Day 120: The Cabinets Are In...

...and Christmas has come and gone.

Sorry for taking so long to post an update on the kitchen. I have no good excuse.

Well, enough of the blubbering, lets get to the good stuff. The cabinets are in! And so are all the appliances. Well, except for the dishwasher. But it is in place while I wait for the missing pieces to be delivered.

The cabinet installer, Theo, showed up on the morning of the 14th and got straight to work. He was working solo but figured he could get them in in a day. I knew all along, but didn't let myself get too used to the idea that they would go in that quickly.I lucked out when they sent Theo to install my cupboards. He normally works on high end kitchens, so he knew his way around cabinetry. He did a great job and only forgot one thing -- to drill a hole for my microwave cord. I had the right drill bits, and my handy dandy new drill, so I cut the hole myself.

After Theo left, I was faced with the daunting task of putting everything away. I was completely overwhelmed. Not only did I have to put stuff away, I had to clean most of it first and without a sink nearby. It all went in relatively smoothly, but I needed more shelves which I got to the following day. I even managed to put the stove and washer/dryer back all by myself. I was really craving some soup after I stumbled upon a can while unpacking. So, I fired up the stove and made me some soup!

By shear luck, my super awsome plumber Darrell was able to come on Monday to install my sink and dishwasher. He actually sent a different guy, but stopped by between jobs. I insisted they use braided lines all the way to the dishwasher, even though it would cost about $60 extra. I don't need it to burst which has been known to happen with plastic supply lines. Apparently the braided lines you buy at the hardware store are NOT the right kind. Only those from an actual plumbing supply place are the right kind. You can tell because they have a 'ring' type thing on the inside of the nut which goes on the inside of the pipe thingy. When the nut is tightened I am guessing it acts as a bit of a compression fitting on that inner ring thingy.

While there, Darrell helped me yell at the guy at the Brick when they told me the pieces I was missing for the dishwasher had to be purchased separately. He is now waiting on those parts, which the Brick will pay for thanks to my "conversation" with them. So, he will come back in the new year to install. Turns out I won't be flexing again until Feb 1, so I have a full month to wait for that last piece of the kitchen reno. But, I am so used to washing dishes by hand that I hardly notice. Besides, the dishwasher is sitting in its place and not my living room or dining room, so I am quite happy to carry on this way for as long as it takes.

I will be sure to get the kickplate tiles (base of the cabinets, same as the floor tile) and backsplash tiles in before the dishwasher goes in so that the kitchen will finally be done. I purchased the plain white tiles for the backsplash and decided to go with a glass tile for the insert. Glass tiles will go better with white grout and the taupy-purple colour will really go well with the floor. They should arrive some time next week.In the meantime, I am trying not to make a mess of my carpets which were just cleaned by my friends Tom and Lorraine. Thanks guys, they have a new lease on life while I save up my money to do the floors!

And here are some pics...


The cupboards AND the sink is in! w00t!


My microwave doesn't look half bad thanks to the black knobs.


The new cupboard over the washer and dryer. I need a stool to reach it.


My slick new range hood. It has a very bright light setting that I use when I want to interrogate what I am cooking.


My super deep sink and goose neck faucet. I can fill a bucket in the sink now.

Day 119: Giddy

I was giddy all day today and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that the cupboards are going in tomorrow...at long last! (insert happy humming)

I know I promised to post a pic of my closet doors...but I hit a bit of a snag. The replacement pieces I had to buy weren't quite the same as the ones that came with the door. Remember, I needed two sets of the mounting hardware since I wanted to install each door separately?

I can honestly say that Home Depot is a much better place than Rona to get bifold door hardware. I ended up buying all new mounting hardware (the pieces the pins go into) because HD had a style that had a screw to keep the pin in place. They also had a pin for the bottom which was threaded so the door height can be adjusted slightly. The trick is getting the current pins out. The plastic bushing has burrs on it so it goes in and stays in. I have a trick that works, but it is too tough to explain. I picked up the last of the bifold door hardware tonight so will install tomorrow while I am at home...in the event that I can't help install the cupboards!

When it comes to hinges, the Cook St Do-it Centre is a better place than Rona (sorry Rona). I just wanted brushed steel hinges and Rona wanted $9.00 for a single hinge. Cook St had them for $4.00...for a pair! They aren't as good quality, but it is for a door that no one will ever see.

While at HD, I bought a drill. I had to replace the one that was covered in mortar from using it to mix the mortar. It actually still worked and I needed a drill this past week, so the excitement to work on my bifold doors helped me overcome the fact that it was covered in mortar. But, I had taken off the chuck key to keep it after tossing the drill but I've misplaced it and obviously never did get around to tossing the drill. I've even purchased two keys but neither work. Enter the new drill...the new keyless chuck drill! It is corded and has variable speed too! That is a feature I didn't want to be without and I can't stand cordless tools because I would never drain the battery properly and would wreck the battery...but not before they discontinued that style of battery. I also think you need a lot of torque on a drill and you can't get that with a battery pack that is nearly drained.

Well, I go sleep now...if I am able to sleep that is!

Day 117: 3 More Sleeps...Oh, and I'm a Genius

I am down to 3 sleeps before the cabinets go in. I am quite excited. I don't expect they'll finish in one day, but one can hope.

In the meantime, I have been painting a set of bifold doors for my front hall closet. Since moving in, none of my closets have had doors, so this is VERY exciting. I've painted the pair white to match the trim I just installed, but I am wondering if painting them the wall colour would have been a better option.

Sure, the bifold doors are just the compressed paper flavour, but I came up with an ingenious modification to the door which will alleviate most of the hassles you get with paper bifold doors. Namely, the slider rail thingy and corresponding pins as well as where to mount the knob/handle so it will open the door with the least amount of wear and tear on the hollow paper carcass of a crappy door...to mention a few.

I came up with the idea while I was measuring for the holes for the bottom bracket. This piece and the top rail plus pins at the top and bottom of one side of the door act as stationary pivot points for the door. So, I had one half of the door temporarily in place when I noticed how well the door swung. It was as if the door was floating it was so smooth. So, I decided to do away with the hinges and the slider piece altogether and just hang the other half of the bifold door the same way on the opposite side of the opening. In other words, the doors will hang freely and independently like a pair of french doors. The pins are still in place, but because I am not using the slider piece or the hinges, I don't expect the part of the door where the pins go in to sustain much wear and tear.



As I was typing that up, I realized the bottom bracket doesn't actually mount to the floor. It has holes in the side that meets the wall thus allowing you to affix it to the wall. This means I DON'T have to drill holes in the slate floor! Sweet.

And, in case you were able to follow me and are wondering how I will prevent the doors from swinging into the closet, I am going to mount a piece of wood along the top to prevent that from happening.

Further modifications may happen. For instance, the rail at the top is currently in place because it holds the piece that the top pin goes into. I could get a "floor bracket" and mount it up top instead of the rail. I'll mull it over but I've pretty much convinced myself that is what I need to do. Stay tuned for pics tomorrow night!

"LOL very funny haha"

"LOL very funny haha"

Aside from the obvious reason this is funny, I especially like it because it reminds me of the South Park episode called "Towelie". You know, when Cartman and Towelie were arguing and he called Towelie a towel? Poor Towelie was a little high and couldn't come back with anything better than "You're a towel."

Day 109: A Little Anti-Climactic

Well, the cupboards have left the warehouse...and are stacked up in a huge pile in my living room. They look really nice and the hardware I selected is going to look awesome.



(no, I didn't plan on getting Evin in the shot, but by the time the camera took the picture, there he was.)

Knowing the cupboards are just going to sit there for nearly 2 weeks is a little anti-climactic. Plus, the delivery guys scratched the tops/sides all up. I'm hoping the scratched sides are the ones facing the wall or ceiling and not the underside of the upper cabinets. They even scratched the side of a door which I've photographed and will send in to Harbour City Kitchens tomorrow. Finally, there is a chip in the countertop, but it is the back corner that will be covered by the backsplash.

I started painting the baseboard trim last night. I used the ceiling paint by accident, so although it is the right colour, it isn't the right sheen. It looks great and I'll get going on a second coat one of these nights.

Day 106: 14 More Sleeps

The countdown is on! I have 3 more sleeps before the cabinets are delivered and 11 more sleeps after that before the installers come!

