Saturday January 3, 2004
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Normally, I leave the Christmas tree up through the full twelve days of Christmas, but yesterday I was checking the tree, and it was very dry and brittle - not a safe situation when it's strung with electrical wiring. The tree stand was full of water, and the bottom of the trunk had been freshly cut before putting it in the stand, but for some reason, the tree was not taking any water. I only had to add water once in the three weeks it was there. It was deceptive too - it didn't look dried out; you actually had to handle the branches to realize how dry it was.But rather than try to reason it out, I began, instead, the arduous task (for me) of undecorating the tree. The Husband and I dragged it out onto the deck last night, where it sits awaiting further disposition (the Husband will haul it off into the woods to serve as a shelter for the birds that have chosen to winter in New Jersey).
I cleaned up the trail of pine needles that led to the deck, but the ornaments are still piled on the couch and coffee table in the living room. I will tend to that today.
But first ...
We have a new year's tradition - the first Saturday of the new year (that would be today) is the day we gather up all the gift cards and certificates that we received for Christmas (there were many) and we go on a mini shopping spree. Sometimes we know what we want, other times we wing it, but it's fun either way. We wrap up our journey with lunch at one of our favorite restaurants (an upscale Mexican eatery).
I know what I'll be purchasing - a new computer keyboard. I spilled coffee in mine on Thursday and it hasn't been right since :)
Timing is everything.
Friday January 9, 2004
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I'm going back to Aruba.I have a friend at work who, along with her two sisters, has a time share in Aruba, and they take turns inviting one friend along each year. Last year my friend invited me, and I had a wonderful time. We all had fun.
This year is one of the sisters' turns to invite someone, and she invited me! She said we all had a good time last year, so let's do it again.
I agreed, of course.
Aruba is a great place - their economy is all tourism, so they know how to treat the tourists. It would be very difficult not to have a good time. I may have to buy my own snorkeling gear this year :)
That's not 'til October, but I'm looking forward to it already.
Thursday January 15, 2004
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Last night we had the guy from the local cabinet refacer come out to look at our kitchen to give us an estimate for the job. It's a small kitchen, and I figured it was worth having all the cabinets refaced, particularly since they're brown and the new appliances are black. So I want white cabinets and a black (marbled) countertop.The guy who came out was very nice - he was the owner of the refacing business, and he explained in detail what they would do. All the doors and drawers would be new and custom made to fit. He explained how the cabinet rails would be sanded smooth, then relaminated in white to match the doors and drawers, and how all the hinges would be hidden and the underside of the cabinets would be smoothed and laminated.
And he brought a laptop computer that presented a slide show of different work he had done, giving us a chance to see kitchens with the same white cabinets and black marble-like counters. From the pictures I could finally envision what my kitchen would look like. I was very enthused.
Until he calculated the cost.
It was about $1000 more than my most pessimistic guess. I was taken aback and wasn't quite sure what to do. My enthusiasm took a beating. We left it that I would get back to him within a week.
He has a local competitor, and I'll probably give him a call, but I'm not expecting much better.
So I'll probably end up spending more than I wanted to, but once that sting has subsided I'll be enthused once again.
I better.
Wednesday January 21, 2004
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Things are getting active around here.While my father, brother-in-law and spouse were busily installing a new bathroom sink and vanity, I was entertaining another representative from a kitchen cabinet refacer. The first guy seemed rather expensive, and sure enough, the second guy was significantly cheaper. But he didn't impress me as being the craftsman that the first guy was. And even though there was a difference in prices, the first guy offered more (like a new garbage disposal to go with the new sink).
This is a tough decision, but I think I'm going with the more expensive guy. Not for any definitive reason - it's just a feeling that I'm getting my money's worth by spending more. I hope I'm right.
Meanwhile, I have a new bathroom sink and vanity, but it took some serious demolition to get there. The walls still need some patching, with tile work to follow, then a new floor, and some new paint on the walls. Still not sure of the color though.
Once the new kitchen cabinets are in (sometime next month), then my trusty bathroom crew will begin putting down the new laminate floor in the kitchen (fresh from new flooring experience in the bathroom).
And in the middle of all that, I hosted two stamping parties. This place has had people coming and going every other day.
