Kitchen Unveiling

Our kitchen hardware project is complete!

In the photo collage, the top left picture is the original kitchen with the ugly formica countertops. We got new countertops and a backsplash in November 2007, and then we completed it with our new black fridge and hardware this year.

We worked on it during the week and finished the last two today. Getting two holes exactly 3” apart so that the drawer handles could line up was harder than I expected, but it went much more smoothly once Kevin started doing the measuring. By the 5^th one (out of a total of 10) we had finally perfected how to do it: drill one hole, verify the measurements again with the handle, adjust as needed, drill the second hole. If it still doesn’t line up, we would redrill at a slight angle so that the screw would come out and exactly line up in the hole. The 5^th one was *perfect*, I could’ve done a little jig I was so happy.

We did have one Homer Simpson (doh!) moment when we put the 5^th drawer back on and moved to #6, and when I pulled the #6 drawer out to unscrew the drawer cover it didn’t open all the way. Since those two drawers are at the corner, having a handle on #5 prevents #6 from opening. So, we ended up having to swap the drawer fronts and leave one drawer (our original perfect #5) handleless. It looks kind of strange, but better than being able to open a drawer only halfway. In addition to our original supplies, we used a protractor I have from my college days to make sure the measurements were made so that the drawer handles were level. Who knew I’d ever use that item again?

Now, once we have our table our kitchen will be complete. We ordered a table at the end of December, that’s right – December – from Ashley Furniture. We were originally told we’d get the furniture by January 6, but on and on we were told that it would be on the next shipment, and it never was. In early March we decided to give it one more week and then if we didn’t have it, we’d cancel. So, on St. Patty’s day I cancelled the order. On the phone that day they were still telling me it should be on the next week’s shipment, but I’d heard that too many times before and nearly THREE months is too long to wait for it, so we wanted out. We’ll go to one of the other stores in town and find something just as good and have it long before we’d ever get that furniture. It is so frustrating. We aren’t the only ones; my father-in-law saw the store on the news that very night. The BBB has gotten a lot of complaints and they have SIX MILLION dollars worth of backlogged merchandise (people have paid for the furniture and not gotten it). So, do not shop at Ashley Furniture! The local stores were franchised by Finger’s Furniture, but aren’t anymore – and the manager alluded to that the last time I spoke to him, before complaints were rerouted to customer service.

Kitchen Hardware

As predicted, this weekend was cold and rainy. We needed the rain, so I was glad to see it, and it was a good weekend to stay inside - good since Kevin was sick with a cold much of the weekend. Since we were going to be inside, we decided to tackle a project we’ve been wanting to do for a while – put hardware on our kitchen cabinets and drawers. I was a bit hesitant to do this project because we always seem to have issues with our projects and I do not want to have holes in the doors and drawers from where we messed up.

We bought the hardware a few weeks ago (ordered from Home Depot), and we also have a drill, screwdrivers, pencils, papers and everything else we thought we might need. We started with the knobs for the cabinet doors. We used the doors on the island (low and not as visible) as our test cases (brilliant idea, thanks Kevin!) and were able to figure out exactly how we needed to measure it to have the knob pretty well centered. The first one was too far out, the second one too far in, but then we got the hang of it (after I screwed up the measurements on the 3rd one), and knew exactly what measurements to use for the rest of them. We made a template on a piece of paper, and were able to do all 19 of them! Kevin would drill the holes while I’d hold the cabinet, then I would screw in the screw and attach the knob. Already the kitchen looks different!

I was surprised when we were getting ready to order the hardware how many cabinets and drawers we have: 19 cabinet doors and 10 drawers, wow…and I still wish I had more space?

Next up were the drawers, we plan to do them later in the week but wanted to see if we could figure out how to do it. These are harder because they each have two holes so it has to be exact. Thank goodness we swapped our original plan of using these 2-hole handles on the cabinets – 19 of them would probably kill me!

