So, it's been a week since my last post. I'd say our kitchen is 95% complete. On Tuesday evening, Greg finished pulling out the linoleum floor. We discovered that there were 3 layers of linoleum! He cut the Pergo on Wednesday and installed it in our kitchen on Thursday. Just in time for the delivery of our new appliances! On Thursday evening our kitchen looked like this:
You can see the empty spots where the appliances would be installed. And yes, I have an amazingly handy husband! =)
On Friday, Sears delivered our new range and dishwasher. I was expecting an experience similar to the phone or cable company where they tell you the service window is a 4 or 5 hour block of time, but the service guy doesn't show up until after the alloted window of time. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the Sears delivery process was. At 7:15 am, I received a phone call informing me that our delivery window was between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. The delivery guys showed up about 45 minutes early, were very professional, quick and thorough. Our contractor came back in the evening to seal the counter tops and check that the garbage disposal was working properly. So, on Friday evening our kitchen was basically done and it looked like this:
We spent part of Friday night and Saturday putting stuff back into the cabinets and arranging our new kitchen. We made our first meal on our new stove on Sunday morning: bacon and french toast for Greg and scrambled egg whites and toast for me. =)
Our kitchen looks pretty done, doesn't it? So, how come it's only 95% done and not 100% done? Because Greg has to finish trimming the Pergo and install base boards. Even after that's done, we won't be done. Our kitchen remodel crept into the dining nook, hallway and entry way. Greg painted the dining nook the same color as the kitchen on Sunday and started to replace the carpet in the dining nook and hallway with Pergo. He ripped out most of the carpet in the nook this evening, so it looks like this:
We haven't decided what to do about the tile in our entry way. We definitely have enough Pergo to replace the tile, but we're not sure about the durability of Pergo vs. tile. If you have any experience with Pergo v. tile, let us know!
On Friday, our contractors continued to install cabinets. By the time Greg and I got home all the cabinets were installed, except for a few doors and the handles.
They came back Saturday afternoon to install the granite counter tops. I think they spent the day cutting the granite, and then showed up to install it. When they left, they told us not to touch anything. Sadly, I didn't take any photos of this stage, but it basically looked the same as Friday, but with the sink installed and granite glued to the cabinets and being held in place with clamps.
The funny thing is that when I walked into the kitchen to look at the granite, it looked different than I remembered it. The granite we picked was a swirly tan, beige and what we thought was green. But the green looked more grey than green. It's not like the granite clashed with the cabinets or was awful looking. I just wasn't what we thought we ordered.
So, on Sunday we went back to the granite and cabinet store to look at it again. We even brought our camera with us. And we discovered that the granite clamped to our cabinets was the one we ordered. It just looked different (more green-ish) in the showroom lighting. We also realized that some of the granite slabs have more grey than beige/tan while others have more beige/tan than grey. The piece of granite we have has more grey than the one hanging in the showroom. We left the store feeling better about the counter top.
Today, our contractor came back to finish up the kitchen. The clamps were removed from the granite. The backsplash and faucet were installed. The microwave and garbage disposal were re-installed. The ceiling and walls were re-textured and painted. Greg has started to remove the linoleum floor so we can install the Pergo in the kitchen before our appliances are delivered. This evening our kitchen looks like this:
I'm so excited! This morning we started our kitchen remodel project! Originally we were scheduled to start the remodel in mid-April, but our contractor had to push our date out a couple of weeks. And today, the long awaited date has arrived!
So, what exactly are we doing? Well...we're installing new cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel sink with one giant bowl, recessed lighting, a new stainless range and dishwasher. Oh, I almost forget the paint too. Phew, that's a lot! I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. I figure it's good practice for the next re-modeling project we might need to do.
Last night we finished emptying our cabinets and moving the contents of our kitchen into the family room. We also ate our last meal "prepared" in the old kitchen. We microwaved leftovers and frozen Lean Cuisine dinners. And we'll probably be eating out for until we're the remodeling is complete. It's kinda hard to make dinner when you don't have a stove or a sink.
Our contractors are working quickly and have made good progress. Yesterday evening our kitchen looked like this:
They arrived this morning at 9:00am and started to prep the work area. They laid down plastic and heavy brown packaging paper on the floor, covered shelves with plastic, and started removing appliances and demolishing our kitchen. By noon, they had completed demolition and there was nothing left in our kitchen except for our refrigerator and the floor.