Which c.c. found extremely fascinating.
Opie just curled up in a corner of the couch and watched.
Wednesday January 28, 2004
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I decided I wanted to develop a page on the Opie Project, and since we've just begun remodeling our bathroom and kitchen, I thought it might be fun to include a page of pictures, detailing the makeover as it progresses.So you will notice on the Today page as you enter, there is a new icon down the left side (a hammer and wrench); clicking on that will take you to the remodeling page.
So far all we've accomplished is adding a new bathroom vanity and sink (not that that's a minor accomplishment - the sink was an inch wider than the space alloted). The walls still have to be painted, and a new laminate wood floor put down, all of which will be tackled by my dad, brother-in-law and Husband (that's three different people). In the near future a crew of people who remodel for a living will arrive to rip out the essence of our kitchen and install new cabinet fronts, countertop, sink and garbage disposal. Should make the mess in the bathroom seem trivial.
And I'll be taking pictures of the whole process (as best I can without getting underfoot) to post on the new web page. It's up and running, and chronicles the bathroom sink and vanity transplant to date. There will be new pictures posted as they occur.
I'll sure be glad when everything's done though :)
Tuesday February 3, 2004
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After two months of procrastinating, I finally got that Jeep Liberty I was threatening to get. It's the same one I test drove back in November, but at $3,000 less than the deal I was offered back then. Seems that Jeep is currently offering a $2000 rebate and 0% interest. The dealer had had the vehicle in his inventory since last July and was anxious to get it sold. So I kinda mentioned that I really wanted one with the optional fatter tires and they threw them in for free :)I settled the deal over the phone and picked it up Friday night. I had to return yesterday for the tire upgrade (they had to order the tires), but that's done and I'm driving a new car!
I'm atypical in my preference for a standard transmission - it's hard to find a new car with a stick shift any more, and if you do, it's usually a stripped-down econo-model. So I was lucky to find one with the luxury goodies I wanted and a stick shift. And a color that I love. It's a metallic color called Patriot Blue - it's different shades of blue in different lighting. It's neat.
With last year's very snowy winter, I came to rely on the old 4x4 Bronco to get me through, which is why I chose a Jeep 4x4 this time. But I'm keeping the Bronco for the rest of the winter so I don't have to take my brand new 4x4 out in the crappy weather :)
There's a Catch-22 in there somewhere.
Monday February 9, 2004
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Well, the house is cluttered with wood scraps, paint cans, assorted tools and various other evidence of construction, but I have a new bathroom (almost - there's still a new medicine cabinet and light fixture to be installed) with a hardwood floor that I love. It's actually a laminate floor, built to withstand the humidity and moisture that's ever-present in a bathroom. Through the combined efforts of my father, my brother-in-law and my spouse, the floor went down rather easily. It was the toilet and the trim pieces that were the bigger problem.We have a page chronicling the remodeling as it progresses.
The kitchen was the work area with a portable workbench, power saw and miter saw, and sawdust everywhere. I would chase along and vacuum up as much as I could until the bag was clogged.
They also installed a new toilet. I had planned to get one of those low-slung one-piece designer toilets, and I found one I liked for $300. It was more than I wanted to spend, but I liked it, and it didn't take much to convince me to get it. But the $300 price was for the model in white. Our bathroom porcelain is bone (almond, beige, sand, biscuit, whatever - it ain't white) and that same $300 toilet in white was $480 in bone (almond, beige, sand, biscuit, etc.). So we ended up with a basic bone-colored two-piece $100 toilet.
Both Opie and c.c. hung outside in the hallway, taking it all in, and respectfully getting out of the way when anyone needed to exit the bathroom. On the rare occasion that no one was in the bathroom, c.c. had to check out everything (she was particularly confused by the absence of the toilet).
They did start to get underfoot around dinner time, but the Husband gave them one of their favorites (Fancy Feast Trout) and they happily indulged, despite the sawing going on nearby.
It began around 9 am and wrapped up at 10 pm (with lunch and dinner breaks). And I love it. Thanks, guys.
Sunday February 15, 2004
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Yesterday saw the completion of the bathroom. Almost. I still have to paint the doors and trim. But I love how it's turning out. I still have trouble realizing that it's the same bathroom, only different.Check it out on our ongoing remodeling page.
