The Saga of Kitchen Renovations

We watch enough home renovation shows that we should have known better. How many times have I laughed at the homeowner on In A Fix who is forced to wear the “It’s all my fault” t-shirt. Where would I buy one of those for Robin??

A couple of weekends ago (just after R’s birthday), Robin and Jay began the process of preparing to refloor the kitchen. As you know, we’ve had beautiful tiles sitting in my living room since the spring. A couple of days prior to this, we removed all the appliances etc from the kitchen. We’ve been without a stove/oven and sink ever since…



They gleefully demolished the base cabinet. The countertop already had to be replaced (previous installers didn’t bother sealing the sink around the counter!) and I’ve always hated the cabinet to begin with. Jay has grand visions of remodelling our home! We tell him he needs to get his own house!! Of course, I was in full agreement and helped him convince Robin that the easiest way to remove the base cabinet so that they can refloor is to demolish it. Otherwise a plumber would be needed, pipes would have been cut, etc.



Darla watches on, wondering what all the ruckus is about.



Robin patches and begins painting the walls.



A couple weeks go by without progress. Note: no sink, no stove! Dishes are being washed in a washbasin in the bathtub. Food must be raw, microwaved or BBQ’d (or take-out). It’s like living in a dorm…



We primed over the leaf stencil. The only leaves in the new kitchen will be potted.



At long last the linoleum and ¼” plywood is removed! This was after 2 weeks of Robin agonizing over the subfloor. Turns out the subfloor is OSB and it is not advisable to tile over OSB for many reasons. We almost reverted to new linoleum or wood-laminate throughout the main floor (damn, so close to getting rid of the carpet!) and said ‘screw it’ to the tiles. Replacing the entire subfloor would have required hiring someone to do it, particularly with a fully-finished basement beneath. In the end, however, we learned of ways in which OSB can be tiled over successfully. It may not be the optimal choice – but we’re not building a floor to last forever. With proper care there shouldn’t be any problems.



Here we are today. Look what we woke to on the day Robin needs to begin working with powertools outside…



At long last, preparation for the tiling has begun. Here is our first panel of cement backerboard. This was as far as they had gotten when I last took photos this afternoon.



Here is a sneak peak at the future. Blue walls (we went with a lighter blue than we’d previously chosen – thank goodness) and a tile.



And here you can see what I’ve been living with for the last several weeks…



“It’s all my fault” – maybe I’ll just paint that onto a t-shirt for Robin.



Good thing I have an office to get away to.



Not even the basement is safe. (I think I need to clean my camera lens!)



To add to the fun, I was a last resort for taking in two kitties whose foster mom is in hospital. They’re upstairs in the spare room, while my kitties are locked in the basement for the duration of the construction. Darla is locked with me in my office for the time being…

Beer-Day Birthday

Robin's birthday celebration was beer-ful.

It all began at the Brick Brewery at noon... [awaiting photo I took with a friend's phone-cam]

Following the Brewery samplings we returned home for the BBQ (with beer).

Robin joyfully filled his beer-steine. Have I mentioned there was a lot of beer involved?

[These are the goofs I am trusting to tile the floors...]

Following an afternoon and evening of fun at the house (including another viweing of SuperTroopers!) we headed out to downtown Kitchener looking for Oktoberfest fun. Turns out, Oktoberfest isn't like festivals in Winnipeg. This was not a street festoval (despite being a lovely long-weekend Saturday night) and downtown was empty. The single downtown Oktoberfest tent was half empty so we decided to save the $6 cover for more beer. We wandered downtown looking for some fun and found ourselves at The Still, our usual hangout for beer and a fitting end to a day that began at The Brewery.

Thus concluded Robin's birthday.

He received many great movies for his birthday too! Yay for more movies to watch. (Except for the Star Wars movies... I don't watch Star Wars movies... but I do play Lego Star Wars video games!)

October Celebrations

Only a few more days until Robin's birthday and then Thanksgiving.
We have few plans. Robin wants to visit the Brick Brewery in town again and we are having his cousins over for Turkey Dinner. (Less the whole Turkey)
However, we just realized that Octoberfest begins this weekend as well, so birthday celebration plans may change - perhaps an upgrade :)

I think I already mentioned that Robin has a great 8-4 M-F shift now.
My fall TA job is (compared with the past few TA jobs) quite simple this term - grade about 50 short reflection papers a week.
Plus, this job pays me monthly. I'll save you the dramatic story of how pissed I am about my summer TA and how they screwed me out of ~$500 this month... (Money I had to give to the government instead, so at least it is retrievable for me next spring. I already sent letters to human resources and the college that hired me about this. I don't expect anything will be rectified.)