We're going to replace the linoleum floor with Pergo after the remodeling is complete...hopefully, with the help of some of our friends. If you'd like to volunteer, let us know! =) By the 6pm this evening, they had installed the recessed lights and about half of the new cabinets. You can't really see the recessed lights in this picture, but you get the idea.
We're surprised at how quickly it's progressing. Can't wait to see the progress they make tomorrow!
I'm amazed at the price of gas these days. It's crazy. The last time I filled up my Explorer, it cost $70! And that was at Costco, when gas prices were still under $4.00/gallon! Ugh. $70 is a pair of shoes. $70 is 41 cups of Peets coffee (plus change). $70 is a new pair of jeans (as long as you're not buying designer jeans). $70 is a weeks worth of groceries (sometimes). $70 is about 15 frozen yogurts. $70 is a whole lot of doggie treats and toys.
It seriously made me pause and wonder if it was time to get a more fuel efficient car. Who knows how long gas prices will stay at this inflated level. If it costs me $70 each week to fill up my tank, that's $3,640/year or $303/month. That's a car payment!
Granted my daily commute is something like 10 miles, round trip. But we do drive the Explorer to other places. After I told Greg how much it cost to fill up my tank, he replied, "We're not driving your car anywhere." The funny thing is that we've actually started to not drive my car. And it's not only when we're going someplace together. I've taken the Scion (aka Milk Truck) instead of the Explorer when I'm going someplace, like JACL volleyball or the store, by myself.
I wonder if the benefits of getting a new, more fuel efficient car would be worth it. I probably wouldn't need to fill up as much as I do now. When I did fill up, it wouldn't be as expensive as it is now. I wouldn't be so reluctant to drive my car more than 10 miles each day. Of course the extra driving might off-set the lower frequency of filling up. And it's probably better for the environment too.
Actually, we went to Disneyland last week. We were attending a Greg's cousin Brian's wedding in Pasadena this past weekend and drove down a few days early to spend a day and half at Disneyland and California Adventure with Greg's brother, Jeff, and sister-in-law, Jeanette.
The last time Greg and I were at Disneyland were our respective high school Grad Nights. That was a looooong time ago...slightly longer for me than him, but who's counting. Jeff and Jeanette, on the other hand, are Disneyland regulars. They go *at least* once a year. And they don't have kids! Of all the people we could experience Disneyland with, Jeff and Jeanette are by far the best people. They have Disneyland down to a science...fast passes, what to ride and when, hidden Mickey's, where to eat, parades, where to shop, firework shows and more. It was like having our own personal Disneyland tour guides.
We both agree that Disneyland has changed since Grad Night. A lot of things are the same (Main Street, Mad Hatter Tea Party, Dumbo, Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn). They've incorporated a lot of the movies, Disney and non-Disney, into the park. The submarine ride has become the Nemo Submarine ride. There's a Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster ride, a Roger Rabbit ride and an Indiana Jones ride. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow has been incorporated into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. And what happened to the Sleeping Beauty castle (I found out that it's not the Cinderella castle like I always thought it was)!? I remember it being grey (v. pink) and much bigger than it was on this trip. Space Mountain was also completely re-done. Greg says it's better than before. It's faster, smoother and darker so you can't anticipate where the roller coaster is going to go next. I think this was the first time I rode Space Mountain, so I'll take Greg's word for it.
Of course, California Adventures and Downtown Disney were completely new for us. California Adventures is a much smaller park than I thought it would be. Apparently they built it where the parking lot used to be. There were some cool rides at that park and several parts of the park do look like places in California. My favorite part of California Adventures was Disney Animation, an interactive experience that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the art and magic of animation. They had a special Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animation exhibit when we went. Downtown Disney has a lively vibe with lots of shops and restaurants. It reminded me of Universal City Walk.
By the way, Brian and Christie's wedding was classically beautiful and quite grand. They had an outdoor ceremony at the posh Langham Hotel (formerly a Ritz Carlton), rose petals covered the center aisle, trellis decorated with flowers, string quartet playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Pachelbel's Canon in D, cocktail reception on the patio overlooking the pool, ornate ballroom with fancy chandeliers, and beautiful dramatic center pieces. Christie was a beautiful bride. She and her dad did a charming father-daughter dance to Moon River. Her dad is a good dancer! Brian's brother and cousins, including Greg, succeeded in getting him drunk. It was a lovely affair.
