked. Again, anyone who knows me is aware that I would never spend an extra penny on anything just because it looks cool. Case in point: I drive an Aztek.
What I did notice beyond the coolness was that many of the front-load washers qualified for $250 rebates from the LA DWP because of their low energy and water consumption. So given a choice between a $500 standard washer or a $1000 washer that I could get for $750 after rebate that would also use less electricity and water and also do a better job cleaning clothes, I was sold. Hell, we're already taking out a loan to pay for the kitchen, so why not add a little more to the loan and upgrade? There were other rebates available on the washer and dryer as well, plus the dealer was running a 2-for-1 special on those (surprisingly expensive) pedestals that raise the washer and dryer up so you don't have to bend over and wrench your back to get that last remaining sock. Add on top of that the fact that the manufacturers rebate was about to expire and the DWP offer may not last forever either, plus the chance of the price going up after the new year, and we figured we'd better just buy the dammed things and be done with it.
Also slightly annoying is that we'll have to use different detergent. Regular detergents get too sudsy in front-loading washers, so we'll have to buy "HE" ("high efficiency") detergent from now on, and I don't think they carry that at Costco just yet, though I hope they will soon. (Update: A co-worker informs me that there is indeed a Kirkland-brand HE detergent. How did I miss it when I looked?)
If anyone is really that interested in the appliances themselves, here's the WASHER and here's the DRYER.
So anyway, they'll both be delivered on Saturday, and whole new era in laundry will begin.
Of course, what we really need is something that will get the kids to start a load of laundry without being prompted and before their dangerously overflowing hampers have to be declared an eco-hazard by the EPA. Actually, I think I have another one of my brilliant invention ideas. How about selling a clothes hamper that emits an annoying noise if it gets to the point where it's so stuffed that the lid can't close? It can be a siren or a recording prompting the owner to "DO YOUR LAUNDRY NOW!" that can play continuously or intermittently until the problem is addressed and the lid can close. It could have a feature similar to an alarm clock snooze button for those times when you can't just go do laundry immediately. This sounds like a novelty gift idea since nobody would ever buy it for themselves, but I can see people buying it for friends. It's no stupider an idea than the Chia Pet, right?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Detour
OK, time to go off topic and comment on a pressing issue of the day. The mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears had been working on a book about parenting that has been put on hold after the revelation that 16 year-old Jamie Lynn is pregnant by her 19 year-old boyfriend.
Now even if the news of this pregnancy had not become public, just who the hell was going to buy this book in the first place? Is there anyone who thought they could learn anything about parenting from the mother of the nation's most infamous train wreck? Perhaps the book was meant to be displayed in the Humor section, next to "Raising Gifted Children" by Barbara Bush and Jaid Barrymore's "Mixing Martinis for Minors" and the follow-up "Curing Your Daughter's Hangover."
Now even if the news of this pregnancy had not become public, just who the hell was going to buy this book in the first place? Is there anyone who thought they could learn anything about parenting from the mother of the nation's most infamous train wreck? Perhaps the book was meant to be displayed in the Humor section, next to "Raising Gifted Children" by Barbara Bush and Jaid Barrymore's "Mixing Martinis for Minors" and the follow-up "Curing Your Daughter's Hangover."
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
B4
Finally, as promised, here are the "before" pictures. I'd include some with the cabinet doors open but I'm afraid the images would cause some small children to have nightmares.
Miraculously the railing between the kitchen and the back room never did break off, no matter how many times the kids and houseguests would lean on it and play with it. No cabinet doors ever broke off though you'll notice few of the doors remained closed on their own, preferring to hang open a bit. The only problems we had with the plumbing were when we tried to shove too many things, particularly eggshells, down the antiquated garbage disposal. That's one reason why with the remodel we're going for the Cadillac of garbage disposals. Seriously people, do not skimp on garbage disposals. One service call on a crappy disposal will negate any up-front savings.
Wife has already decreed that there will be no magnets on the new stainless steel fridge. But she has not said where all of this crap is going to go.
Now don't get me wrong, it was an adequate kitchen.