Fenwick is officially ours now. She is still in hiding from Darla much of the time, although she has no reason to hide. She'll let me bring her from her 'bed' in the storage area, and will cuddle with us on the couch, with Darla at my feet, but eventually Fenwick runs back to the other side of the basement.

My sister finally sent me photos of her preggo-bump. She looks so cute :) They think I will have a nephew... but in BC the nurses cannot tell you. I made her a wrap for baby carrying.

I have a lot of gifts to start (and finish) making...

But first I have to finish my grant applications...
Right after I make myself some coffee...

OMGs - I almost forgot to post photos. It's been so long since i posted pictures for you.

This was my Japanese Quince in full bloom this summer.
Occassionally these also bear fruit. The conditions must have been right this year.
The fruit look like small ugly apples. Eventually they ripened.
I picked them and plan on making Quince jelly. Quince already have a lot of natural pectin, so all you need to do is boil them, mush 'em up, strain the pulp, boil the juice, and seal it in a jar.
I can do that...
Also doing well this fall are my morning glories. These are my favourite flowers and I was lucky to be gifted with seeds from a friend in the summer. I hadn't thought of planting any because I do not have a trellis for them. The flowers loved their spot on the deck in the sun. Next year I will get a long planter along the deck and would like to attach a trellis atop the railing for added privacy. Now that the tree is gone, the view to the next street is very open.
Indoors plants have also been doing well. Here is the Shamrock(s) a friend gave me in August. Here they are about a month later!
Look how full and blooming! My first indoor plant to bloom with flowers!! (Baby Rubber has grown its "flowers" several times, but they're just pollen covered sticks.)
awww. Look - like Mimi, the Shamrock sleeps.
Goldfish are about to bloom also! Yay!!
Didn't I tell you about the Goldfish plant? Yep, goldfish grow on plants. I'll show you when it has finished growing. There are two other buds. I've been feeding it extra vermicompost fertilizer.
Have you seen the Vermicompost? Well I took a picture the other day.
Freshly fed worms. All the brown is compost - it is like rich brown earth. No, it is not smelly at all. Yes, I need to give them new beddings and remove all that compost... I told you I am a poor vermicompost keeper. But the worms don't seem too upset. Their mini ecostsystem is functioning just fine.
Look how simple the bin is too... Rubbermaid witha few holes in bottom, boot rack beneath it for excess water, and lid (with holes).

What did I go and say that for?

The answer to a previous question is... at least once more.

I came home this evening to the smell of skunk in the yard and a russling at the end of the driveway. My heart froze. The garbage was knocked over. (I think tomorrow we'll get a new garbage bin that locks.)

Back to stepping out of the car... and I can see russling... I walk around the back of the car and around the other side to the doorstep. Then I see the black and white of the skunk, its tail towards me... thankfully running away.

Unfortunately, Darla was less fortunate. She went out earlier with Robin and spotted the skunk at the end of the driveway, right next to the front door. A face off began as Robin tried to call back Darla, but it was too late, she was set upon chasing the skunk. Again. Her "prize" was a "facial."

Robin washed her up quickly, and Darla smells okay again (a hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap mixture works wonderfully!), but the house reeks of that chemical scent again. And I had just gotten rid of it!!

Darla, on the otherhand, always has a beautiful clean coat lately.

Quick Update

Darla doesn't smell like skunk anymore. Woot! It is raining today, so if she was still smelly the moisture would bring it out.

Fenwick is still largely in hiding, although now she moves between the office and basement. Movement is good, it means change, which will eventually lead to free-roaming... then whining to go outside with Gryphon. Oh no! Maybe I should let her hide. I was worried for a while because she's still not okay with Darla and Gryphon (although they have been very good with her presence), but friends have reminded me how long the process can take. I know Fenwick is a wonderful cat and that she will adjust and be happy here!

Robin has yet another shift-bid coming up and may finally get a decent 9-5 (or 8-4) weekdays shift with weekends off.

