May the Force Be With You!

Dylan and Alexander doing there best impersonations of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Lincoln Logs

The kids got Lincoln logs from their Mema. We built the house on the tin. I loved Lincoln logs as a kid. Needless to say the minute after this picture was taken a "Tsunami" (see force of nature to left and right) destroyed the house.

The End in sight!!!

So we are more then 90% done. The kitchen looks great.
Back splash is in, it is a green glass, with sea foam green grout. I forget the color of the granite I think it's something like vertigo blue, but it's is a dark blue/green iridescent color.

Joanne (AKA mother in law) came over all weekend and help put the kitchen back together.

What is left to do:
Stain the bay window
The accent trim to molding (rope)
Molding over Microwave
Paint
Saddles

That's pretty much it.

Get me out

This was our trip Sunday to the Children's Museum in Manhattan. Dylan spent about 15 minutes getting o this costume. Once he had it on-- he couldn't get it off fast enough.

Backsplash

This is up and grouted. It looks awesome. We are a week or two away from being done with construction and the major parts are over. Just the finishing touches.

Maybe Sea Monkeys Were the Wrong Analogy

I was trying to remember the product they sold on the back of comic books. You add water and rainbow colored coral like mountains grew in the "aquarium". Well, here it is the counter top. On Friday 5 guys showed up from Mondials to install the counter top.
Next up is the back splash. That should be done by the end of this week and also the trimming on the kitchen closet and bay window. So by the time the New Year rolls around we will have a brand new kitchen and family room.

Just like Sea Monkeys

Alright, I bought this piece of granite from a little old man reading a comic book on Coney Island Avenue. He sold me this little piece of granite for $10,000,000 and said "if I just add water It will become a beautiful counter top in just 24 hours."

How could I argue with the price?

BTW, The Who Sells Out can be had for $9.97 over at Amazon.com. Another mythical consumer trap. "There is magic in my eyes..."

Christmas Invades the House? Nope, Welcomed with Open Arms!

Well, after the floors were done we laid down the rug, papered up the dining room floor, and bought a Christmas tree. I have to say that our house is now filled with Christmas cheer, a tree, and assorted decorations. The kids are systematically playing with, destroying, and examining every ornament they can get their hands on. The first four feet of the tree might be bare before we know it. Most importantly it's great to have a common living space that resembles what our home will be like in a couple of months.

The kids didn't really get to flex their creative muscles at our house. Instead it was off to conquer Grandma's "genormous" tree just down the block. We also attempted to get a Christmas Card Photo-- without much luck.
Tomorrow it's back to reality and one day closer to getting our house back-- and better than ever!

Floors - Take Two!

The living room, dining room and stairway are all clear for the Micolosi Brothers. We are having another coat of Polyurethaned slapped on and some light sanding done to the floors. Not in that order of course. So, tomorrow we can repopulate these rooms and get one step closer to living like human beings.

Stove and Microwave- We have them installed

These were installed prior to Thanksgiving, but things have been hectic. Having a stove back has been great. The new microwave it pretty much nuclear. Things cook in half the time of our normal microwave. The stove has a griddle. This is great for pancakes for the kids and my new found love for hamburgers. Until you eat lots of takeout and frozen dinners for six weeks you can't appreciate this simple meal.

My recipe is simple:

- Sirloin (95% lean, I have high cholesterol after all)
- couple of dashes of L&P Worchestshire Sauce
- Garlic salt, mixed in and sprinkled on top
- Pepper, mixed in only

Cook on the griddle for 10 minutes (6 minutes one side , 4 minutes the other). Toast bun of choice (even the wonder bread works when you have been on the diet I have been on). Add Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, little mayo, and Heinz Ketchup (if it ain't Heinz it ain't ketchup). Don't forget the pickle on the side (Claussen).

Finishing Touches Pt. 1

Your probably asking what the saw and an unrecognizable piece of wood are in terms of finishing touches? Well, it's the crown molding. One step closer to a finished kitchen! Hallelujah!

My future counter top

What the heck is this? This is the slab of granite that will eventually be cut into my counter top. The thing is huge. The shapes in the granite are our reflections. We got the counter top from Mondial ((718) 232-0800 6501 14th Ave) and they ask that you come in and "inspect" the piece before they cut it up. Our type of granite is pretty much uniform so our inspection was more customer service than any real decision process. So, next week (w/o 12/10) we should have a counter top.