Update

Spent last weekend running around DC and murr-lynd looking at kitchen design places, and getting folks to price stuff out. Spent this past week in sticker shock. My damn soffits are creating the need for custom cabinets....very expensive custom cabinets. One person I called said 50K for my tiny little kitchen. Are they on crack? Must be. For that much money, I'd have to be selling the stuff.

So, I tweaked kitchen lady's design a bit, getting rid of the spice cabinet (very $, but not something I really feel compelled to have), and the appliance garage doors (as she called them), deciding they were a little bit country. Even so, the rough estimates are coming in higher than what I'd hoped for. And my ball of savings was just starting to look pretty decent.

Plus, there are so many choices, even though I already know what style I want. Oddly, enough that's part of the problem. Every company makes the door style I like. So, there are a zillion places to get my cabinets from. And then - should they come from a place that handles everything, or should I buy the cabinets, countertop, sink, etc. from different dealers, and perhaps save myself some mula?

Unfortunately, I think the kitchen has to be done whether I stay in the area or not. The wall cabinets are starting to take a dive....like, right off the wall. Damn kamikaze cabinets! On that topic, I've also been busy on Steve-o's school tour 2007. Fortunately/unfortunately, I think we're done with those. Interview season is quickly drawing to a close. It's bitter sweet, cause it's nice to stop worrying about who will invite you for an interview, but it's not so nice when you don't get one from a place you wanted to go. Hmm, I'm talking about this like it's my process. Guess I'm a little vested in it, huh? Kinda snuck up on me. :) Now, we just wait for our...I mean...his acceptances. (I did that one on purpose.)

For those interested in something other than house stuff - I spent this past weekend at a yarn dying class, shunning kitchen stuff entirely. No photos from the class itself, but I came home inspired, and took stock of what I've got. Several pounds of dyeable fiber, and three lonely skeins that may find their way to someone, someday.I also dyed a skein for a pal's birthday, but she might check this, so no photos just yet.

I can see you

Got a drill bit, and now I've got a peephole. Not a reverse peephole, though. So, I won't be able to tell if ninjas are waiting for me inside. But, I will be able to tell if holy rollers (did we only call them that in PA?), UPS men/women (though I've never seen a female UPS delivery person), Ryans, or wayward knitters are lurking outside my door. Of course, I could just use the intercom, but it's more fun to try out new house toys. Hurray!

I tried to go meet with a kitchen designer at the not-so-great indoors, but when I called, they failed to tell me the designers go home at 6, even though the store is open til 9. Losers!

Oh, and my pocket door kit has arrived. Wall destruction, here I come.

One door going up!

Hooray! My front door arrived. I zip-car-ed my way to the big box store to pick up my new front door. The old one's glass met with a rock it didn't like, and so, a new door was in order. So...it has a smaller glass area, which I wasn't completely thrilled with, but in the spirit of cost-savings, and the likelihood of rocks, or other stray objects making their way toward the door....I went with it. One small problem. The peephole I bought doesn't fit in the peephole-hole they drilled in the door. Grrrr. Peepholes are not universal sizes. Who knew!? So, now I need a new drill bit.

The other setback is that I want to paint the door, but it's still too cold to do that outside (supposed to stay above 60 for like a week or something), and I'm sick of paint fumes inside. So, I'll be painting it later this spring.

Note - I said later this spring. With the weather this past week, I am officially calling it spring. Even, if it's only supposed to be 35 on Wednesday. Hey - if there can be a 60 degree day in June, there can be a 35 degree day in Spring. Besides, spring is my favorite season, so I'm a little anxious for it. Planting, freshly sprouted buds, the smell of turned over dirt....I love it!

We also borrowed a super all oak bookcase from Ryan. I actually wanted to build custom shelves for this nook in the living room, but since I don't know how long we'll be in this place....well, you know. The shelves fit pretty well, though, and now my books can escape from the cardboard boxes they've been calling home for the last year and a half.

So...a pretty shnazzy weekend if I do say so myself!