Yesterday saw the addition of a new medicine cabinet. It was a simple bolt-on operation. The light fixture was a similar event, except it involved electricity. I stood back to admire my new bathroom and to try everything. There is a full-width drawer in the vanity cabinet that rubbed on the new wood trim molding on the walls. I experienced nervous anticipation as the Husband, aided by my father, cut the ends off my brand new cabinet drawer with a portable jig saw. But it turned out okay.
I found a wall plate for the electric outlet that was the same brushed nickel as the new towel racks, and another switch plate that was a perfect contrasting dark green to the newly-painted light green walls. The switch plate frames a new rocker switch that has a built-in night light. And the metal heat duct vent was replaced with one of genuine oak. My father added moldings to each side of the medicine cabinet and the face of the vanity cabinet.
It's the details that count. Martha Stewart would be proud.
Saturday February 21, 2004
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Things were going so well. The bathroom is complete and looking great, the kitchen is about to undergo remodeling, I have a new car, and I'm about to leave for Florida for a coupla days (business).It was the business trip that made me realize that my next doctor visit would occur while I'd be away. So I called to reschedule and learned that my doctor (who I think is great!) is leaving private practice. I was stunned. I hadn't had a regular doctor in seventeen years and I was really lucky to find this guy. But after next Friday, he's gone. There are other doctors in the practice, and I'm rescheduled with one of them, but I know it won't be the same.
And then there's my stamping person. My stamping hobby is the result of a home demonstration party (like Tupperware), which is given by a stamping hostess. She is into stamping and much as I am, and I rely on her to introduce me to all the new lines of stamps and accessories. I consider her a fellow stamper, not just a demonstration/sales person.
Her husband is in the military, and in ninety days he's being sent to new duties in California. That means she's going too. A permanent move. I'm going to have to find a new stamping demonstrator. I will miss her.
This business trip to Florida is a seminar from a major software manufacturer, and part of it is dinner with a "sixties" theme, and we're supposed to dress appropriately, so last night I found a pair of wide-belted, hip-hugger bell bottom jeans that worked. But I looked at myself in the mirror and thought "No way!" Dressing like the sixties in no way makes me look like the teenager that I was then.
Maybe I'll just get some peace symbol earrings :)
Friday February 27, 2004
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Well, my doctor has still left private practice, but my stamping hostess/saleperson is not moving to California after all; they're staying right here. I'm very excited about that!We're between the bathroom (done) and the kitchen (starts Monday) remodeling. In the interim, I spent three days in Florida (a business trip). You'd think three days in sunny Florida would be a nice break from the construction mess at home. Well, the problem with business trips is the business part. We (another person from work accompanied me) were on the go the whole time. There were seminars and gripe fests and vendor-paid dinners that left us drained every day. We had a nice hotel on the beach, but my beach time was limited to ten minutes (where we wandered one night while waiting to be seated at the restaurant).
We had rented a car, but its sole function was to take us from the airport to the hotel and back again. By the time we got back to New Jersey, we were exhausted.
But it was a good trip - I learned new stuff and got to meet the support people that I frequently talked to long distance. We shared experiences with other users from around the country and made new friends. For a business trip, it was very productive - I look forward to going next year too.
But for now it's back to remodeling - we have to empty everything out of the kitchen cabinets this weekend, 'cause starting Monday, they will be history.
Should be fun :)
Thursday March 4, 2004
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I love it! It's great!I'm talking about my new kitchen. When the guy first gave me estimates, he said it would be a 3-4 day job. He later amended that to being a full four-day job. That meant Tuesday through Friday this week, and the Husband and I prepared to take time off to observe the process.
So imagine our surprise when yesterday, Day 2 of the work, everything was finished. We were amazed. And it looks good. And we still have two days off to put everything back (and we'll probably be needing both days).
They finished up ahead of schedule in spite of a snafu with the sink. We had bought the sink in advance, and the box it came in was open and the stryfoam packing was broken, but the sink was okay. Except a package of special clips necessary to install the sink was missing. Being sink virgins, we were totally unaware of this at the time. The cabinet people pointed this out when it came time to install it yesterday.