It took us quite a bit of work to do ONE, but we finally determined how to do these handles. We will have to take the wood face off the drawer, and drill through it to attach the handle how we want it. We’ll also need to drill a different size hole so that the head of the screw is in the wood and it can be reattached, flush with the front of the drawer. Reattaching the front to the drawer was no easy task, and I wanted to stop several times, thank goodness Kevin kept me going. I don’t like to think of myself as a quitter, but when I want to be done with something and its nearly time for my show, I get cranky and don’t want to keep going. But we finally got that one reattached and have only 9 more (and the know how) to do it.

Once we finish, I’ll post pictures, and hopefully a before/after combo.

Spring came and went

It has been so nice to be at home this week and to be in my office every day. I need to remember that I like being in my office for those weeks when I'm going crazy with reports and other work. So: note to self, you were ecstatic to get to be in your office every day this week! Soon I'll be sharing my office suite with construction crews, so here's hoping that goes smoothly and quickly.

Next week is Spring Break for the students and faculty. I can already tell its coming up, the parking lot hasn't been as full and neither have my email and voicemail inboxes. I know that I'm cursing myself by writing that, as soon as I say that something always comes up, oh well. and, contrary to what people always think, I actually DO work the week of spring break. Since I've worked at two universities, I've gotten asked more times then I can count: what are you doing for spring break? Answer: working

But we get a couple of days off, which was a nice surprise when I started here. No big party plans, but I plan to get some errands run, and get together with friends.

We've started working on the flowerbeds for the spring - we planted some new plants and mulched the backyard. We were going to work on the front yard this weekend, but will have to postpone until it isn't so cold and rainy. its been so long since it rained, it has been nice to see the rain....though I wish people would learn to drive in it, hoping too much I know.

Happy friday the 13th!

back from Lubbock YIPPEE

I am back in Houston after my conference in Lubbock. and, as several people told me I was glad to leave town. My conference went well - I learned quite a bit and got some ideas for projects I'm working on, and (even better) met contacts that I can go to with questions and get resources from them on projects similar to ones I'm working on.

I was pretty busy with the conference, but did get to visit the Buddy Holly Center, especially appropriate since the 50th anniversary of the plane crash was last month. So, that day I had his song and others running through my head all day. I had no idea he influenced so many musicians (including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones).

Lubbock is small, the airport is north of town but it only took ~15 minutes to get to our hotel on the south side of the loop. Looking on the map, I thought the loop was going to be like Houston's 610 loop but its much smaller. Living in Houston for so long, it is unreal to realize how close together everything can be! and the lack of traffic was awesome, especially since i was driving a rental car that I'm not too familiar with (PT Cruiser) - bright blue, so it was easy to find!

This conferences feeds you all the time, so I'm pretty sure I gained 5 lbs on the trip, but will get back into working out and not eating as often or as much (seriously, they have dessert at every non-breakfast AND cookies at break time).

Today I've been busy trying to get caught up, and am so glad its Friday :) I still feel tired from the week, and kinda icky (I always feel blah after a plane ride). Being an introvert, its draining (but good for me) to spend all day, several days around lots of people, and talking about our projects and work in general...was so glad to get home and just see my hubby and my dog last night. Kevin even made me a 'welcome home' sign that he put onto the back door...awww

Door-to-door sales is not for me

We're trying to start a neighborhood watch through my HOA (homeowner's association) and need to get a sense of how many people in the neighborhood are interested in participating, so I volunteered to knock on doors to get those who are interested to sign up. I started yesterday morning, about 11:30 am, and went to 40 houses. It was disappointing how many houses I got no answer (32, and 1 answered but no parents were home) and surprised to see that 2 houses look vacant. They each had a sign warning that it had been winterized and not to turn on the utilities, and who lives without utilities? No one, I hope. I did get to meet a few people in the neighborhood and got four people to sign up as being interested in participating. So, it was successful, but I would definitely not want to do this all day, for days on end.

We made chicken tortilla soup again, a great meal since I was canvassing the neighborhood and Kevin was working in the yard. We used a full onion, added more cumin and cayenne pepper and have it now just how we like it :).

In the afternoon we selected and ordered knobs and handles for the kitchen cabinets, and will put them on once they're delivered next week. Can't wait to see how they look.

Today I am going to see a musical called "Menopause" and tomorrow i'm off to lubbock.