The last few tasks to do before installation:
- Seal the tile and grout -- Check
- Touch up the walls with paint
- Paint the trim

At any point I could be fixing the grout in the bathoom but I think I'll wait until I'm not using the bathroom to wash dishes or prepare food.

In other news, I won a 2GB iPod Nano at the IIBA dinner I attended last night! It is a second generation iPod which means it has a smaller display screen than the new G3 models, but I prefer the look of the G2's.

I decided to splurge on a speaker/docking system as I currently don't have a stereo or anything better than a set of computer speakers. So, I went shopping after work. I saw an Altec Lansing docking station for $149 at Future Shop and a Sony micro stereo on sale for $149 at London Drugs. I wanted one with a usb port so I could still play my Sony mp3 player and charge it at the same time. The Sony micro stereo fit the bill and it had a cd player so I can play regular CD's if I want. I didn't come to the decision on my own though -- Mikey helped me.

Now, if only I can get the iPod to stop saying "Do not disconnect." when I plug it in to the computer. Surely 9 hours was enough to charge it.

Day 95: I'll never do that again

If ever I talk about installing slate tile, or any other unglazed tile for that matter, shake me until I agree to go with lino.

This weekend I grouted and it was only slightly more fun and marginally less painful than actually laying the tile. Because the tiles were so rough and uneven (compared to glazed tile), the grout really stuck to the surface of the tile. This made it very hard to clean the tiles after grouting. About 3/4 of the way through, the pain in my wrists that I got from wringing the sponge and scrubbing became nearly intolerable. The only thing keeping me going was the fact that if I left it it would only be worse. Besides, I had a free meal to attend.

I came home from dinner to finish washing the tiles. There is still a hazy film left behind but I think I'll wait until the grout cures and just mop the damn floor. On my way home I stopped off to buy a heating pad for my poor back. It might be just the thing to train my body to sleep on my back.

I'm sure the floor looks great but I am too tired and sick of looking at it to care.

Before grouting, I installed baseboard moulding. It went in pretty smoothly, and I only mismeasured one piece about three times. I used the old fashioned hammer and nails and borrowed my brothers compound mitre saw. I set it up in the boiler room of my condo so I wouldn't get sawdust all over the heaps of dust covered kitchen stuff in my living room. It was also quieter for my nabours.

Most helpful were my good friends caulk and Durham (as in Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty). Together, they hide a miriad of imperfections! The worst wall was in the front hallway that I didn't even touch. There is about a 1/8" gap between the wall and the baseboards. I went with bulky but plain baseboards so I couldn't simply bend it to fit the concave wall.

Caulking cracks between the wall and trim/baseboards before painting is, for whatever reason, one of the best kept secrets out there. I've known about the trick for about 13 years and will never be without. Be sure you use the paintable stuff! I've even heard of someone smearing a very very very thin layer along the taped edge before painting stripes on the wall (to prevent seepage). I've yet to try it, but when I do, I'll report back.

As for Durham's, it cures quickly into, get this, a rock hard surface that can be sanded. I used it along those mitred edges on the outside corners. Speaking of which, there are a few outside corners that only have half a piece. I'll install the others when the living room and dining room get done...one day...and that day is far far away...

I've nearly settled on a plan for the backsplash -- tile! But not slate, at least not much slate. I plan to lay white 6x6 tiles with a few that have a cut out for a decorative tile. Enter the slate. I have a few thin pieces that, when cut into 1.5x1.5 squares, will be a great insert! I think it will be fantastic and will really tie in the floor. It is a far cry from beadboard which I had planned for the outset, but depending on how much tile there is, I may beadboard most of the backsplash and do the tile detail above the sink.

On a related note, Harbour City Kitchens called and the cupboards are still due for early Dec. They get delivered on the morning of the 3rd but we don't have an install date. I may have to wait until the 10th or as late as the 14th, but I've known that for some time.

At long last, some pictures:

Day 87: My Slate is Sealed

At long last my floor is sealed. I got to it pretty late today because I was procrastinating. Once at it, the task wasn't that bad. The rich colours really come through with the colour enhancer/sealer so it was instant gratification. I'll know tomorrow morning if I need a second coat, and if so, whether I can apply that other product on top of the sealed tiles and grout.

Here is the view coming down the stairs:



Compare that with the unsealed picture from the last post.

The floor looks really good, but there are a few imperfections in my installation that are nagging at me. I'm a perfectionist, but at the same time, I just wanted to get the tiles laid. I'm thinking the extreme back pain had something to do with that. So, I'll just have to live with the few tiles that sit higher/lower than others, and the too big or too small gaps between some tiles. I'm hoping they all blend away when the grout is in.

One of the remaining tasks while I am waiting for the cupboards to arrive is to install baseboard trim. That will make a huge difference in finishing off the floor. I am really pleased with how the walls turned out, so I am actually not that keen on installing the panelling I originally had in mind. I guess I should decide pretty soon. Maybe a glance at my bank account will help me decide.

Day 85: Getting Ready to Seal the Tile

I had to go into work Friday and because I couldn't make a reservation the night before, I didn't get home from Van until 11:30 pm. Needless to say, I was tired most of the day.

I came home, ate a piece of cheese, and proceeded to scrub the floors to get all the mortar off the tiles. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. There are a lot of gaps between the tiles that got filled up by mortar which means the grout won't have far enough to go to get good contact. I really wish I had watched out for that more carefully while the mortar was still wet. I'll dig it out in the high traffic areas and proceed with the sealing tomorrow.

Even though I didn't get around to sealing the tiles last weekend, I'm not really that far behind. I'll grout next weekend and if there isn't goint to be enough time for the grout to be sealed before the cabinets go in, then I can seal it after the fact.

It is very exciting that I am to the point where I just have to turn one page in the calendar to see the approximate date that the cabinets will go in.

Here is a pic of the tiles without the enhancer:

Day 85-ish: Renos? What Renos?

I have just returned from Vancouver where I was at the PM/BA World Conference. I stayed in the very swanky Pan Pacific Hotel which was such a treat I forgot all about my renos.

Well, I didn’t completely forget. I closely inspected the marble tile job in the bathroom and was glad I had a whole ¼ inch forgiveness…I mean grout line…to work with. See, marble only needs 1/16 of an inch for grout so your alignment has to be bang on.

The reality of my kitchen sank in as I bade farewell to my posh hotel room with a 21-story view and pristine carpet that has never been scratched by a cat, the super rapid talking elevators with a monogrammed carpet for every day of the week, and the very yummy breakfast biscuits. I would soon be back to the dirty, cluttered, and non-glamorous condo I call home. Back to the toaster breakfasts and microwave dinners. Ho hum.

The conference was really great. I saw a few former ACD’ers (Vince and Meghan) and some Schneider-ites (Charmaine) so got to visit and reminisce. The “Track Sessions” (1-hour long sessions on various topics) were interesting but it was the 2-day BA Crash Course that was the real reason for being there. The facilitator/teacher was great and clearly enjoyed the topic and teaching. When I go back, I won’t bother with the track sessions unless there is a speaker/topic I must see.

I came away from the conference almost completely convinced I will proceed towards the BA stream. I get to get my hands a little dirty and use both my PM and QA background. In fact, my QA background is going to be quite useful even if I have yet to get any formal training in QA.

The highlight of the trip might have been the fact that David Beckham was staying in the hotel but I honestly couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. His presence sparked a modest gathering of loud people outside the hotel which woke me up. But the real highlight of the trip really was the crash course, but I won’t lie when I say I also enjoyed the shopping. I ventured out Wednesday night to Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and IKEA. I would have liked to go to Tiffany’s and the craft fair at the conference center but I didn’t want to risk being stuck on the mainland Thursday night.

When I got home at 11:30, I was thoroughly exhausted and glad I made it home without falling asleep at the wheel. I fed the cats and climbed into bed. Evin was either very rested or glad to see me (or both) because he ran around on the bed like a village idiot. It was nice to get such a warm welcome.

Day 79: Back Breaking Labour

Laying the tiles was quite a painful process. I was at it all day Saturday and was too tired/busy Sunday to do anything about cleaning and sealing the tiles.

I have a new line on some sealer that does both tile and grout so I may get to wait until the grout is in which would save some time.