I'm slaving away at proposals and applications. I'm actually excited about scholarship applications this year because I think I actually have a chance! Still dealing with some students from this summer and immersed in the new TA job (which is actually a former job revisited, thus making my life a little easier).

Weather has been fabulous! Perfect autumn weather. Pouring rain today, and the plants love it. We had two great weekends for local Pagan Pride Day events in KW and Hamilton. Much fun was had by all. As an added bonus, I espied some great potential candidates for my research interviews and know how to contact them.

And to top it all off, there is Pez in my dispensers. mmm. original Pez too from my special collection. The last of it... When I say original, I mean the candies actually made in Austria instead of whatever thrid-world country they come from now. The recipe changed when they moved production. This was years ago...

TTFN

Skunk - not again!

How many times this summer must Darla find a skunk and chase it??
How many times will I have to bath her in soapy, baking soda and jydrogen peroxide?
What is that raven? Nevermore? Thank you!

I just thought I would share my woes with y'all.
Darla's all clean, but the scent lingers in the air outside and through our windows. Another stinky evening.

In other animal news, Fenwick has been venturing out of the office. Today she encountered both Gryphon and later Darla. Things were not exactly amicable, but I never expected them to be on first contact. Actually, these were second crossings... Gryphon saw Fenwick on my shoulder yesterday when I carried her downstairs to find a brush and Fenwick made her own way down to the basement (unbeknownst to me) last evening and sat at the base of the stairs watching Jesse and Darla. She's a brave one on her own terms.
Fenwick "flipping out" on the carpet. I told you, she's another Gryphon.
Gryphon is on the top and left (incase you couldn't tell).

I thought I would add some more photos, including composite images of Gryphon and Fenwick side by side for your comparison. The different lightings don't adequately highlight their differences. Fenwick is considerably lighter and is a tortie, plus her tabby markings are stripes (mackerel) whereas Gryphon's are spotted.
And yes, I've been camera happy since Fenwick arrived.
Also, I have learned that her name means "from the dairy farm in the fen". Must be where she gets her CREAMy colour from. (hahaha, I'm so CHEESY! hahahaha)
Fenwick likes my jokes. She's purring away beside the laptop screen.

Fenwick says hello

I left Fenwick hiding in my office yesterday. After taking the last photos, she found her way to Gryphon's hiding spot inside the sitting-chair. Gryphon learned from his previous cat-mates (chez Tasha) how to make a hole in the bottom of furniture so that he can climb inside.
I "dumped" her out of the hole this morning by tipping the chair on its side. Picked her up and she was quite willing to join me on top of the chair.
I have discovered that Fenwick is a female Gryphon!
Yes, she twisted and flopped all around me on the chair. I can pick her up, and even though she is nervous and uncertain, I can hold her however. She loves attention. Already she will come out of hiding when I call - after just one cuddle session. She loves being brushed, and like Gryphon, she keeps moving and twisting. It's a good thing I have a fabulous zoom-groom rubber brush for these cats. Between being nervous and this being a shedding season, I gathered a lot of hair from Fenwick! She has a wonderful soft coat like Gryph too.

Fenwick is not declawed, but her foster mom says she does not scratch furniture and that she's good at using a scratching post or the cardboard type. I bought her (and Gryphon) a new toy - a ring with a ball in it and a scratching-board center.

Here is the first good photo without a flash so that you can better appreciate her colours.
Being a brown and caramel tabby-type, she is quite similar looking to Gryphon, but her tortie mixture makes her stand apart. She's also fluffier, although she is still short-haired. Most significantly, whereas Gryph is long and lean, Fenwick is short and squat. When I first saw her I had thought she might be overweight, but now that I've been able to pick her up and check her out a lot, I agree with her foster mom that this is just her build. She has a bit of a saggy-skin belly that hangs, but she is definitely not overweight. She's surprisingly light actually. Also, her foster mom mentioned that because of her short legs, Fenwick does not jump up on tables etc. I may have to reconsider the feeding arrangement since I feed the cats on a table. On the other hand, this is good - it means I don't have to worry about her being where she shouldn't be. I hope she's not a plant eater...

