Now I really did it :((

[missy]

The problem for me with the quartz "marble" look alike is that it is too grey and doesn't look like the marble I like at all. Greg prefers it because he is not a fan of all white but he said the kitchen is completely up to me so I don't want to make a mistake. We definitely need seeing these countertops and cabinets in person. I don't think I like the gray next to the white of the cabinets. It looks dirty IMO.

 

[missy]

And finally I think I was able to save this photo of my dream kitchen. Minus the backsplash which I want to be blue glass tile so ignore the backsplash here and our sink won't be in the island either.
I LOVE the feeling of this kitchen and this is the look I am hoping to get in our new kitchen. I don't want to mess up.

I know the countertop in the photo of my dream kitchen looks like there is a subtle pattern but if we go with a subtle pattern (vs solid color) the pattern has to be such as to not confuse what I am seeing with any dirt. One of the things I absolutely abhor about our beach counters now is that I can never tell if it is clean. Drives me nuts. That's why I'm leaning towards no pattern as long as it isn't too boring or sterile looking and I think a beautiful blue glass back splash will go a long way in making it interesting and I think I like all white besides the floor and backsplash and appliances (which will be SS).

Quick question...how deep should our sink be? In Brooklyn with the granite thickness it is 10" and the sink he quoted us is 8.5" but the quartz thickness is 1.25" I think. Should I ask for deeper? I don't want to get splashed and I think deeper is better for a sink no? And also how thick should the countertop material be? I think our granite thickness in Brooklyn is 1.5" but I have to measure again.

Thank you girls for listening to me ramble on and on about the kitchen.


And just sharing a gratuitous photo from my nieces first day back to school yesterday.

Hi CJ! Almost missed your post. Hope all is well with you and your dh!


Hope everyone has a good day and Junie, I am so sorry you are all going through such a difficult time and sending and know we are thinking of you and sending love and hugs your way. (((HUGS))).

 

[MarionC]

Missy, I think your kitties like those "milky-white" counters for a reason!
I agree, the grey is less appealing [sorry, Greg!].
Your kitchen will be beautiful and I'm excited for you.

Thank you to everyone for the welcome back. I missed you guys.

My young friends who live here on the farm are in PA this week getting married and I am "holding down the fort".
I have my plane ticket to France for the whole month of November where I will be getting a handle on what the house needs. In the past I've gotten homesick after 2 weeks, but this longer trip is necessary to accomplish some goals.
I now have a nice handyman to take care of things while I'm away and to help me when I am there. For starters we will tear up the old carpet upstairs to see what the floors are like. I can't wait to get busy with this fun project and bring new life to the space.

Thinking of you today, June. hugs!

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello

Had a big meeting starting early this morning so didn't get a chance to say hello before now, the day has been going non-stop. Even worked through lunch because the meeting kind of ended with lunch. Client meeting, so I think trying to sound smart and nice and look cute whilst chewing my food qualifies as work! LOL.

Now I'm back at the office and try to catch up with my inbox. Boring. So decided to say hello to you girls instead. Much better.

Gypsy, yippi for silver linings! A few more and the whole cloud is made of silver Very happy to hear that the unemployment got approved. Hope John is doing ok. How is your mother, or is it a bad idea to ask..? How was the interviews? Did it sound like a nice job?

Missy, that beauty sure is a princess and she knows it!! Kind of like my little baby, she will actually cross her legs when she is lying in her chair and raise her chin so at to look down on the rest of us, LOL.

Callie, I hate the dentist from when I was little and it used to hurt. Hugs and good luck! But it IS just annoying, you are so right. Not important as it will be fixed!

Rainwood, thank you! You are right, not a granite, I did some checking yesterday after posting. Too good to be true, so - not true. I cannot believe some people! So rude to market it as granite when it is in fact not!

Missy, seeing the kitchen in person is a really good idea!

Marcy, a cruise might be good for several reasons. The sea is close by. The drop is quite high. And there should be bling shops onboard! Also, there are quite a few restaurants and bars, or so I hear. So plenty of opportunity to loose the others, one way or another So then you can have a family vacation without actually seeing them much! Perfekt!! Also, no dishes from the "kids" and no way they can steal your drink

Missy, re countertops, I like the first better than the second vs the cabinets. For me, it is a little too clean, but for a beach house? I think it would be very interesting to see that one in person Your nieces are so adorable, put them in the kitchen and no one will notice the countertop anyway Missy, have you considered a very pale gray? Just got the idea from your dream kitchen picture that perhaps it is a very light gray to match the stainless steel doorhandles and fridge? Re sinks, I have no idea. Here, the normal thikness of countertops are 3 - 5 cm. Normally 5 (almost 2 inches) for wood (which is the standard here) and probably 3 (1.1 for stone.