I'm on my way to Van and don't have time to post pics, so here is a temporary album: http://www.sendpix.com/albums/07110423/kdymw12bgs/

Do Cats Go To Heaven?

This month's picture in the New Yorker Cat Calendar is "Cat Heaven"...a bunch of tattered arm chairs with cats clawing them. Of course, the cats are drawn with cute little angel wings and halos. I looked at it and remarked to my coworker - "That sure is a lot of cats that made it into heaven" after which I paused, and then added "Evin won't be going to heaven. My luck he'll be stuck in purgatory so he can bug me the rest of my life." We got a chuckle out of my fate and I headed home for the day.

Evin is a great cat and has amazing spirit, but he can be really annoying when I am busy doing cat-unfriendly things like laying tile, making the bed, preparing a sandwich...the only thing he watches me do from a safe distance is get ready for work. He perches on top of the cabinet above my toilet where he can see me doing everything, including showering, but is well out of my way.

Day 78: Blinding Progress

I plan to lay the tile Saturday so I did some prep work tonight. Laying out the tiles is essential if you want straight lines and as close to full tiles as possible when you get to the threshold between rooms. I have a few thresholds to contend with, but things look pretty good. I used my handy dandy laser level which does right angles on the wall or the floor. So there I am, laser levelling away and making marks on the floor when I looked up. There was Evin sitting with the laser line going straight up his face. I stopped what I was doing, shut off the light, and sat down with disbelief at how innocent he looked with the red line going up between his eyes. He obviously wasn't blind, but it just goes to show you how dumb cats can be when it comes to home renos. I'll be mounting large cardboard panels across the stairway so he can't get into my way when I am tiling. If that fails, I guess I could pull one of my bedroom doors off the hinges and lean it up in front of the opening into the staircase.

Speaking of Evin. I just had to go see which box of food he was just now getting into. I tried to pull him off the box of cereal he was rooting around in but his claw got stuck on the inner bag. It is like living with a raccoon some days. Heck, it is like living with a raccoon most days.

Prepping for tile laying also meant moving upstairs. I am now confined to 500 square feet for the next few weeks. My microwave and toaster are in my bedroom and the dish rack continues to live in the bathroom. So far living out of the bathroom is not that bad. I could really use a table to prepare the bit of food I have, but keeping Evin off it is probably more work than it is worth.

Back to the tiles. The mortar will set up in 24 hours, and the sealer needs up to 72 hours to cure. I'm in Vancouver all next week, so I hope all the tiling gets done Sat so I can seal the floor late Sunday. That way it can be curing away while I am in Van. And apparently I only need to put one coat of sealer on slate, so I'll be grouting next weekend and grout sealing the middle of the week following (14th-ish). That leaves about two weeks to go before the cabinets arrive! December 8th is probably when the cabinets will go in. That marks 114 days since the first 2x4 went up and the drywall installed over top of the hole in the wall!

Day 77: Oh my aching back

A day off schedule but the orange waterproofing membrane has been laid in the kitchen and front hall closet. Mixing the mortar was probably my least favourite part, but I decided to do away with the wooden spon and just mix it with my gloved hands. I will look into buying an attachment for my drill so I don't have to do that again.

The entire job was really quite unenjoyable but I sure am glad I cut the pieces to size before hand. It would have gone better if I locked the cats away before starting. That way I wouldn't have had to deal with Evin walking through the mortar I was spreading out. I grabbed him and chased Cleo up into my bedroom and shut the door. An hour and a half later I have a larger bare spot in the carpet near my door!

Well, I need to head out to Survivor. Besides, I am not really in the mood to write.

Here are some pics. The latter of the sacrificial bucket.

Day 73: Bye Bye Crappy Kitchen

I had a flex day on Friday so decided this was to be the weekend that I would demo the rest of the kitchen and lay the tile. I was on nephew duty all day Sunday (starting at 6:00 am), so I decided early on that I wasn’t going to be laying any tiles this weekend. Besides, I was so thoroughly exhausted after Friday that I wouldn’t have had the energy to lay tiles this weekend.

I got started about 11 am on Friday and began by disconnecting the sink. The hot water supply wouldn’t completely shut off, so I had to place a bucket beneath it. I worked around the slow drip and it wasn’t long before the sink was out, the countertop off, and the base cabinets a massive pile in the middle of my kitchen.



Upon removing one section of the base cabinets I was greeted by the most hideous carpeting. Not only was it brown with a crappy “floral” pattern, I couldn’t see how it ever matched the green and gold striped wallpaper or the bright orange countertops! That must have been one butt ugly kitchen. And to think a developer would install carpeting in rental unit kitchens!



After some super tasty food from the Noodle Box, I was ready to tackle the next step – break the pieces apart, remove any screws, and start taking it downstairs to my car. I forgot I owned a power screwdriver so after removing several dozen screws, I plugged it in, put the remaining pieces aside and took up the last of the green peel and stick flooring. I have nothing against peel and stick flooring, but after a decade or so, it wears out and if it is an ugly pattern, there is just nothing positive I can say about the stuff in my place.

I filled my car with about 2/3 of the pile of junk and headed to Ellice Recycle Ltd (David St near Bay Street Bridge). It was about 4:30 so to avoid the bridge traffic, I headed down Hillside to Gorge St. Some bonehead was trying to turn left onto David St despite signs saying not to at that time of day. But when I approached David Street I saw an opening and decided to turn left…right into the open arms of the law! Curses. The cars behind me followed like lemmings and we all got pulled over. While explaining to the others why they were pulled over, I got my license and registration ready. The cop approached and I handed him my stuff at which point he jokingly told me they didn’t take Master Card. I wasn’t the least bit worried/scared/panicked, so I laughed and swapped it for my DL. Meanwhile, he hollered over to the Chief and told him that I was trying to bribe him with money. I tried to explain to the cop that I was a very good driver, had never gotten a ticket, and that I was actually doing traffic a service by making room for all the people behind me who were backed up because of that bonehead woman who was trying to turn left. He didn’t buy it, but we both got a good laugh out of it. He finished writing up the $120 ticket, said it was nice to meet me, and sent me on my way.

With 5 minutes to spare, I was happily unloading the crap…flinging pieces with gusto as I bade farewell to my crappy kitchen. I returned home and loaded up the last third. It was about 6 times as heavy though thanks to all that peel and stick flooring. The next day I took it to the dump but it was so heavy I didn’t fling it with nearly as much enthusiasm.

Since I wasn’t going to tile this weekend, and the waterproofing membrane only needs 24 hours to set, I decided to paint the walls while the kitchen was clear. It is very liberating to haul out the paint roller and just start painting without having to tape or cover up the flooring.

Next steps: Install waterproofing membrane and then the tiles.

Those damn cats!

This morning I awoke at 5:00 am with a sore back and two cats (whose names I will not mention...cough...cleoandevin...cough) doing jazzercise on my bed. Evin tries to put it to music by pressing a bunch of buttons on my clock radio.

At least once a week, I feel the need to remind Evin, who's brain is about the size of an apricot, that there will never be a need for him to brush my face, chew on my hair, or turn the radio on, so he may as well stop it!

By sheer coincidence, I arrived at work with this video in my inbox:



Anyone that has cats knows exactly what it is like.

Day 66: Washing Tiles and enjoying the view

I now have 13.5 of the 15.5 boxes of tiles in my condo. The last two are still sitting in my car. I figure there is no huge rush to get them up here as I still have 4 unopened boxes yet to wash. That means I have washed approximately 9.5 boxes of tile, or for those who like err on the side of mind boggling -- a whopping 95 12" square tiles. The cleaned tiles are stacked against any vertical surface I can find. I’ve categorized them into a few groups: perfect tiles that are great for the open areas; really dark grey or black tiles that I’ll need to place as randomly as possible; broken, uneven, or otherwise odd tiles that I can use for half pieces/coaster sets you are all getting for Christmas; and the ugly pile for those I find unattractive and will use under the stove, dishwasher and washing machine where I don’t have to look at them. Once they are all washed, I will further categorize the perfect tiles into coloured groups: purple, green, grey, and rust.