Miraculously the railing between the kitchen and the back room never did break off, no matter how many times the kids and houseguests would lean on it and play with it. No cabinet doors ever broke off though you'll notice few of the doors remained closed on their own, preferring to hang open a bit. The only problems we had with the plumbing were when we tried to shove too many things, particularly eggshells, down the antiquated garbage disposal. That's one reason why with the remodel we're going for the Cadillac of garbage disposals. Seriously people, do not skimp on garbage disposals. One service call on a crappy disposal will negate any up-front savings.
Wife has already decreed that there will be no magnets on the new stainless steel fridge. But she has not said where all of this crap is going to go.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Oh yeah...
Man, it is so nice to have a relatively neat garage. It's great to be able to open the car doors without worrying about knocking something over. Now there's no way in hell we'll ever be able to park two cars in our alleged two-car garage, but this is still a drastic improvement.
What Was I Thinking? (Part 3)
First off: One thing I kept hearing throughout our research process is that kitchen and bathroom improvements pay for themselves by increasing the home's retail value. Well, lots of people also said that the Iraq War would also pay for itself, and that estimate has only been off by several hundred billion dollars. As far as my home goes, I don't give a rat's ass about the resale value since I plan on living there until either I die or have to be sent to an old age home, by which time the kitchen would need to be redone yet again.
Anyway, the last time we looked at doing the kitchen we were not very imaginative. Everything was going to stay in the same place but we were going to add a small island. Now that we were finally committed to doing this once and for all, we though we'd go to the Home Improvement Show held several times a year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We went there a few years ago and saw some cute ideas for layouts, gadgets and such, but nothing that really stood out. This time we dragged the kids along, and dear readers, consider this sage piece of advice: Young children absolutely hate home improvement shows. They're not too fond of the trip to and from the Convention Center either, particularly if you decide to stop at Ikea on the way back home. Though in retrospect, I have to wonder as I picture my kids in the back seat, Daughter with her portable CD player and Son with his Nintendo DS, how the hell I ever survived trips like that in the back seat of my parents' car without miniaturized portable electronics to keep me occupied?
So the show at the Convention Center was almost a complete waste of time. We got a free pumpkin, a nice large one in fact, however I didn't even take it out of my car until well after Halloween, though fortunately before my car would begin to smell like rotting pumpkin. We looked at a few kitchen displays and learned the Caesarstone has pretty much replaced Corian as the artificial counter surface material of choice, at least for those who don't want granite. There were some cute doo-dads, like the pull-out spice rack which is a great use of space when you've got an extra eight inches of lower cabinet space next to the stove. But mostly we just left our name and address with a few of the more reputable looking companies for them to come out to our house and give us estimates.
Come back next time as Wife and I confuse the crap out of some poor estimators and receive estimates that far exceed my wildest expectations, and believe me, I can expect with the wildest of them...
Anyway, the last time we looked at doing the kitchen we were not very imaginative. Everything was going to stay in the same place but we were going to add a small island. Now that we were finally committed to doing this once and for all, we though we'd go to the Home Improvement Show held several times a year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We went there a few years ago and saw some cute ideas for layouts, gadgets and such, but nothing that really stood out. This time we dragged the kids along, and dear readers, consider this sage piece of advice: Young children absolutely hate home improvement shows. They're not too fond of the trip to and from the Convention Center either, particularly if you decide to stop at Ikea on the way back home. Though in retrospect, I have to wonder as I picture my kids in the back seat, Daughter with her portable CD player and Son with his Nintendo DS, how the hell I ever survived trips like that in the back seat of my parents' car without miniaturized portable electronics to keep me occupied?
So the show at the Convention Center was almost a complete waste of time. We got a free pumpkin, a nice large one in fact, however I didn't even take it out of my car until well after Halloween, though fortunately before my car would begin to smell like rotting pumpkin. We looked at a few kitchen displays and learned the Caesarstone has pretty much replaced Corian as the artificial counter surface material of choice, at least for those who don't want granite. There were some cute doo-dads, like the pull-out spice rack which is a great use of space when you've got an extra eight inches of lower cabinet space next to the stove. But mostly we just left our name and address with a few of the more reputable looking companies for them to come out to our house and give us estimates.
Come back next time as Wife and I confuse the crap out of some poor estimators and receive estimates that far exceed my wildest expectations, and believe me, I can expect with the wildest of them...
