The Snowball is Rolling Faster

HYPERVENTILATING....HYPERVENTILATING....HYPERVENTILATING. I am in love with this stuff!!!! Isn't it pretty? Rustic Slate is its name, countertops are its game.

Two weeks ago I picked out a new laminate sheet...under pressure...with a less than helpful "associate" at the Dome Hepot. (hey I'm not getting sued by them for defamation!) He, the associate, was not aware there were different grades of laminate. I informed him that, yes, indeed there were and I wanted a specific grade. He argued. I told him again there were different grades. To which he promptly spun his chair around, picked up the phone and called Formica (to be able to say neener neener to me). To which, he had to spin that little chair back around, with his tail between his legs, and say that, yes, indeed, I was correct. :-P I just love it when that happens. he he he.

That order was in preparation for what would happen this week.....and will continue to happen through the weekend.

We got rid of this. Nice, huh? It hasn't worked in...oh....six months.

And this. My faux leather countertop.


And the weirdo snap-together switch/outlet cover combo thingy under the cabinet.


Dad disconnected all the plumbing from the underside of the sink. (Thank the lord for dads)

Have you ever wondered what the inside of your kitchen drain looks like? You can thank me later. And yes, it smelled as nice as it looks. EEEWWWWW.

Dad got rid of this...the garbage disposal from h-e-double-hockey-sticks. Do you know what the "Badger 1" does to food when you put it down the drain? Basically slaps it around a little and wishes it luck getting through the plumbing. Before retiring, my dad worked for a plumbing and electrical wholesaler, where, in fact, the lowest of the low end disposer they sold was the "Badger 5". Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

The new disposer could chew up 2x4's...I can't wait.

Bye bye weirdo sink with the teeny useless second basin and gross hard water faucet.

Hello new water shut off valves. There were none before. I know, my kitchen rocked.

Again, aren't dads the best thing in the whole wide world?

And more work by Dad. He also tore out the countertop.

Which was a whole other story. The kitchen mastermind that installed our countertop originally decided it would be AWESOME to attach the backsplash DIRECTLY TO THE BACK OF THE COUNTERTOP. Then, install it. Do you know what that means? There's no way to get the backsplash off without taking the entire countertop off first. Not only did they attach it to the back of the countertop....they did it with no less than SIXTY SIX nails and screws. And that was just on the back. There were more down the sides. Let's keep in mind that my kitchen is not as long as an aircraft carrier....just a normal kitchen. SIXTY SIX. They were approximately every inch...some closer. We're not talking any skinny minny nails either, no siree.

These were big, honkin', scary, rusty, ready-to-give-you-tetanus-at-any-moment, nails.

Okay, enough about the nails. Dad did manage to get the whole thing off, backsplash included. This is not the way I intended to reveal my cabinet paint job and new hardware...but there it is, have a look. I give my cabinets a big hug every morning now.

Now, no counter and no sink make meal preparations a tad difficult. I'm not complaing AT ALL...just sayin'.

Waffles to the rescue!

Okay, now the hyperventilating shall ensue. My dear friend Jamie and her dear father Jim (countertop guru) just showed up with my NEW COUNTERTOP!!!! Okay, it's not quite a counter yet, more like pieces, but it will be by the end of the day tomorrow!!!!!

Again, a little applause for the papas please!

More tomorrow.