I really want to make sure the layout is random which means that after I categorize them I’ll have to lay out a bunch on my living room floor until I am happy with the “random” pattern. If I don't do all this sorting and planning ahead, I just know it will be hard to be random on the spot while the mortar slowly hardens. Besides, I'll need the extra time to back butter some of the tiles which are not a uniform thickness.

Cleaning the tiles means taking a pile of 10 into the kitchen, inspecting each one and removing all loose pieces with a paring knife. Then I wash the tiles one at a time and put them in the dish rack to air dry. I admire each tile as they go from a dusty bland colour to a beautiful array of fall colours as the water hits the surface. Many of them have a metallic tinge such as copper or pewter. Some tiles are so full of colour that they remind me of a Monet painting. The sealer will bring out those colours so I can’t wait to see them all laid out throughout the kitchen.

The rack can confidently hold a meagre 5 tiles at a time, and they take several minutes to dry, so you can see why I have only washed 95 tiles! I’ve managed to injure my right wrist in the process so I haven’t washed nearly as many tiles as I had hoped this weekend.

My plan for the next week or two: Finish washing the tiles and paint the ceiling and walls with finish coats so that on Friday (the 26th, day 71, and a full moon) I can remove the sink, lower cabinets, and counter top. I’ll move the appliances into the living and dining rooms where I am quickly running out of room and finish removing the rest of the peel and stick tiles. With a lot of luck, I’ll lay the waterproof membrane (I call it orange waffly stuff) that night so I can get going on the tile laying Saturday. I don’t think I’ll get all the tiles laid that weekend, but I’ll sure try. If not, I’ll resume the next weekend. Once all done, I’ll apply the sealer after which I need to block off the area so a certain orange flea circus doesn't ruin the finish. I really want the floor to be completely cured/sealed before the cabinets arrive, so I have opted to get an early start.

Going with slate was a labour intensive choice but it is all stuff I can do which really kept the costs down. Unfortunately, it means being without a kitchen sink for a very long time. I think I’ll hook up a laundry sink temporarily if it looks like the tile sealed up long before the kitchen cabinets are due to arrive. Meals and laundry will be a fun challenge.

Day 62: The Tile Arriveth

I checked my messages before leaving work and to my delight the tile store left a message saying my tile was in. Woo hoo! That put a spring in my step.

I picked up the tile but could only manage half the batch. I didn't want to see if my car could handle the full weight, but I might have been too cautious. No matter, I'll get the next batch tomorrow.

The woman at the store (Dacora Tile) remembered me even though I didn't actually deal with her when buying the tile. She was super friendly so I'll go back there again any time.

I took a detour past my folks place so I could pick up the dolly. They thought the tile was lovely and seemed impressed that I was going ahead with the installation myself.

I struggled a bit with the dolly and needed a break after bringing in the first three boxes. I got side tracked by my friends basement reno blog and only just finished bringing in the last 2.5 boxes.

I immediately laid the tiles out in the front foyer and here is how they look.



You can really see the pink I was talking about, though there is a lot of dark grey in there too. In fact, the tile is more grey than pink. Stupid camera. I'm a bit concerned about how porous the slate is. There are many "bubbles" and I just peeled of a good size chunk of slate leaving a "crater" where it was. Sure, that adds to beauty and it isn't really a surprise. It just means I have to inspect all my tiles, remove any loose spots, and place them with the least porous pieces out in the open. I hope there isn't too much waste.

While I wait for time to pass (3.5 weeks) before I start laying the tile, here is what my living room looks like. What a mess.



And here is my "workshop":

In other news

So I was reading on the CBC news site about the latest taser incident which happened to be at YVR.

According to stats, BC has had a significant number of fatalities -- 6 of the 16.

I wonder if that is because we are so wet and therefore conduct electricity more!

I am totally joking. Besides, there seem to be underlying conditions causing the deaths. I guess I'd want to see the number of fatalities compared to overall use per province. There I go again, questioning the stats I see.

In terms of the YVR death, I wonder if he was a drug mule and the capsules broke. We'll have to see.

Day 58: Not much going on...but I bought the tile

With the kitchen cabinets on order and not due until early Dec, there isn't a whole lot I can do.

I did decide to find/buy/order the tile for the flooring in case it has to be ordered from India or some far off land. I took home a few samples from Tile Town but just wasn't satisfied. I was trying to find a similar tile to what is in the bathroom not only for consistency, but also because I know it works with the countertop.

I decided to see what Gazola Tile had. The choices were overwhelming, but I brought in a large sample of the countertop (the whole that was cut out for bathroom sink) so it made it easier to find the right colours. I found one that was great, and it came in a few different colours so I could do a bit of a checkerboard pattern. Unfortunately, it was over $7 a square foot. I don't need a $1500 kitchen/hall floor. The next choice was a tile they actually had laid down on thier floor in the front entrance way. It was darker than I had planned, but it was a good match. At $5.00 a square foot, the price was coming down.

Still not happy, I decided to go back to Tile Town and wade through the boards. I stumbled upon the brand of tile that my bathroom tile was made by so I thought maybe I could get the same one. The guy led me to believe it could be ordered but I had to come back after the long weekend. I did and he was wrong, so back to the drawing board.

Yesterday was a flex day, so I went in to Dacora tile. We checked out the slate and prices were $5.00 and up a square foot. So, we started looking through the slate boards and found one with a lot of redish pink in it. It is a stunning tile and it really complemented my countertop. And it would match my living room furniture which are dark jewel tones. So I ordered it on the spot. I had yet to react so positively to a tile that I knew it was the one. Besides, it was $4.00 a square foot, so a pretty good deal.

I've always loved the look of slate, especially when there is so much variety in colour. I've never seen a slate with so much red/pink in it and despite how it sounds, it is not at all girly. I wish they had some in stock so I could have taken it home with me yesterday. I'll take a pic and post as soon as it comes in.

Fortunately, the tile is in stock and will be here next week. I'll have to use a lot of restraint when it comes to installing it though. Once I rip out the lower cabinets and sink, I will be out of a sink for good, so I don't want to lay the floor too quickly. I also don't want to lay it too late in case it takes a long time to cure. My guess is I'll install it mid Nov.

In the meantime, I guess I could paint the kitchen ceiling, fix the bathroom floor, and put a second coat on the dining room wall. I am pretty curious to see if the tile matches my hallway walls so there may be a condo wide repainting in the works if not.

Day 43: Stupid Home Depot/Omni Grip

I went to Tile Town to check out tiles for my kitchen floor. I found one that is a pretty good match, but it is not due until next week. I hope that batch is going to be OK since each batch is a bit different.

At $3.19/ft, and with the grout, adhesive, plastic waffle stuff and tile cutter rental, a tile floor should be as expensive as (if not cheaper) than lino since I can do the tile myself. And because I don't (or at least hope I don't) have to level the floor with super incredible precision.

To determine when I can install the tile, I need to work back from my cabinet delivery so I only have to be without a kitchen sink for the least amount of time. So, I asked how long tiles that large (12") would take to set. She said 24 hours which blew my mind. After several days my bathroom tile hadn't set. After many days, I figured it had so applied the grout which cracked when I walked on the floor. Fixing the grout is just another project I need to work on. Turns out pre-mix adhesive is NOT meant for the floor. It just doesn't stand up. So, I should not be surprised if my tiles start popping up! I can't wait. Stupid Home Depot for selling me the wrong product and stupid Omni Grip for advertising itself as a floor tile adhesive. Heck, in the first sentence it mentions floor tile...and not because it is warning users against using it on the floor. The part that worries me most is that I tiled the whole floor BEFORE installing the vanity. That means some tiles are half under the cabinet so if I have to retile, it will be hard to deal with those tiles. Aside from one tile in front of the toilet that cracked (probably when toilet was put back on), the floor has held up very well. Cross your fingers and tread lightly when you go into my bathroom! I've included a picture so you know what product NOT to buy.

In other reno news, I put a coat of paint on the dining room wall (the one that had the big openings in them) and it looks FANTASTIC! As long as you don't move your hand over the entire wall, you won't be able to tell that there are some highspots where the old drywall met the new drywall. Now to find something to hang on that wall. Maybe I'll see if the Portuguese artist from Bastion Square is still doing paintings.

Day 38: I Have Smooth AND Painted Walls!

