So much for that New Year’s resolution to blog at least once a week. Oops. Ok, I’m back on the wagon. Not that wagon, but the blogging wagon. At least for now.
I have a lot to report about the kitchen, but am going to wait on pictures until it’s all the way done. For the most part, I’m really happy. There have been a few problems, some of which I’ve already recounted here. A new one, though, is the countertops. We opted for quartz and they’re really beautiful. Apparently, though, they’re also very heavy. This means that they had difficulty getting the largest piece (one side of the kitchen) into place without damaging the walls. So, in an effort to leave our walls intact, Carlos (our countertop man) chipped the countertops. He thought it would be ok because the tile backsplash we were going to install would cover up the problem. But I wasn’t planning on tiling the side walls. During my efforts to get this resolved, I was labeled “demanding” in an email from the Home Depot to Carlos. I don’t think I was supposed to receive that email. In any event, instead of the tile — which we hadn’t decided on and were thinking we might do ourselves — we’re just going to have Carlos come back and install quartz backsplash on the wall. I’m not in love with this idea but I think it makes the most sense. Ok, I’ve already changed my mind. Here’s a picture.
Wall
You can see where the former backsplash was. It was the same as the countertops — white tile framed in a light wood. I really like the look of a smooth countertop with tile being the only backsplash (as opposed to the countertop creeping up the wall). But I started to worry about a couple of things. One, the cost of the tile. It’s not cheap. Two, who would install it? Would we? The web makes it look easy, but I can’t imagine it is. Three, if we did it ourselves I worried about several things — the mess, the outcome, the probability that it wouldn’t get done. If we hired someone to do it I worried about cost. And, again, when were we going to get around to hiring someone? I really started to worry that we would have this amazing new kitchen that would never be quite finished. So, Carlos is coming back and I hope to have a finished product soon.
In the meantime, the old fridge is on the curb waiting patiently for the city to come pick it up. My neighbors, however, have not been so patient. I have gotten a phone call and hostile emails with CAPITAL letters telling me what an eyesore it is and how it needs to be removed. Well, what can I do? We bought the $35 appliance sticker, put it on the fridge, have the fridge on the curb and have contacted the city to tell them they missed picking it up (they assured us last week they’d come and get it). It still sits there. I don’t know what my neighbors expect me to do. If they are so upset about it, I don’t see why they don’t contact the city to complain as well. They continue to complain to me as if I’m deliberately preventing the city from picking it up. I’ve really had it.
On an unrelated note, a friend of mine is attempting to write a novel. More specifically, she is attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in March. She has invited others to join her in this adventure. I admit that I’m considering it. Unfortunately, I don’t really know where to begin.
Maybe it could start off like this, “My friends want to talk about Project Runway but ever since it moved to Lifetime, I don’t watch it. Frankly, I forget what day it’s on. Could I get a reminder?”
life and puppies 
Ok…watching PR right now.
There is one rule of thumb to remember whenever you remodel, it is NEVER simple and one change leads to another, to another, to another …. I just finished updating the upstairs bathroom and what I thought would be a simple, maybe three day project, turned into over a week. I knew I’d have a new countertop and floor and hardware for the cabinets, but forgot the door handles, hinges, towel racks, then the new door, light fixture….Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching.
I love my new bathroom and all the changes, but it turned in to a whole lot more than I expected. The worst set back was the day the flooring guys came and put some stuff on the floor in prep for the next day. Well I didn’t know what they were doing and didn’t know the stuff was wet. Of course they didn’t say anything or block it off. Well Maddie decided to explore. Yep, paw prints all over the place that then needed to be fixed the next morning thus pushing back when they could finish doing the floor. Now this wouldn’t have been too bad except that the toilet was in the tub and thus no shower. We made it through it but I was beginning to get desperate. Now I love it and can’t wait for you to see it.
What a choice, damage the wall or chip the new counters. Talk about no-win. Total bummer.
Your neighbors are weenies. 🙂
So far behind on PR…. and the Olympics are not helping me catch up.
I agree with Jane on the one change leading to another- it goes with your friends too! After seeing your lovely remodel I went home and decided I hate my countertops and sink and short kitchen cabinets… but they’ll have to wait until after the grand tour! It really does look lovely- I can’t wait for you to put up pictures so everyone can see how great it looks.
The countertops are SO beautiful. I love them, but I do not care for this Carlos and his underwhelming solutions to deal with the problems at hand. While I like the idea of tile, I don’t like the idea of you guys doing it yourselves or having to wait longer to get other peeps to do it, so I can see where opting for defensive Carlos to handle the backsplash would be the wisest choice.
Your neighbors are morons. I was just talking to Lace-face the other day about how miserable people are and how because they’re so miserable they need to find things to complain about, just so they can stay miserable and make other people miserable in the process. It seems your neighbors fit into that category quite well. Ridiculous. Well, they can complain all they want, but there’s nothing to be done until it gets picked up so they should really save their whining for a better cause.
I’m behind on PR but I’ve watched some. I have PR apathy, but once I started watching I’ve actually enjoyed this season thus far. I’m still not nearly as into it as I used to be, though. PR apathy.
Total PR apathy! And you are right, they are morons. I mean, really. You don’t have anything else to worry about? And I’m not saying I’m not anal about stuff like that. I am. But I have worked on the problem and can do no more! It’s not like I just stuck garbage on the curb and said, “Screw it! I don’t care how my neighborhood looks!” What moer can I do? Nada. This morning one neighbor emailed me to ask for the phone number for the city so she can call and complain. Um, you can’t look that up for yourself? For crying out loud. I have not responded yet.
Janey, I totally can’t wait to see your bathroom. I wanna redo mine next, but I also want new flooring all over. And to turn the downstairs into a bedroom or two. Oh dear. Too much to work on.
I take offense to the use of the word moron. Although you are one for not watching PR this season because I loooove it! Ha. Moron. I said it.
Way harsh.
Ok, she asked you for the number? To call and complain? The word moron has never been more appropriate.
I cannot get over how ridiculous people are. Children are starving in Haiti, people, a dumb refrigerator which will only be there for a few more days is one of smallest problems I’ve ever heard of. It’s about as small as rich white men complaining that it’s hard to settle down when there’s so many great girls out there. That flippin’ small. M.O.R.O.N.S.
Ok, I have to go. Very stressed today. I can’t lie. I love you!
hi all!
1. i have also forgotten about pr as of late, however i’ll randomly remember it and then watch a bunch of episodes “on demand”. it’s not a bad way to go.
2. i have been losing major sleep this week because of the olympics. i can’t get enough of it. i love it.
i dvr all of it and then watch it in the evenings. I haven’t cooked one meal this week.
!
Rose is here! Oh, how I’ve missed you. Apparently Rose can’t get on the blog at work. I think that’s outrageous!
Well if someone (anyone!) in Turkey wanted to read your blog, they couldn’t. Did you know that?
I did! Well, I did know that they shut down wordpress at one point (since you told me). Is it still true?
Hey Kate,
tiling a backsplash is a chore. I retiled a kitchen ten years ago and it was a b****. I didn’t have a sink for 3 months!
The tricky part was that you have to set the grid of tiles (typically 9 tiles per grid) vertically on the wall as the cement dries. I did this by hammering nails in the wall in between the tiles so they were hanging as they dried. Then you put in the grout after it’s dried. That’s actually the easy part. I’d recommend hiring some folks to do it. Good luck!
Excellent, excellent advice. It is MUCH appreciated.