So the Husband returned to the point of purchase with the sink. They had only one other sink that matched, but it had a nasty gash in it, so the Husband negotiated for the missing clips only, without having to exchange sinks. He returned triumphant.
By six o'clock we had a new kitchen. It can be viewed here. Did I mention that I loved it?
We then celebrated by going out to dinner. Why not?
Wednesday March 10, 2004
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The new kitchen is one week old.And I still haven't put everything back where it belongs. This isn't easy.
Yesterday was the forty-fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Barbie doll. Why is that a cause for celebration? Yes, I had several of the scrawny little things; I was too young to know that Barbie was subjecting me to future stress.
This weekend we celebrated my youngest sister’s birthday, with all the nieces and nephews in attendance. The other sister hosted, opting for a sit-down Sunday dinner (she was feeling confident), which meant lotsa food (I donated a rather weighty filet mignon).
We hadn't all gotten together for a party in quite a while. The three youngest (8 and twin 6-year-olds) had just had their soccer team portraits done, and they had individual pictures made up like trading cards, complete with their stats on the back. Kinda cute. They were passing them out to the attendees.
Dinner was a success, my sister got lots of new clothes for her birthday, and everyone was gone by nine. It was a party pretty much like all our parties.
Except everyone keeps getting older.
Tuesday March 16, 2004
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Well, it wasn't in the master plan, but we just added another set of cabinets (base and wall mounted) to the kitchen. We switched the locations of the refrigerator and the kitchen table 'cause I wanted a fridge that was too tall to fit under the existing cabinets. In doing so we realized that more cabinets could be located next to the fridge's new position.One can never have enough cabinet space, especially in this kitchen.
c.c. does get slightly displaced in the process, but she's not complaining. We got her and Opie all new food and water dishes (that match the countertop).
The base cabinet is two large drawers and one small one. The drawer fronts match the other kitchen drawer fronts pretty closely, and while the new wall cabinet door doesn't really match the recent cabinet doors, it is tucked into the space next to the fridge and is not really noticeable. Still, I may contact the cabinet people and have them supply a door that does match. Sometime. Not now. I can wait.
I did contact them about a new matching countertop for the newly-acquired base cabinet - that is a necessity. They assured me it wasn't a problem and they will be back this week to measure for it.
The new countertop will be home to the microwave (currently taking up more than its share of space on the kitchen table) and the upper cabinet will house cat food and cereal (which are currently in the cabinets next to the stove, and I need that space for cooking stuff).
Had I realized how much cabinet space I could gain just by moving the fridge, I woulda done it years ago!
Monday March 22, 2004
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Okay, I'm going to talk about the kitchen remodeling some more. It is all I talk about to anyone any more :) But it's almost finished. Then we move on to the attic flooring project, then the new stamping room project, then the new front steps project - this is the year of remodeling projects (and it just might last the whole year!).This weekend the new wood floor was put in, and it looks great! It really makes the kitchen. My trusty crew of Husband, Father and Brother-in-Law returned to work their magic. Besides the floor, they also installed the new cabinets we bought last weekend. I now have additional cabinet space, which is a big help.
Opie and c.c. have learned to stay out of the way. They observe passively from comfy spots in the living room. Except at meal time. At exactly five o'clock they were both in the kitchen, demanding to be served, despite ongoing construction. We convinced them that it was okay to eat in the dining room this one time.
Still to be done is the new countertop for the base cabinet we just put in, and repainting the kitchen table, which has about eight layers of paint on it already - it's been in continuous use for almost 70 years (it was the Husband's parents' original kitchen table). The Husband is going to attempt stripping the old paint, as soon as the weather gets just a bit warmer (this stuff is best done outdoors, away from my new kitchen floor).
And then there's the clean-up. Everything that was moved out of the kitchen has to be put back, only without the clutter. Right now, that's a daunting project.
But we will prevail.
Saturday April 3, 2004
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Last Wednesday c.c. was diagnosed with an infection and given antibiotics. If she didn't show improvement in two days, we should bring her back.She got worse. Friday morning she could hardly walk or meow. And she was in pain. Back to the vet. She had become dehydrated, and the vet recommended hospitalization. There is a hospital 25 miles away with a veterinary surgeon on the premises 24 hours a day. That's where we went.