Yippee…my kitchen walls are finally smooth AND painted. I completed my touchups and applied the drywall sealer to all the walls, the bulkhead and the ceiling. It was tinted the colour of my bathroom walls, so it gave me an idea how the finished product would look. The angle I put in the bulkhead was a beautiful work of art! And the ceiling came out so nicely. Once a uniform colour, I was able to see a few spots that needed more mud. These were few and far between, so I’ve been carefully applying mud so I don’t have to re-sand.

While the appliances were still in awkward places like the middle of my front hall and kitchen, I went to pick up a quart of green paint (Restoration Hardware’s “Willow”, discontinued) that I thought would add more colour to the room. It was enough to put one coat on nearly all the walls. I’ve put the appliances back and am living with the colour. It is a pistachio green that I am not sure I love but it does go well with red…the colour I plan to use as an accent colour.

I am also living with some of my stuff back in the kitchen. I put up a temporary shelf and have food and dishes lining the countertop. It isn’t a finished kitchen, but it is clean, colourful, and way more functional than it has been the last few weeks. It is a good thing I can appreciate the small accomplishments because the finished product is months away.

Now that my walls are so smooth and colourful, I am reluctant to cover them up with the bead board paneling I have in mind! The room definitely needs trim around the doors, and I really do think the paneling will look great. Fortunately, I can’t do anything about the bead board until after the cabinets are in so I don’t have to decide now.

Day 37: This Better Be My Last Sanding!

In just under a week Harbour City Kitchens will be here to measure for my kitchen cabinets. In order for them to be able to take accurate measurements, my walls need to be painted. That meant finishing up the angle in the bulkhead and sanding all afternoon. I also decided to take down my upper so now I get to look at the original and very ugly wallpaper.



The bottom half of my walls were pretty rough since I was planning to put up my beadboard paneling. In case I don’t, I wanted to make sure my walls were smooth all over so another 10 kg’s of mud went up. After a good rigourous sanding the walls look pretty good and the bulkhead just needed a few touchups with mud! A quick sanding later tonight or early tomorrow and I should be able to clean up and prepare for paint. I think that feat in math and carpentry that was the bulkhead angle might be my greatest achievement. It is off by 1/16th - 1/8th of an inch, so I hope they can install that corner cabinet that much away from the long side so it is centered on the angle. If not, it will still look better than no angle at all.

Once the paint is up, I can put my appliances back and start using them again. That means plugging in the stove and stocking up my fridge. The fridge was plugged in this whole time, but I wasn’t stocking it that well. Needless to say, for the last few days I have been eating noodle box or cereal until I ran out of milk. Then it was on to instant oatmeal which I prepared with hot tap water as I couldn’t be bothered to plug in my microwave to boil the water. And Evin gets to eat crunchy food for dinner because the wet food is too much of a hassle to deal with.

I got the coolest gadget for sanding. Actually, it is for the plastic sheeting that goes up while sanding. It is a self adhesive zipper that is intended for tarps. Now I don’t have to crawl in and out of a corner to get out of the kitchen! I didn’t find the zipper at the paint store, but rather at Industrial Plastics and Paint. But I bet Capital Iron would have them in the camping/tarp section.

Day 31: More Drywall...is that possible?

To accommodate the angled corner cabinet (upper), I wanted to angle the drywall bulkhead that runs the length of my upper cabinets and sticks out about 3 inches past the front of the cupboards. After lots of math and graph paper, I figured out the angles. It didn’t take long to attach the framing to the bulkhead and before long it was covered in drywall and mudded. I used paper tape for the edges though the plastic self adhesive mesh tape is easier to work with.



My new plan is to have the kitchen painted by Sept 28th which is when the cabinet guy comes to measure. That is no less realistic than any other plan I’ve had so far, but it is a target that isn’t carved in stone. Technically I can wait until late November to finish the walls, but I am tired of the dust so want to finish up sooner rather than later. I am pretty hopeful I will have the angle mudded by next weekend so I can spend Saturday morning sanding. Cross your fingers there are no bubbles in the drywall mud. Grr.

Day 27: Blowing the Budget

Within a few hours of making the decision to go with the fake wood cabinets I began to have doubts. The cabinet doors would be quite modern, no matter what accessories I brought in, and I know I would have regrets about not going with the style I initially had in mind.

So I called HCK back and got an estimate for the Landcaster door in white. Not only is the door style my top pic, but it is light and will make my kitchen seem brighter and more open. The upgrade will be about $1000. I've chosen to look at it like this -- got the cabinets I wanted at an affordable price and splurged on installation fees!

The guy comes to measure in a few weeks (on my first flex day) so I will know shortly thereafter exactly what the price will be.

While bouncing ideas off people, the idea of a glass mosaic tile backsplash in a nice watery colour was brought up. It would be beautiful, and I only have 34 square feet to tile, but at $18/square foot, that is a buttload of money. And then I would have to do something really high end on the floor, so I think I will stick with either a basic tile (with neat accent tiles) or beadboard which I might paint the wall colour so it doesn't look so bland.

I've purchased new knobs, but they are a little common, even if they do match my bathroom knobs. I think I will go with a black version of that knob and a matching (black) large pull like you see on old desks.

Well, gotta run.

Day 23: Cabinets are on order!

What a week. I stopped into Kitchen Craft (Cloverdale) one day this week as it is within walking distance of work. We went over my measurements and she walked me to a kitchen about the same size as mine and said this one is $12,000...so yours (with no real wood cabinets) would be $9000! Yikes, that is so far off my budget ($5000) and it is pretty hard to shave off $4000 so I should have told her to forget about preparing a quote.

Feeling thoroughly discouraged (even though I knew Harbour City Kitchens would be less), I went to Home Depot to get some quotes. The Mills Pride cabinets came is strange sizes and there was really no way to make it work. They obviously don't have their target audience figured out as they had no matching bridge cabinets for over the sink (we aren't all that lucky to have a window over the sink) nor a similar piece for over an apartment sized stove (I have a full size stove, but most people buying those cabinets are probably trying to finish off a suite). So I talked to Dale in the design center. Right off the bat, two suppliers were taken off the list due to unreliability. I was left with Kitchen Craft and Thomasville. The door I chose started at $219/linear foot, so a 10x10 kitchen (slightly bigger than mine) would start at $4000+. Not bad. But when you add drawers and upgrade the drawer slides, it was going to come to between $5000 and $6000. Still pretty pricey given counter tops and installation wasn't included.

Today I was finally able to get out to Harbour City Kitchens on a day they were open (they close at 5 most days and were closed last holiday weekend). Alas, there was nothing in Cash and Carry, and no done up kitchens just waiting to be sold for a good price. I found out that cash and carry units are the same price as ordering but you pay both taxes. If you order and have them install, then you only pay the GST. I thought maybe there would be an advantage to getting at least the cash and carry sizes (thinking they were cheaper) so tried to use as many of those in my design. Next came choosing a door style. The cheapest was plain white LP laminate (which look like the storage units you can buy at Zellers. Next was a PVC coated door with the fancy "raised panel" on the inside...you've seen them -- "white melamine" cabinets that were big 14 years ago. Next in line was a LP laminate with curved/rounded vertical edges. They come in lots of colours. The shaker LP Laminate I was thinking of looked OK when done up but was susceptible to moisture since there are seams where water can get in. And I was getting tired of the idea of painting all those doors. After much thought, I decided to go with a Millwork Cherry rolled edge styled door. Kind of modern, but the same colour as my bathroom (which are maple, not cherry as I had thought). With slightly more traditional drawer pulls and the rest of my stuff, it won't look uber modern. Plus the wood will tie in with all the wood I have in my living room. I'm a bit nervous as I can't exactly picture it in my mind, and it means I may not be able to do a beadboard back splash, but that goes in at the end so I can see how it looks when all done. I've also got to ensure my walls are super smooth since I may not be able to finish with beadboard. So much for all that craftsmanship I was trying to go for.

They come to do a final measurement on Friday the 28th (my first flex day) and will probably be ready to install late November. Such a long time away, but plenty of time to get my walls ready and flooring selected. I've pretty much decided to go with lino, especially now that my cupboards are "wood".

The moment you were waiting for...$4000+ for cabinets, countertops (same as bathroom but not as pink as pic shows it to be), INSTALLED Professionally! Beat that Kitchen Craft! It was going to be cheaper, but I decided to get as many drawers as possible and a microwave shelf.