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Nothing today
Ugh. Nothing kitchen-related today, just five hours cleaning out the dirty, dusty garage. It'll take longer to clean out the kitchen next week, though fortunately it's nowhere near as dirty or dusty.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
What Was I Thinking? (Part 2)
OK, where were we? Oh yeah, near present day. It's early October, I'm sitting in the kitchen, basking once again in its hideousness and at the same time I was thinking about what to get my wife for her upcoming milestone-type (i.e. a multiple of five) birthday. I was wracking my brain to come up with something, anything, that did not involve jewelry. I don't recall the exact motivation behind it, but I thought what if I told her we could finally do the kitchen and try to pass that off as a gift. That way we can take care of something we'd have done anyway and I get out of having to buy her yet more jewelry. Yes, I know there's no logic in spending a five-figure-plus amount to avoid spending a small four-figure amount on a tiny, shiny stone. But we really needed to re-do the kitchen. Nobody in history has ever needed jewelry, despite what my wife and brother-in-law would try to have to believe.
Another mitigating factor was something I got in the mail from Citibank. They were offering five-times points on all purchases made with a particular credit card through the end of the year. So if we charged $20,000 we'd get 100,000 points, which would get us $1,000 in gift cards. Not a bad deal. (Skipping to the middle chapter of our story, spoiling it for those who prefer their narratives in chronological order, I'll end up disappointed that the contractor we ended up using doesn't take credit cards, thereby negating a significant part of our expected rebate and increasing the overall cost of the project. Fuck! And there's my first f-bomb of the blog. It won't be the last.)
What kind of a budget did I have in mind for this whole project? Well, we already have appliances, though we'd need to get a top-mounted microwave and we really needed to replace the dishwasher, but the fridge and range both work fine, so why replace them? You know what, I think I'll save the full financial aspect for a separate post. There's so much to cover, but let's just say that the price of our desires easily exceeded even my wildest estimations. Plus it seemed that each time we reviewed an item that needed to be done, it only pointed out something else we'd need to do that we also managed to overlook. So again.... Fuck! Ah, so cathartic.
Anyway, it took me a few days to figure out exactly how to propose this to Wife. Somehow one night, after the kids had gone to bed, I just blurted out "Honey, how about, if instead of a big birthday present and party and all that stuff we just finally dive in and re-do the kitchen?" Having steeled myself for major rejection and possible anger, her reaction was quite a surprise. She liked the idea. She even got excited. So I dodged a bullet only to find myself standing in front of a cannon...
I'll pick it up from here next time.
Friday, December 14, 2007
What Was I Thinking? (Part 1A)
I thought I should complete the list of things in our home that required improvement. Several drawers in the kitchen were off the rails and could hardly open or close. The walls in the room behind the kitchen are covered in hideous white-painted wood paneling straight out of the 1970's. The wet bar is made from the same crappy materials as the kitchen cabinets. The ceilings are covered with the acoustic cottage cheese, with a big wide ugly swath missing from where we had copper piping installed. The kitchen lighting is insufficient. The fact that the location of our kitchen guarantees it gets little natural light doesn't help.
Need I point out again that practically all of these items have been in exactly the same condition since we moved in, over eight and a half years ago?
Need I point out again that practically all of these items have been in exactly the same condition since we moved in, over eight and a half years ago?
What Was I Thinking? (Part 1)
Oh, where to begin? How about February 1999 when Wife and I first looked at the townhouse we'd eventually purchase? The place was nice and spacious, coming in at just over 2,000 square feet with a two-car garage, conveniently located, just at the high end of our budget and in a good neighborhood. Of course, there were some problems, but nothing we couldn't eventually get fixed up. Those problems were the kitchen and all three bathrooms. We eventually fixed up the two upstairs bathrooms and figured the downstairs bathroom was not too bad. That left the kitchen...
So what was wrong with the kitchen, you might ask. Go ahead, ask. I'll wait. I said ask dammit! See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Next time just do what the blog says and we'll all get along fine. Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, the problems with the kitchen. The stove was a piece of garbage that died not long after we moved in. The floor was scratched and stained. The tile on the wall didn't match the rest of the kitchen. The cabinets were made of something only remotely resembling wood. The intricate carvings on the cabinet doors only served to accumulate dust and dirt which made them look even worse. The lack of counter space was made worse by the need to take up some of it for our microwave. The ceiling exhaust fan didn't work. The location for the refrigerator was less than optimal, particularly when it sticks out as far as ours does. The railing was loose and wobbly. Need I go on?