We had never been there before, and we were very impressed with the people and the facilty. They share our concerns with us and they talk to all the animals. They even have a resident cat that lives on the premises. Check out their website.
One of the doctors there gave c.c. a quick exam and drew some blood. It turns out she had shallow but numerous wounds all over her body, many of which had become infected and abscessed, and ultimately had overwhelmed her ability to fight them. There was even dead tissue around the sites that would have to be cut away. Her organs were all functioning normally, but her white cell count was too low to stop the infection. There was concern that the infection had spread into her abdomen, and Leukemia and feline AIDS were not ruled out. They began giving her fluids and painkillers, with emergency surgery to drain the abscesses and remove the dead tissue scheduled for that evening.
She came through the surgery well, considering her extremely weakened condition. The infection was limited to the abscessed wounds and had not gotten into her abdomen, but the dead tissue was more pronounced than originally realized. She did not have Leukemia or feline AIDS. The prognosis for recovery is good, but guarded. The next 24 hours will determine her chances.
There are visiting hours, and we will be visiting our suddenly seriously sick kitty for a while today. If all goes well, we can bring her home on Monday.
The cost? So far, $1500. Projected final cost, $2200.
Who says you can't put a price on love?
But she didn't make it, and we didn't update the pages for several days thereafter while we readjusted to her departure.
Monday April 12, 2004
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It's been a terrible week. Only time is going ease our lives without c.c. There are still loose ends to deal with. We had c.c. privately cremated so we can bury her back in the Pet Semetary (at the edge of the woods) with three former feline residents of our home. And of course there is the bill. The final figure is $3,921.54. And we've been getting a steady flow of e-mail (thank you all; it helped us a lot), all of which will be answered. We even got a sympathy card from one of the doctors with a hand-written note expressing her feelings.Ten years ago we decided we wanted to go to Alaska, and when we checked out the cost of everything we wanted to do, it was expensive. We began a vacation fund, so by the time we returned from Alaska, everything was paid for. We had all the memories and none of the bills. It worked so well we began another vacation fund for a trip to Australia in 2006.
That's where the money is coming from to pay the vet bills. We're fortunate we had the money there, but it wouldn't have made any difference if we hadn't - we couldn't do anything less than everything we could for c.c. Even now, after the cost and four doctors caring for her 24 hours a day, we still wonder if we couldn't have done more. A natural reaction I suppose.
c.c. had such a dominant personality that her absence is palpable - she was part of almost everything we did (whether we wanted her to be or not). She was very vocal and could express happiness, anger and admonitions with her utterances (which were constant). Now the silence around here is, as the cliche goes, deafening.
We've been trying to get back to a normal routine (now that we're not making the 50-mile round trip to the hospital every day). I volunteered to make dinner Easter Sunday for my whole family (for any non-Italians, Easter Sunday dinner is a very big deal) and the Husband sanded down the kitchen chairs for repainting.
But we still have to give Opie extra attention and comfort; it's obvious that he misses his best friend. Whenever he hears a noise, he perks up and looks around, expecting c.c. to appear (it's happened to us too). At mealtimes, he waits for her to come running into the kitchen.
We've had to say goodbye to pets before, but not one so young after such an ordeal. We'll help each other get through it, one day at a time.
All three of us.
Sunday April 18, 2004
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c.c.'s ashes were returned to us on Thursday, and yesterday we buried them back in our corner of the yard known as the Pet Semetary (spelling from the Stephen King novel). There are three of our other felines out there that we've had to say goodbye to over the past twenty years, and each was special in her own way. We mourned each and moved on.c.c. has joined them, and we have mourned for her. We were all there (Opie too) as the Husband performed the task, and we said our goodbyes.
We traditionally mark each site with a cement garden frog, purchased from a local garden center, but they have informed us that the frogs have been discontinued. The garden center had only gnomes and cherubs, neither of which I thought seemed fitting. The Husband will be visiting other garden centers today to see if he can find something.
The burial was our closure to this unexpected turn of events, and we are as ready as we're going to be to move on with our lives.
Rest peacefully, kitty.
Monday April 19, 2004
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This is the choice we ended up with to mark c.c.'s spot in the Pet Semetary.
Phase Two had ended.