Gotta run, I hear the Brick guys outside getting my dishwasher off the truck. I think I bought it a little too early!

Day 16: Procrastination and Cats

I had grand intentions of sanding today, but I am not looking forward to it, so am slowly inching my way through the prep.

I'm a bit worried about the "bulge" on the diningroom wall. The previous owners didn't do a great job and I'm afraid my concealing efforts will not be enough to mask the ever growing bulge. My options: break open the bulge and fill with mud or new drywall on that entire wall. Either way, my kitchen can proceed.

So far, I've gone to three separate cabinet places...all of which were closed. I would have expected to see signs saying closed for entire weekend but no such luck. I was a bit annoyed as I made my way home and decided to take a nap. Once home though, I started sealing up the kitchen for the sanding.

I bought an industrial size box of plastic sheeting and began covering up doorways, blocking off a section of the dining room, and covering pieces of furniture I would prefer not to dust should my first layer of sheeting not work for some strange reason...hmmm...Evin....





As you can imagine, Evin was enthralled. He's pierced a few holes in some of the plastic (hence dual coverage), and got completely entangled in a wad of plastic I was about to mount from the ceiling.



I still feel that nap coming on, but I still need to cover all the appliances. Sigh...what a lot of work.

Day 13: Pass the Mud Please

If you ignore the drywall mud that landed on the floor, I have spread 2o kgs of drywall mud on my kitchen and dining room walls! Most of it is in the kitchen where all the crappy texture was. But the dining room wall has its fair share to conceal the bad plaster job the previous owners did when making the openings, and the fact that my drywall installation wasn't perfect.

I don't mind spreading on the mud now that I have figured out a system, and I probably won't try to order cabinets this weekend given it is a long weekend. So, each night, I leisurely spend up to 2 hours spreading mud on the walls. At this rate, the walls should be ready for a first sanding by the weekend. I'd like to get a second sanding done and a primer coat by the end of the weekend! Can you believe it? Probably not because my plans for the kitchen have been pretty schizophrenic.

Speaking of which, I'm back to installing wainscoting. I firmly believe the "craftsmanship" will go a long way to make my kitchen look great. It will go 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the wall...whatever takes me to the bottom of the over-the-stove cabinet which I've determined is the best spot to stop so cupboard doors don't get hindered by the moulding. That means on the other end of the cabinets I need that wine rack cubby hole thingamagig.

I am really looking forward to having a nice looking kitchen. One that not only looks good because everything is hidden behind cabinet doors, or because the walls aren't covered in crap, but because I have things hanging on the walls. I didn't bother hanging some Italian pottery pieces I have because the walls were in such rough shape up until now. And I have a huge wall in my dining room to hang things on too! I had run out of spaces to hang art so I am totally stoked!

Day 11: Another Wee Change Of Plans...

I managed to get convinced that a new layer of drywall would be a better option than floor to ceiling wainscoting. This advice came from the realtor that helped me buy the place. He wanted to come by to see what I had done and give me some pointers, even though I had changed my mind about selling. While he liked the wall colours and the work in the bathroom, I got the distinct impression he wasn't a fan of "turn of the century" wainscoting. Normally I believe in maintaining the integrity of a building's design, but this condo is devoid of character and I am not into modern design. Plus, I freshen up the wainscoting look by using simple baseboards and trim, and a light and airy paint job.

Tonight I walked in to measure up for drywall when I decided to give the skim coat technique another try. Instead of using the big huge plaster putter onner, I went with a 3-4 inch putty knife. It was much easier to handle and I could really lay the stuff on thick. I even worked the mud until it was pretty stiff and easy to smooth out. It will take days to dry, but I can boast that I have plaster walls when I am done! Sanding the stuff is going to be a real b*&^% but since I have to do the same prep work to close off the kitchen for sanding, I may as well go all the way.

I still may put up waincoting but only 2/3 or 3/4 of the way up as is the style these days. Or maybe I will do a shaker style panelling which will require I do a good sanding job but will add the architectural detail I am after.

Needless to say, the cupboard ordering is on hold. Not until my walls are paint ready can I accurately measure the space for cupboards. I do know that my kitchen is now several millimeters smaller thanks to all the mud I put on today!

Days 2 - 6: Change of Plans

Well, my plans for the condo have changed significantly, and so too have my kitchen plans.

To start, the money I would need to fork over to afford another 1000+ sq foot 2-bed condo in town is about as much as my share of the exterior work required for this building. And any condo I buy would need all the work I will have just finished doing on this place. To top it off, it wouldn't be a 2-floor unit which is pretty unique. I am going to try to convince strata to put off the siding work as much as possible to see if we can outlast this construction boom. Surely downtown Victoria will run out of space for new buildings so that we can get our work done!

So, I am staying put. That means I can realize those plans I originally had for my kitchen. Despite losing the aggressive timeline imposed by hitting the late fall market, I am still planning on going ahead with my kitchen as soon as I can.

After a trip to Harbour City Kitchens (HCK), I learned that their cash and carry section is pitifully understocked, and there were no done up 'reject kitchens' that go for a rediculously affordable price of $2000 -- I guess there is a lot of construction going on. Who would have thought? So, I have about a 2-month wait from the day I order my cabinets.

I spent the week measuring and coming up with 1st choice, 2nd choice, and 3rd choice options for the cabinetry. I'll go in on Saturday to price out those options and hopefully settle on a new kitchen for no more than $3000. I wonder how realistic that budget is? If my budget is super tight (I don't think it is), I am going to have a hard time choosing between lots of drawers for the main kitchen or going simple there so I can also get a few more pieces to install above and next to my fridge which is currently all alone in a large empty corner. Anything not on the curent footprint, as well as lots of drawers are, I fear, nice to haves that I may never get.

My measurements took into consideration that I have decided to cover the walls with floor to ceiling tongue and groove waincoting...just like my bathroom. The walls are just going to take too much work to smooth out properly. If I am able to afford all the cabinets, there actually won't be that much wainscoting visible so I am not as reluctant to install so much of it. I priced out wainscoting and it went something like this:

• Finishing Store: non-pine boards that I can hand pick (read: no knots and no waste) = $800+
• Rona: pine bundles that I can't hand pick (read: lots of knots and ~10-20% waste) = $200+
• Home Depot: pine bundles that I can't hand pick (read: lots of knots and ~10-20% waste) = $260+

In addition to being the cheapest, Rona is Canadian and gives airmiles so I am stoked I won't have to succumb to the American Home Depot enterprise.

The walls and appliances will be/are white, so I don't want white cupboard doors too. The style of door I've settled on is like my bathroom (minus the cherry), is very affordable (will confirm on Sat), but doesn't have a very high-end finish. So, to spruce them up and add some colour I am going to look into getting them sprayed a light neutral colour.

In the meantime, I have finished installing the drywall over the large wall openings and have put up a very thick (read: messy) coat of drywall mud.

Stay tuned for the results of my visit to HCK.

Day 1: Dealing with the Walls

My kitchen walls were wallpapered and then covered with a fiber texture which is probably the most ugly thing I've seen because they painted it. It is not that different than when you spill paint on the carpet and it dries to a rough finish that is bad on so many levels. Imagine an entire kitchen covered in the stuff! I began to remove the paper and texture shortly after moving in but was thoroughly discouraged by the fact that it pulled off the drywall's paper finish so I now have a very paint unfriendly surface to deal with. What to do?

Originally I was going to get someone to replace all the drywall and install pocket doors while they were at it. But you try getting someone in to do the work. Then, I was going to cover up the ruined drywall with floor to ceiling wainscoting. But now, with an aggressive bee in my bonnet and a budgeted approach to this reno, I've decided to do a skim coat over top of the crappy fiber texture. It will take several coats and lots of sanding.

I've also got to patch up the large opening the previous owners created. My fridge is in front of one half of the opening, and I would like to put a large cabinet beside the fridge for more storage, so I don't need the poorly done cutouts in the wall. Fortunately I got a hold of some pieces of drywall so I don't have to deal with one large piece that I wouldn't be able to fit in my car let alone carry. I'd rather deal with an extra seam or two if it means no delivery trucks.

I ran out of 2x4's so could only put one piece up tonight. Besides, it was getting late.