June. Hugs hugs and more hugs. Whish I could help you.

Jimmianne! I have missed you!! A nice handyman sounds perfect! Please let us know more about the projects along the way! November in France sounds perfect, wish it was me So lovely that they are getting married. I sometimes say to my DH that we should get a divorce because I would like to get married again, lol. I want a second white dress, you know?? Not fair that I had to choose one!! (And also because we - due to different stupid circumstances - had a small wedding and I have always dreamed of a big one - but hey! We both said "yes" and that is all that counts ) Getting side tracked here! Your house projects sounds like a lot of fun!!

All my best - S

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Kristie, I chuckled at Finn’s reaction to your training when he became a teenager. Too funny. Is it under 100 there yet? I wanted to pick you on the PS game Gypsy started for some killer gemstones but we already met. You have so many beauties.

Gypsy, glad to hear John is feeling better but it sounds like he may be pushing himself. If he is like Marty he thinks he is superman and can do anything. Sending mega PS dust your way for you job interviews. I definitely am nodding my head in complete understanding of getting around airports. I was about to ask for a “ride” when we got back to DIA. Advil wasn’t helping me either. I sure hope you are feeling better tonight. Good deal unemployment has been approved. I hope you get a good night’s sleep tonight.

Missy, Francesca is a people princess. I don’t blame Marty for wanting to spend time with his family. I think we might do it again in maybe 3 years. That would be his parent’s 50th anniversary so I think it makes sense to get together then. I will be more take charge on organizing things and if it’s a community residence I won’t be shy about getting those 20 somethings to do some work. I love HRH checking out the countertops for you. Your dream kitchen is fabulous. We have the 8.5 inch sinks and I think I’d go deeper for big pans. I wish we’d got one big sink instead of the split sinks. Your nieces are adorable as always.

Jimmianne, that is wonderful to hear your “neighbors” are getting married. You will love working on your house in France. Good deal you found a good handyman.

Scandi, we are definitely more exciting than your inbox. If I do say so myself. We are on the same wavelength about the pluses of a cruise verses a beach house. I am never shy about saying “separate checks please”. I can get lost on a ship and spend lots of time and money in jewelry stores. You can do a second wedding for some milestone. How long have you been married?

I kind of caught up at work today but was busy all day. We are definitely out of our slow season.

I got an estimate on getting the scratches on my hood today - $856. I am not turning it in to my insurance so I’ll just pay for it. We replaced my windshield this year, had major hail damage 4 years ago and Marty has one ticket so I thought I’d quit while I was ahead. They are going to do it the last week of the month and naturally Marty is going to be out of town that week. I don’t know how I’ll arrange that but I guess I’ll figure it out.

I am trying to arrange getting my wheels fixed but the guy didn’t return my calls today.

I am watching the first football game of the season. Woo hoo. Sadly that means fall is almost here.

Tomorrow is Friday.

Curby

 

[Gypsy]

Missy, that kitchen looks nice and clean, I think I would like it better with a blue glass tile backsplash. While I like grey countertops, I like them saturated grey and that one, as you noted, just looks like dirty white, so I am sorry but I agree with you as well. Francesca checking out the counters is so cute. My Hally was like that, a people princesses (the boys were all afraid of her).

I like a deep single sink made of thick material. We had the BEST one at our last apartment. I would go to a kitchen place (a high end show room is best) and see which ones feel right to you in terms of depth.

Jimmiannie, oh your November sounds amazing. It is nice of you to hold the fort for you neighbors.

Hi Scandi, My mom is improving. She is at home now, thank you for asking. About your wedding feelings: do a vow renewal. Why not?? I would like to do one. I wanted very much to be able to elope for our wedding, but we couldn't. So I think it would be nice if, someday, the two of use could do an elopement for a vow renewal. Do what makes you happy!

Hi Marcy, Yeah airports are a challenge. I am sorry you have the same experience. I love Fall it is my favorite season. What's your favorite season.

I had to interviews the last two days. The first was in San Diego, and yes I would GRATEFULLY move there if I got it. San Diego, while still expensive is MUCH MUCH MUCH more reasonable than the Bay Area in terms of cost of living. Plus it is just beautiful. I have always liked it there. I don't think I did as well with that interview though. I was feeling stressed and though I tried to hide it, it might have come across as trying too hard, unfortunately. I think today's went really well though. The company is a mature start up and everyone is young and energetic and it felt very different than any place I've worked before. I enjoyed it. The people were VERY genuine and sincere too, which was nice.