Given that she is similar in temperament to Gryphon, I'm confident that she will fit right in here. Gryphon is very laid back; go-with-the-flow. He's also fun-loving and cuddly.
I carried Fenwick on a little tour of the house (to find the brush). Darla is on a walk with the boys (Robin's friend Jesse is visiting) and Gryphon is sleeping by the sliding door. Gryph saw Fenwick on my shoulder, but didn't move or react (typical of him). I'm not sure if Fenwick saw him. I will introduce them soon, perhaps tomorrow.
Day two is looking good!

Fenwick

Meet the new kitty in the house.
Her name is Fenwick.



I just picked her up this afternoon from the KW Cat Adoption group.
She's quite shy right now.
But her foster mom says she's a cuddler. I look forward to getting to know her better.
So far she's being kept separate from the other "kids" in my office - much to Darla's dismay. We hope she will be comfortable in our home. However, in case she just can't adjust, we are on a 3 week trial adoption.
You can expect more photos and updates (will she stay?!) to follow.

Garden Goodies

Let me begin by admitting that my garden isn't as lucious as I was hoping for. Actually, in comparison with vegetable gardens my firends have, it's quite sparse. Next year will be better now that I have some experience.
So let's see what I have


Tomatoes are not yet ripe. These will be my largest. The rest, scattered throughout the plots, are smaller varieties such as cherry and romano (my preferred tomatoes).


Here is the one delicious zucchini that has grown so far (there are more on the way). I picked it right after taking this photo. Then I baked it into a chocolate cake! As I said, delicious.


Looking tasty. Here's a pepper I did not grow from seed :( But for the record, the tomatoes and zucchini above (as well as the beans and herbs pictured here)I did grow "all by myself" from seed. And I am very proud of that fact!


See the large patch of overgrown herbs... I really must harvest this stuff... but it's just been too hot and humid until recently to even consider, plus the mosquitos are a deterent. I've got a lot of parsley, basil, oregano, mint and thyme. Behind the herbs I planted is a whole lot of coltsfoot. I finally found a use for this rhizome... since I can't get rid of I should put it to use. I have a friend finishing up a herbalist program and she is happy to take it off my hands. I gathered a few leaves (just 40, and I mean "just" because there is much more where that came from. Note that these are very large leaves.) for her yesterday and I think she'll be coming back soon to harvest the rest with me from the bottom of the slope. She can dry it and use it for cough suppresants and such. Apparently you can also make a wine from the leaves.


And, finally, here are some beans that I picked but have not yet eaten. Perhaps a snack for later...

That's all the exciting news from the garden.

Two Years

July 2-4 has come and gone. This year I decided to stay in the country and spend time with Robin to celebrate our anniversary ;)
I will never live down the fact that I flew to Germany on the day of our one year anniversary...

This anniversary we spent the day in Toronto. We began with brunch at a tasty all-day breakfast place in the East Beaches. Robin had been there with friends and knew I would love it. I think it was called the Sunset Grill. I ordered pancakes (of course) with chocolate chips (it was practically lunch, which is how I justify the chocolate). When our server asked if I wanted the 3 or 5 pancakes, I chose 5... "Brave girl" he says... I thought I was hungry... I also thought that at that price they would be 5 smaller pancakes. oops. They were huge! Next time I'll stick with 3. Robin had a large 'hungry man' type breakfast.

After brunch (more lunch really, but we'd skipped breakfast) we took to the boardwalk and the trail around the nearby park. It was beautiful out there. From the tip of Ashridge's Bay Park we could see the CN tower and downtown skyline. We watched some boats for a while and enjoyed the water dancing over rocks below our feet.

We headed back to the beaches to the pub for a cold drink. It was extremely hot and humid out and water wasn't cutting it for me anymore. I was hoping for AC in the pub, but had to settle for outdoor shade with my beer.
Then we took in an early dinner at the Silkroad Cafe. We had wanted to go because we saw it transformed on Restaurant Makeover. The food was delicious and since we were able to order the lunch specials (still a large portion) it was also a great price.
After a long date we headed home.

On a very different note, since I'm giving updates, a few days before our anniversary we had to put down Jenny. She had a ruptured disc in her spine and subsequent neurological damage. I've blogged about this more intensely elsewhere and don't feel like revisiting that now.
I suppose I should change the title of the blog... but I'll wait until I have a new name to insert. Because, of course, we will rescue another cat. There is an "opening" now in our home for another feline to find his/her forever home. I've been talking with a rescue group in Hamilton and hopefully will hear back soon about our application.