I won't be able to work on my kitchen again until Sunday. I plan to mount the rest of the drywall and finish skim coating the rest of the walls minus the backsplash. I'll then do another skim coat during an evening this week and maybe even start sanding before next weekend. You saw it here...in print...lets see if my plans for the week are at all realistic.

I won't bother with skim coating the back splash as I plan to cover it up with tile or maybe even wainscoting. Besides, it is tough to get in there with the cabinets in place and I don't want to gut them until I absolutely have to.

I'd really like to cover the backsplash with wainscoting so it will tie in with my bathroom but it depends on the cupboard doors I get. I already have the kitchen version of my bathroom faucet and I will likely use the same pattern for the countertops that I did in the bathroom. I may even get the same floor tile, but will have to see how my energy goes.

OK, time for bed.

Moving on...

Well, I've finally decided it is time to get my condo ready to sell. I had been planning to do things leisurely and with extra attention to detail. Instead, I've got to keep it simple. My goal is to have it ready for sale in the new year at the latest. Though, I could wait until spring if it means getting more money.

My plans for the kitchen:

• Fix walls in kitchen instead of new drywall and pocket doors
• Replace all cupboards and counters
• Put up new light fixture instead of pot lights
• New sink and dishwasher
• New floor: lino or tile
• Backsplash...not sure what material yet

My plans for the rest of the place:

• New closet doors (x5!) -- likely bifold instead of actual doors as I had originally planned
• New flooring upstairs and on stairs. Not sure about first floor.
• Finish the grouting in the bathroom

That is a lot of projects and I am suddenly overwhelmed by it all. But, I am starting in the kitchen where all the messy projects are.

Stay tuned...

Emma Came Home!

After 9 long days, Emma came home. A miracle my Mom exclaimed.

I was sitting on my parent's porch enjoying my dinner when I heard a cat meowing. I immediately recognized the meow and said "That's Emma!". I ran down the stairs to meet her where she was just emerging from beneath a bush. I scooped her up and took her inside. I put her in my parents dining room with food, treats, and water and closed the door so she could eat in peace. After she was done, my sister took a closer look at her and noticed her eye was leaking. That is pretty normal, but one eye was infected. She had obviously lost weight, and her white paws were dirty, but otherwise she looked unharmed. We cleaned up her eye and I started brushing her. She walked away, but then I realized she was headed to her favourite brushing spot -- the ledge behind the kitchen. But, she missed the jump and that is when I knew she needed to be checked out.

It took no convincing that she needed to go to the vet but I would have paid the bill myself had there been. And there wasn't a frying pan in sight. In fact, I think my Dad was pretty pleased to see her alive. I took her out to the car so we could go to the Animal Hospital. She didn't want to go in the car, so fought back a bit -- a good sign. But, once in the car, she settled on the passenger seat. At that point, it sunk in and I began to cry. Partly out of relief for her coming home, and partly out of sadness for her having to go through this ordeal.

We got to the Animal Hospital and we checked her in. I was still a mess, but the vet techs were great. We had to sit in the waiting area but Emma didn't mind. I like to think she felt safe and knew she was in good hands. So, she calmly rested on the fleece blanket in my lap until it was time to go into an examining room. This despite a dog or two coming around. Once in the room, another several minutes passed, but she was fine to rest in the blanket on the examining table. At that time, I noticed how dirty she was. My hands were filthy from petting her. It looked like dust from a garage, so my guess is she got stuck in a garage or shed. The alternative was under a bush recuperating from being hit by a car or beat up by kids. But she would have smelled like earth and had more plant debris stuck in her fuzzy medium length fur.

The vet took a good look at her and determined she was dehydrated. He didn't think she could consume enough fluids herself to recover properly, so recommended she stay for 24-48 hours so she could get IV fluids and blood work done. He thought an x-ray would be helpful, but would leave that as an option if the fluids weren't helping or the blood work looked suspicious. I didn't like the idea of an x-ray because she would have to be sedated and the last time she was sedated she awoke with seizures.

So I paid the $690 deposit (ouch) and left her there for treatment. Mom was fine with the quote though commented how much prices had gone up since her car accident 10 years ago.

I've been dehydrated before (flu) so I know the amazing recuperative effects that fluids can have. I expect that she will look like a new kitty today. I hope to visit this afternoon.

I still can't believe she made it back in as good a condition as she was. At 15 years of age (tack on a few more years from her past injuries), you have to agree she is one tough kitty.

I didn't sleep all that well as I couldn't help but think about Emma. There were a few things that made her coming home yesterday significant. For starters, her mom (my sister Kim) was in town. Secondly, it was a blue moon yesterday. Finally, and this one is a bit of a stretch and requires that I be much more spiritual than I am -- the spirit of my brother's cat, also named Emma and was put down on Friday, helped bring this Emma home.

Regardless, we are all glad Emma is home and suspect she just used up her 8th life. Pretty good for a 15 year old (80 in people years).

No News on the Emma Front

It seems like Emma is not coming home. It is strange that no one has found her or her collar and given us a call.

As Jaime put it, she has used up many of her lives, so I am guessing she ran out this time.

On the bright side, now she doesn't have to suffer through old age, and we don't have to make the tough decision to euthanize her. I've done that twice, and as much as I believe in putting animals out of their misery early on, that doesn't make it any easier.

Evin has now started asking if he can go on sleepovers to Gwanny and Gwampas. I say "no" because he is sure to be hit by a car within minutes of getting there. Besides, I need someone to wake me up at 5:00 am (and 15-minute intervals thereafter) . Heaven forbid I sleep right through to the alarm!

Oh, and Sam doesn't need a super cute, fuzzy, young, and goofy orange cat around the house making him look even older and more crotchety than he already does.

Emma, if you are reading this -- Come Home!

Well, it seems our little Emma has gone missing. At the age of 15, she just disappeared and we fear the worst. I was the last to see her and gave her a good brushing so she would be all set for Gwanny and Gwampa's homecoming last week.

She seemed fine, so I can only imagine that something bad happened. What a poor end to such a sweet little cat. It is too bad we don't know what happened. We hope that someone will see her collar and call us. I've walked around the block a few times, and even went to check out the base of the huge tree where a bald eagle lives. No bones or cat collars...thank goodness.

Emma was a feisty, fierce, and formidable feline who weighed about four ounces. She also became the sweetest cat once my brother and I moved out. When she came in from an outing, she would talk up a storm with whomever she saw first. If you didn't acknowledge her, she would keep yammering. She was a hit at Mom's afternoon bridge.

Emma was adopted as a kitten by my sister Kim, but when Kim had to go from practicum to practicum, it was better for Emma to move to Gwanny and Gwampas. She's been coughing up hairballs on Gwampa's journals and papers ever since.

In order to live with Gwanny and Gwampa, she had to be declawed. I would agree that it is pretty harsh except that it didn't slow her down a bit. As you can see, it didn't stop her from climbing small fruit trees. And she took sole responsibility for protecting the house from the likes of Fonze who came across the fence for his regular cat nip fix. At twice her size, and with 10 sharp claws, you would think Fonze would have gotten the munchies after a cat nip session, and snacked on her ages ago.

Emma has had a few tough breaks. She was hit by a car out front on Beach Drive. We told her not to cross the street, but that didn't do her any good. She was barely alive, so my Mom took her to the vet hospital. My Dad would have driven, but he was inclined to use the frying pan to finish the job. So, my Mom took a cab.

Emma's front leg was paralyzed, but she needed to recover from her other injuries first. By the time she did, the nerves had begun to regenerate. Aside from a small twitch from time to time, she recovered completely.

And as a small kitten, she went missing for a week. We didn't find out until 7 years ago that she had been shot with a pellet gun. The recognizable hourglass shape of the pellet showed up in an x-ray she had. And when she woke up from the sedation, she had a seizure. The vet said she looked more like a 12 year old cat when she was only 8 or 9.

There is a chance Emma will come home, but it is doubtful. Emma, if you are reading this, please come home.