My feet are killing me with all the walking. I wanted to amputate my feet after the interview today. I haven't felt that way since before I started my infusions. My computer came back fixed last week. Broke again today. Hard drive failed again. The warranty people were TERRIBLE, so we are going back to Staples (NEVER AGAIN I am only buying from Best Buy from now one) to see what they can do for us.

I am good tired right now. Like I can rest tonight and rest well.

Junie I am thinking of you.

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning!

It is Friday and it is fall and we are going to drive up to the mountains again tonight (just a Friday-Sunday trip) so I'm working from home. Had a very exhausting meeting yesterday, so that is probably a good thing - no one will see me when I fall asleep at the computer later.. LOL Have you ever done that? So unpleasant when you feel your head drop.. Might be a sign that I'm a bit bored, too Oh well, not all work tasks can be fun.. I'm going to start up a project again that has been "on ice" since before summer, so not really motivated today. It is a nice project, but still. I always think it is sooooo boring to start over again on something old.

Hope everybody has had a good nights sleep! That includes you Missy Getting up before dawn is not allowed...

Gypsy, I think it sounds like both your interviews went well. It should be allowed to be a bit nervous, that only shows that you actually want the job! And that should be a good thing... But if you get that job, will John be able to get a new job in the same city and move with you? You are such a sport for being willing to move. Here, most people are not willing to move for work, which is really a big problem.

Missy, How is work this week? Any new countertop ideas or are you pretty decided on the milky white one? That will at least be super easy to keep clean, you can spot anything a mile away Oh kitchens are pretty exiting, aren't they? Wish I did not like marble so much.. This is a marble wall in a palace in Istanbul:



Marcy, 3 years sounds about the right time interval, lol

Re second wedding / renewing vows, not really normal here. But then again I'm not all that normal.. so we shall se.. We have been married for 10 years, but too much going on with the house this year to plan anything big. Maybe we can get married on a beach next year in some remote country and not tell them that we are already married

Happy Friday!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, thinking of you and your mom. I hope she is comfortable and knows she is surrounded by loved ones. I am glad your sister is there with you and that you are together. (((HUGS))).

Jimmianne, how nice your neighbor friends are getting married and that you are taking a nice long visit at your French countryside home. Lovely things to look forward to...and so relieved dear Pom is recovering well!

Gypsy, I love San Diego too. Beautiful weather. I hope that your interviews land you a job you love and I am keeping you in my thoughts and fingers crossed for you. I am sorry you are in pain. Are you getting the transfusions again or is that on hold? How is John doing? Sorry your hard drive failed again ugh. Hope Staples can fix it.

Scandi, Greg and I eloped for the first time (3 months before the actual planned "big" wedding lol) and got married at the courthouse by a justice of the peace. LOL but really my parents were furious. We still went ahead with the bigger ceremony (priest and rabbi) 3 months later and the reception and it was a blast but I do cherish the memory of us eloping. He bought me cheesy fake flowers in front of the courthouse right before we got married. Or was it after? Hmm. I don't remember but I still have them. I remember fighting him on getting them because they were like $25 or so and a huge rip off for fake cheesy flowers but Greg said cmon, it's our wedding day.

Wow that is one heavy patterned marble. Nice on their wall I am sure but yeah the opposite look I am going for in our kitchen. I am exhausted as all evening last night I went through looking at all different pieces of quartz and I am dizzy. I will share a few I like but I am probably going with simple classic pure white. I think it will be more difficult to keep clean and scratch free however from what i have been reading and from what is on the back of the sample. It says the pure white will show marks from normal wear. That is one caveat and one thing Greg doesn't like at all. Though he now agrees and says he doesn't like the gray of the marble look alike sample against the white cabinets so we have eliminated that choice. But there are so many other choices! OMG. I am getting OCD with these options and need to see full size slabs and I need to see it in sunlight and other lighting environments. It's like diamond shopping but we can switch the countertops less than our ERs. Though I love my dh because he said if I don't like what we ultimately choose and install we can rip it out and start again. That's love. I am driving him crazy not being able to make up my mind. LOLOL.

Work was crazy busy and guess what? Their "solution" arrived yesterday (arm to move the computer down and around) and it was installed and it is a FAIL. Grrr again. Earl installed it (took an hour and a half right in the middle of my crazy busy day near the end of the day even though he thought it would take 10 minutes) and now he has to uninstall it. Back to square one. Sigh.

Have a great weekend at the mountains and happy 10th anniversary.


Marcy, ouch on the estimate and other costs associated with the car. But woohoo new car coming soon and it's a beauty. I see it everywhere now and all I can see is it is really gorgeous. You made a beautiful choice and I am so excited for you to get that sweet baby. Makes sense for Marty's parents 50th anniversary. Hope work wasn't too busy for you and I guess we are both in our busy seasons right now. At least the day goes fast (usually) when we are busy.