Every year the city of Santa Clara has a city-wide clean up campaign. What does that entail? Basically, it means that residents can throw away anything they don't want by taking it to the curb. It literally is anything: couches, bookshelves, mattresses, vacuum cleaners, books, appliances, patio furniture, clothes, old calendars even toilets. Not only does the neighborhood look like a dump for a few weeks, but the scavengers come out as well.
I'm not talking about people who poke around because they're curious about what other people are throwing out. The scavengers I'm talking about are the ones who really go to town on the things people throw out. They drive around in vans or trucks, pick through boxes, and even bring tools in case they need to disassemble things. It's a little unnerving when strange people are rummaging through piles of junk outside your home at all hours of the day. Some of these people were pretty creepy looking. Personally, I wouldn't take any of the stuff that's been thrown out, mostly because I don't know where it's been and it just seems gross. But I suppose for some folks, that really doesn't matter. The clean-up campaign definitely confirms the saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure."
This past week in Vegas has confirmed that I'm *definitely* in a different phase of life. There was a time in my life when business trips were something I looked forward to: staying in swanky hotels, eating fabulous meals at fancy restaurants and of course, the non-stop partying. And what better city to do those things than Vegas, right? But it was a struggle this time.
The hotel is definitely swanky and I'm glad I had the opportunity to stay at the Wynn, but I missed my bed and for some reason found it difficult to get a good night sleep. And no, it's not because I was out partying till all hours of the night. I mean it's not like the room or bed was uncomfortable, because it was fine. They even had turn down service every night where they literally fold the bed sheets down, lay down a towel/rug next to the bed, close the curtains, turn down the lights so the room has a soft glow, turn the TV to pretty floral images and classical music, and leave Belgian chocolates on the night stand. Maybe I missed snuggling with Greg as I fall asleep or tucking Tachi into bed before getting into bed.
What about the fabulous meals at fancy restaurants? There are tons of high-end restaurants in Vegas from Nobu to Mesa Grill to Lawry's. But we didn't go to any of them. My company provided breakfast and dinner for all attendees from my company. And we were *highly encouraged* to partake in those dinners. Um, yeah. Since my co-workers and I chose to eat elsewhere, we opted for less extravagant restaurants at the hotel. The food was good, but we refrained from splurging. That's fine with me since I'm still trying to lose the 15 lbs I gained on our honeymoon.
And the partying? We went to a party at Rain one night. It seemed like a cool club, but it was just strange being there with everyone dressed in business casual attire, checking email on their mobile devices and talking shop. It felt a bit like "Man Jose" because the male to female ratio was 4 to 1. But then what do you expect when you're at a party that's sponsored by a bunch of telecommunications companies on a Tuesday night? The party ended by 10 pm, and my co-workers suggested checking out the Ghostbar or Playboy Club, but changed their minds when they saw most of the folks from the Rain party were making their way same places.
I really had to dig deep to rally and grab a drink with my co-workers. They wasted no time getting the bar tab started and giving me grief when I'd order a diet coke. "There's Jack in that coke, right?" "Oh, come on...you're falling behind." "You're going to have to catch up." I think I ordered a diet coke as my first drink because I honestly couldn't think of a drink to order. It's been a long time since I've ordered a mixed drink. I would've ordered a glass of wine, but if I drink too much wine I get sleepy and a headache. I did learn about (and try) two vodkas that I had not heard of before: Hanger One and Effen. Pretty good stuff. I think I consumed more alcohol this past week than I have all year. And I managed to be in bed before midnight every night! Ah, how times have changed.
You can see the empty spots where the appliances would be installed. And yes, I have an amazingly handy husband! =)
We spent part of Friday night and Saturday putting stuff back into the cabinets and arranging our new kitchen. We made our first meal on our new stove on Sunday morning: bacon and french toast for Greg and scrambled egg whites and toast for me. =)
We haven't decided what to do about the tile in our entry way. We definitely have enough Pergo to replace the tile, but we're not sure about the durability of Pergo vs. tile. If you have any experience with Pergo v. tile, let us know!
