Thursday, September 06, 2007

Empty Nesting ... sort of

It all started with Brian announcing that he was going to take the day off so that he could take the kids to school. He wants to make up for missing most of last year and this year Monkey Girl started grade 1. Yup, full days of school ... no more half days for us! I now have my days to myself (thus the job hunting!) So, on Tuesday, we walked the kids to school (OK, we walked behind them as they ran ahead!). Then after we were further abandoned to friends from school, we walked home, hand in hand. We then made a pot of coffee and sat in the quiet and drank. Then we planned. We finished our coffee and then put our plan in to action: Home Depot here we come!

We walked around the kitchen area finalizing our choices and then we browbeat the clerk into talking to us. She then told us we needed an appointment to sit and get a ballpark estimate. Looking around, and spying her appointment book, I saw that there was nothing on it. I waited. She said “you need an appointment”. I sat silently. She then looked at me and said “I can fit you in this afternoon?” Then I smiled and said Fine! See you at 1:45! We then started walking around.

In the proceeding 90 minutes, we managed to redesign our bathroom vanity and pick our new shower stall, toilet and sinks. We priced MDF for a new sewing table configuration (that I have to now design), designed a kitchen island and priced a new deck. Then we sped to the local chip truck and got 2 hotdogs and some wonderfully sinful fries. Gulped them down and made it back to Home Depot. I fell in love with Corian counter tops but not the price tag. So, it looks like it will be laminate. I now have to compare what I found at HD with Ikea and then price them both out in detail.

It was so much fun to just wander and dream and plan ideas like that. We pulled out a 4x8 sheet of MDF to see if it was enough for an L shaped work surface. Seeing as it was only $25 for the whole sheet, I figure I can get a real nice work surface with holes for the cords and a power bar mount … Oh my! Now I just have to figure out dimensions and drawers and such. That way, I can bring the kitchen table I am currently using as a sewing table into the empty eating area of the kitchen for the kids to eat on and do homework on. It will also become the basis of my kitchen island … Brian and I came to an agreement as to what we like in a master bath wrt cabinetry. I want some drawers for my stuff and he wants shelves for towels and cleaners and such. We discussed the rather unique way our plumbing is and how to accommodate it in the cabinets. Everything but colour …

We made it home in time to do a bit of web surfing and then pick the kids up. There, we were told to leave by Susanna who was expecting her older brother to pick her up so we retreated and left her to Iain. Then they both joined us for the walk home with lots of talking happening!

How is that for a day? The first day without kids and we spent it in Home Depot! We could have spent it at home, being romantic, but instead we snoop shopped together and had so much fun! We were like kids in a toy store before Christmas! Couples that dream together, stay together!

2 comments:

  1. I don't know if you have "Habitat for Humanity" in Canada. Here in the U.S.A., we have "ReStores" where Habitat sells leftover donations--such as countertops, sinks, faucets, light fixtures, etc. They are in most fairly large cities.

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  2. Carole, we do have a local ReStore here in Ottawa. Our local Home Depot has signs in the kitchen and bath departments telling the uninitiated about what to do with their old stuff. I cringe when I watch those house flip shows on TV where they go after the kitchens with sledge hammers and destroy what could be salvaged.
    If we actually go through with the kitchen reno, we will be contacting them! I want to go check them out just to see what they have ... maybe they have some nice countertops!

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