Random facts about Emma...in case you are still reading and don't have anywhere to be:

1. One of her nicknames is Stinkerbell...she used to wear a bell (tinkerbell), but hated being picked up...hence Stinkerbell.
2. Another one of her nicknames is Fender Face...on account of being hit in the face with a car fender.
3. Emma used to catch birds (the defenceless ones, namely old or very young). She would have the bird rammed in her mouth and would wander around the yard meowing. She was proud but dumb...as soon as we heard her, we'd rescue the bird. I figured how a declawed cat could catch a bird when I observed Evin lunging onto the bed from a high dresser -- the element of vertical surprise meant there was nowhere for the bird to go.
4. My Dad had a suitcase laid out for a trip. He awoke the next morning to finish packing when he saw muddy pawprints and fur all over his pressed dress shirts. Emma had used the clothes as a place to clean up and rest one rainy day.
5. Emma has forgiven Gwampa for wanting to finish her off with a frying pan. She sometimes sends him Father's Day cards thanking him for not hitting her over the head with a frying pan.
6. Emma was named after my Great Grandma Emma. They both happen to share birthdays (Feb 14). In many ways, Emma the cat was a lot like Great Grandma -- tough and stubborn.

Great Minds Think Alike

Check this out, the Freakonomics blog had the same idea when they heard about the Ten Commandments of driving. I'm particulartly referring to the part about the rosary beads:

Let’s set aside the question of whether reciting the Rosary indeed “does not distract the driver’s attention.”

But, you heard it on my blog first and I didn't even read the whole document that was prepared! Oh, and I have the timestamp to prove it.

I tend to disagree with their idea of the Benedict Effect. The Freakonomics blog questions whether praying will make people feel safer and therefore take more risks. But the gist of the commandments, as I understand them, is to be a better, more christian driver. It doesn't logically follow, at least not to me (and again, I have only read the list, not the full document prepared by the Vatican...I unlike some large groups living in Rome, don't have time to read, let alone write such a document) that people would be more careless while behind the wheel.

cough...smoke and mirrors...cough

Driving 101, Vatican style

I was watching the news this evening when a story came on about the 10 Commandments of driving. According to Pope Benedict XVI and his compatriots at the Vatican, drivers need to exhibit a few more Christian virtues while on our roadways.

Religion seems to be on the rise, so this may be a good angle. I don't see ICBC jumping on this bandwagon, and I don't know that it will help me as I am not that religious.

Many things sprang to mind upon hearing the story, and many more as I began writing this blog. But, I am not really interested in starting a religious debate nor do I want to offend anyone. So, I'll share one of the more lighthearted thoughts, however ireverent it may sound. Now remember, you can't get mad. I, Heather, admit to snickering at the thought of accident rates going up because drivers began letting go of the wheel to perform the sign of the cross before entering an intersection, or they got distracted by reciting their Hail Mary's.

That said, I'll put my judgements aside, drive a little more courteously, and be thankful the Catholic church has had the time to prepare these commandments for the world.

Barriers to Junk Food

When I got to work today there was an email from the provincial government waiting patiently in my inbox. It told me of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. One method for improving the health of Canadians is to stop stocking vending machines with junk food. Apparently this is already underway in Public Schools and Public workplaces are next.

That is great news. I have pretty bad willpower so if the vending machines down the hall are chocolate free, or better yet, stocked with healthy alternatives, I am less likely to cave in to junk food. Especially at 2:30 when the afternoon lull kicks in.

There are potentially two wrenches with this plan...at least for 4000 Seymour:

1. The cafeteria still stocks junk food (and probably will after this switch over) and is a mere 25 feet away from the main vending machines.
2. The vending machines don't actually accept twonies.

I am hopeful the healthy offering will be tasty too. If they start stocking food that tries to pass tofu off as an alternative to turkey or chocolate I may have to start a picket line. Shudder...I'm going to have tofu nightmares.

The Horror!

I was in the mall, picking up the new Wil CD when it happened...it was aweful..horrible even. I walked out of HMV and was disoriented! I looked both ways and for the life of me couldn't remember which way would take me back where I came from.

I usually pride myself at being able to walk out of a store and know which way I came from and/or which way is next. I could be in a familiar mall, a new mall, or downtown and I would still know my bearings.

This isn't much of an accomplishment, but when you think of how easy it is to get distracted by the things going on in the store...including the rush of finding something you absolutely have to have, it sounds pretty impressive. And don't forget, I'm the one with the attention span of a 3-year old.

Bird TV

In an effort to enhance the indoor life of my cats, I decided to get a window mounted hummingbird feeder. I had seen a hummingbird at a neighbors feeder so knew they were in the area.

I got a great little feeder at Canadian Tire and had it up in moments. Within about 24 hours, a hummingbird had spotted the feeder.



For whatever reason, he is afraid to use the feeder. He clicks noisily and hovers near the feeder which alerts the cats that something is going on so they race to the patio door and start chattering away. When the screen is open, the bird can hear them so I think this makes him more afraid. A week has gone by and the nectar looks untouched. Maybe it is too late now that the flowers are out.

I decided to add a seed feeder to the mix and picked up a window mounted feeder. Again, from Canadian Tire for less than $15.



I haven't seen any birds at this feeder, but there are seed shells starting to collect on my balcony floor.

I expect this feeder will get more action in the fall and winter when food is more scarce.

Workin for the Guv - Part Two

I've been in my new position for 3 weeks now and I am settling in quite well. I get to do real work and I am used to the 1 hour lunch and leaving at 4:30 pm. I really like the job and am looking forward to the Business Analyst courses I'll be taking in the winter. It is too early to say, but I may switch from PM to BA.

I have to say, my coworkers are a great bunch. There are lots of stories and lots of laughs. I couldn't ask for anything more. When it comes to training though, there has been a bit of tension. I tend to want to be pointed in the right direction, given a few pointers, and then sent on my way. I feel this is OK since there is a ton of documentation and I have some experience in the field.

I also tend to work pretty quickly. There are a few thinkers in the group who I feel think I am acting rash. On the contrary, I just function better when jumping in and making things happen. So far, no one has tried to cure me by reminding me of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Besides, I know my limits and wouldn't do something permanent without asking for someone to check my work. To demonstrate that fast is not always bad, I have compared myself to a hummingbird. This seems to have worked and has turned into a project to find the "bird" in all of us. Though when I take my time with something, they are quick to wonder what happened to the hummingbird. For those that know me, you are probably placing bets on when I will show up with a bird craft.

What a pill

Taking pills is one of my least favourite things to do. Fortuantely, I don't have to do so very often. I think I'd rather chew on a yucky tasting pill than swallow them. It goes back to the time when I didn't use enough water when taking a pill -- it got stuck in my throat which went unnoticed for the first hour until it started eating a hole through my throat.

As I get older and it is no longer the best option to eat a bunch of fruit (vitamin C) and hang out in the sun so it can convert the vitamin C to the much needed vitamin D, I figure I should take some vitamins. You can get a multi-vitamin which is very efficient except for the fact that one tablet is the size of a small child. Forcing one of those things down my throat is an excellent way to get more water in me but I wish they made chewable multi-vitamins for adults.

Enter kids chewable multi-vitamins. Sure, a child multi-vitamin is not the right dose, but I figure it is better than nothing. And since I got a super jumbo bottle at COSTCO, I can afford to eat 2 or 3 so it is more like an adult dose!

Disturbing TV

Oftentimes what impresses me about great TV or the movies is when the writers add something to the plot that seems unconscionable. To come up with something most people wouldn't admit to having thought of, let alone write it into primetime TV or a movie, takes courage.

I refer mostly to rediculously funny movies....often the ones starring Will Farrell, or early Jim Carey movies.

Tonight though, I saw something that was hardly funny. Rather, it was probably the most disturbing thing I have seen on TV.

I was watching NCIS and it was about a drug mule who died after the cocaine capsules he had ingested ruptured. The guy expecting to receive the drugs (intact) showed up with the kid's jonesing sister and wanted to cut the kid open to salvage some of the capsules. A doctor was forced to retrieve the drugs and purposely slashed the drug capsules so they would be ruined. Needless to say, there was a struggle. While the doctor and NCIS guy fought to get the drug guy under control , the sister was snorting cocaine off the her dead brother's intestines. Sick.

Sure, it was TV, and it is pretty common knowledge that a drug addict would do something horrible in the name of that next fix, but to snort coke off your dead brother's gutted intestines is pretty harsh. Slightly less harsh is coming up with it and writing it into a prime time tv episode.

BTW...NCIS is a great show!