The plan was to refurbish the kitchen when we could finally afford it. Granted, when we moved in Wife was already three months pregnant with Son, so we weren't going to be able to afford it any time soon. Flash forward about three years and we actually got to the point where we had Home Depot come out and start giving us some real estimates. The idea was to replace all the cabinets and fixtures, leaving most everything where it was but adding an island in the middle. The whole job would have run around $15,000, using their standard materials, not exactly "the good stuff." Knowing what we know now about Home Depot's incredibly shoddy home services, we're very lucky that we decided to hold off doing anything, most notably because the company I was working for at the time had lost pretty much every hope of stability. It was only a matter of time until I'd be laid off, which did indeed happen less than a year later. I eventually got a new job, though Wife would go through her own period of employment hell, leaving our kitchen dreams unfulfilled for a few more years to come.
Now we move forward to a few short months ago, not long before Halloween. What made us decide to take the leap this time? You'll have to wait until the next post to find out. So check back for "What Was I Thinking? (Part 2)" Coming soon, possibly even with pictures.
So what was wrong with the kitchen, you might ask. Go ahead, ask. I'll wait. I said ask dammit! See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Next time just do what the blog says and we'll all get along fine. Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, the problems with the kitchen. The stove was a piece of garbage that died not long after we moved in. The floor was scratched and stained. The tile on the wall didn't match the rest of the kitchen. The cabinets were made of something only remotely resembling wood. The intricate carvings on the cabinet doors only served to accumulate dust and dirt which made them look even worse. The lack of counter space was made worse by the need to take up some of it for our microwave. The ceiling exhaust fan didn't work. The location for the refrigerator was less than optimal, particularly when it sticks out as far as ours does. The railing was loose and wobbly. Need I go on?
The plan was to refurbish the kitchen when we could finally afford it. Granted, when we moved in Wife was already three months pregnant with Son, so we weren't going to be able to afford it any time soon. Flash forward about three years and we actually got to the point where we had Home Depot come out and start giving us some real estimates. The idea was to replace all the cabinets and fixtures, leaving most everything where it was but adding an island in the middle. The whole job would have run around $15,000, using their standard materials, not exactly "the good stuff." Knowing what we know now about Home Depot's incredibly shoddy home services, we're very lucky that we decided to hold off doing anything, most notably because the company I was working for at the time had lost pretty much every hope of stability. It was only a matter of time until I'd be laid off, which did indeed happen less than a year later. I eventually got a new job, though Wife would go through her own period of employment hell, leaving our kitchen dreams unfulfilled for a few more years to come.
Now we move forward to a few short months ago, not long before Halloween. What made us decide to take the leap this time? You'll have to wait until the next post to find out. So check back for "What Was I Thinking? (Part 2)" Coming soon, possibly even with pictures.
The Ground Rules
Wow, it's another self-serving blog with delusions of grandeur, just what the world needs, right? Well, I live in my own little world and I need this outlet, got it? Anyway, I'm in charge here. Feel free to return any time and see how the progress is going. Leave a comment if you want. Or don't.
I also reserve the right to change anything I write retroactively, particularly if it will help me win an argument. My version of reality is the one that's going to prevail here. Oh yeah, I'm 41 years old and I may, should the mood strike me, use adult language when I deem it appropriate. If your delicate sensibilities can't handle the occasional f-bomb, then please feel free to go find someone else's blog about growing turnips, or the proper method of scrapbooking leaves or some other astoundingly tedious and pedantic subject where the frequency of adult language is likely to be far lower than here.
I also reserve the right to change anything I write retroactively, particularly if it will help me win an argument. My version of reality is the one that's going to prevail here. Oh yeah, I'm 41 years old and I may, should the mood strike me, use adult language when I deem it appropriate. If your delicate sensibilities can't handle the occasional f-bomb, then please feel free to go find someone else's blog about growing turnips, or the proper method of scrapbooking leaves or some other astoundingly tedious and pedantic subject where the frequency of adult language is likely to be far lower than here.
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