February 5, 2002

The Kitchen Saga

I am a great fan of personal presents. I love handmade things and gifts of the heart. With that said – imagine how thrilled I was to get two such gifts this past Christmas! My sister pledged her help in getting my kitchen re-done and my son promised to paint my living/dining room. Heck – he even bought the paint!

And the promises were delivered on in early January. My sister showed up from NC, mini-van laden with massage table (yay!) and various painting and papering tools. We spent 4 DAYS stripping the wallpaper off the kitchen walls and getting the walls prepped for painting. 4 DAYS! This is a small kitchen, folks. Roughly 8 x 10 -ish and two complete walls are 80% covered by cabinets & appliances. The other two walls have large doorways in them. This shouldn’t be that hard!

I won’t relive the details for this is the stuff that nightmares are made of. Let’s just say that ALL the fellows in the paint department at Lowe’s know my name. And let’s also say that I had an easier and less painful time giving birth – TWICE!

Into the midst of the kitchen turmoil comes my son, (Young Stud), his girlfriend and 2 (that’s right – not 1, but 2) giant balls of fur and slobber. OK. Young Stud & GF say they’re dogs – Labs, to be exact – but that weekend they were nothing but balls of fur and slobber! And let’s not forget that I already have a resident doggie, who is rather matronly and not at all amused by the antics of the “pups” (read that with a curled upper lip and hefty amounts of disdain please!) And two traumatized cats who I may be able to coax back into the house in a couple of weeks…..

Add to this mix two of Chickie’s friends, and stir well. Nothing spices up a recipe like extra teenage girls! Marinate the whole mess in paint fumes and baste liberally with drywall dust. Bake at a cool 50 degrees for 3 days……

Voila! I have a beautifully repainted living/dining area, with new curtains (sheers only, please – I love the light!) hung and all pictures re-hung in more appropriate places. I also have a beautiful blue, green and beige kitchen complete with wonderful lattice work and ivy stenciling (done by sis). I still have to finish painting the cabinets – but I’d rather tackle that on my own, thank you very much. In two weeks Young Stud & GF (and presumably the fur and slobber balls) are coming back to replace the carpet in the kitchen (who the HELL puts carpet in a kitchen?!?!?!) with wood flooring. Dad paid for that for my Xmas present but, bless his soul, he isn’t going to put it in himself!

I guess the old axiom is true – It’s not about the destination – it’s all about the journey.

Next year, I think I’d prefer a card. Signed. With love. And cash.

LOL ! I have had presents like that! Sounds like the massage table and a hunky massuese (massuere?) to go with it might have been in order also!

did i hear stencil walls? 🙂 i want a mural on my silly white cabinets. toad says i can’t strip the paint off, it’s probably unpretty wood. THERE is such a thing? 🙂 enjoy the floors! i love mine! woood, socks, sliding even dog slobber all swirl around. 🙂

Thank you for your note. I love your kitchen deal. I have a sixteen year old with a fourteen year old girlfriend, (Jailbait!) I can relate. My kitties have gotten used to doggie visitors. They don’t like them, but they tolerate them. Someday Sweetguy has told me that we will have a dog. When he gets down to one job. I loved your concotion, it was quite funny.

Admit it, you loved the chaos!!!!! The kitchen sounds lovely but carpet? whoa, that’s a recipe for fungus!!!! My sister also has 2 slobbery furballs, one with a penchant for diving in any water she sees… and my dad’s friend is looking after them while sis is in Italy… poor woman!!!!!!

The cats will probably need therapy… BTW, I’m sending you an email on an employment opportunity.

What a wonderful family you have. 🙂

thanks for the note…kitchen chaosa yes but ahhhhhhhh doesn’t it feel so good to sit back when it is all finished and be able to say you did it yourself. I like that feeling.

(DD is grinning at SWolf) Wow! You have been having a fun time of it. You definitely deserve some chocolate. I’ve been catching up on your entries and I don’t think you need to look for your ‘grip’ it sounds like you have a very good handle on it and its not going anywhere (grin).

Hey thanks for dropping by my OD *S*

Not the destination but the journey! This phrase leaps out at me as I realize its truth. I want to thank you so much for your wonderful note which has cleared my mind from confusion. I have indeed been thinking to write to please others and not exactly what I want and need to write. Suddenly after reading your note the course is clear. Journey of life. Many thanks and as Arnie would say Arl be bac

Enjoyed your note. Nice to meet ya. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist like your sister (or like she is becoming). I am a warm southerner too, lol. You are really outdoing me on all those projects! Keep it up gal 🙂

BBe

February 7, 2002

Ha! Great story. I bet it was much more fun than you let on. :)))

ryn thanks! love your od. its interesting

ROFLMAO. You are loving every minute of it really! LOL Hey, now ya found me pop over anytime. I don’t know how often I will be back in OD Regular. Hugz

miniver_cheevy

February 8, 2002

Good work! It sounds lovely! Enjoy the newly refurbished space, okay?

) yup , and even tho you can “trip” on the trip it’s still a h*ll of a ride . stash this memory in yr dream bottle , take out when needed 🙂

LOL, it sounds wonderful, Sw, but I know what you mean about the help. There’s help and then there’s HELP!

I don’t suppose they’d come to Nova Scotia and paint my living room? With a hopeful smile…Torin, unrepentently unsigned, but fresh from an OD+ entry

Sounds good to me.

Kidd J

February 10, 2002

LOL!

I am sooo tired of remodelling…but I am far, far from done..I’ll give you cash if you can convince your sister and your son to come redo the bathroom;)) (Really was cool gifts though!;)

And of course you will have the wonderful funny memories of the whole process. Goodness, what would we reminisce about if everything went smoothly?

I’ve never heard of carpet in a real kitchen. I don’t have a real kitchen. I have a kitchen area, which is part of the front room, which has carpet. But that’s totally different from a real kitchen … with carpet? I’ve just never heard of such a thing. Hehehe … cards signed with love and cash. Hehehe. 🙂 Luna, nsi

someone else was telling me this today… that i am too goal orientated and should relax… mmmmmm