Just a little vent if I may. We are off in a few minutes to the beach house and I am not in the most positive frame of mind. It's the middle of (another) heat wave here. Grrrr. Woke up in a bad mood. Hate those mornings yanno. It's dark, it's hot and even though it's Friday we have too much to do in too hot an environment and in too compressed a time period. Had a difficult night's sleep, woke up late and we have so much on the agenda. Need to get things together and get to the beach house. Go cycling (I hope if it's not unbearably hot by the time we get on the bike), then go to Costco, then vacuum the house since we are expecting friends at our place for cocktails tonight and then going out to dinner. But it's too hot to have cocktails outside tonight. 95-100 degrees (heat index) and Southwest wind=HOT. So yeah not enough sleep+ HOT temps yet again+ too much on agenda=bad mood. OK got that out of my system.

OK here are a few pretty countertop choices. What do you think? There are more choices to come...out of time right now. And it's between Cambria or Zodiaq but I don't think it makes a difference as the installer is the more important choice. We can go to any of the quartz companies if I find a beautiful color. Have a good morning girls. Last choice is the simple white cliff I am leaning towards though I so love the marble look I need a white white background that I cannot find in "fake" marble. And the lighting makes a huge difference so though the coarse carrera looks super white in my attached pic it isn't like that IRL I think. It's just the lighting in the photo. Must see all these contenders in person.

 

[missy]

OK while traveling to beach house I was searching on my phone and I think I found a beautiful choice. From a manufacturer I am not familiar with however. Belenco Fairy White. I thought it was fairly white till I just looked again haha.

http://www.belenco.com/en/kitchen-countertops/kitchen-countertops/fairy-white

I cannot link photos of full slab countertops in the Belenco Fairy White unfortunately. It's pretty.



And a helpful article where I first found the Belenco.

http://thesweetestdigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/quartz-countertop-options-that-look-like-marble-via-the-sweetest-digs.jpg

OK enough rambling from me about countertops this morning. Especially since I'm probably going with straight white LOL but I need to fully exhaust all other options.


Junie, sweetheart, thinking of you and sending gentle hugs your way.

 

[MarionC]

Looks beautiful. but are you saying it has a bit of pattern in it? Hard for me to tell on my monitor.
I know what you mean about having to look at every possibility before deciding.
Don't forget to get the meow-of-approval from the you-know-whos!

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning girls!

I will share a few I like but I am probably going with simple classic pure white. I think it will be more difficult to keep clean and scratch free however from what i have been reading and from what is on the back of the sample. It says the pure white will show marks from normal wear.

Missy, love you for writing this! I'm going to go with white marble so hah! to any marks, LOL Now I just need to fint a white one.. Here, the selection seems very limited, they are all selling Carrarra marble. Do you girls think that the white parts on that will look white when it is all finished and installed? I have been browsing a lot the last few days and I want marble so I'm getting marble..!! Hope DH is as understanding as yours Missy when I need to replace it in a few years, LOL.

Gotta go - need to pack soon but first a few work calls

 

[CJ2008]

I just lost my whole post!

What I had said...arrggghhh

It's Friday, everyone! yay.

Gypsy I want to go to San Diego! I hope you did better in that interview than you thought you did and that they hire you so you can live there. I hope John is doing better, too, and that he's taking it easy. And glad to hear your unemployment got approved! That's a relief. When I had to go on it a few years back it was so nice to get that check every week, it lessened the stress while I looked for a job.

missy what I don't like about the image/countertop you labeled marbly quartz and that you said looks dirty is that the "cracks" look like spider veins. Ask me how I know. But in general I never ever want to see anything that resembles them even a little. In general, I love love love the white/gray look you're going for. Plus it will be the perfect backdrop for showcasing Francesca the Princess. haha She is going to stand out so much.

marcy hi we're dealing with car issues too. What's even worse is that the car is old and I'm sick of it so spending $ on it feels even worse. I hope the next 3 years go by nice and sloooow for you But what helps me with family get togethers is realizing that getting together to celebrate something is waaay better than getting together for "no reason" and then having to get together AGAIN to celebrate the thing.

Speaking about car issues, gotta run to drop it off.

Everyone else, hi rainwood, callie, lljsmom (happy belated birthday!) scandi (you always make me smile or laugh, you seem like such a laid back person, it's nice, and my total opposite haha), jimmianne, kristy, june!

I hope you all have a great day today and that even if things aren't perfect something nice or good happens to all of you.

 

[Scandinavian]

My last kitchen post, I promise... (maybe...)

We are going for blue cabinets as you might remember from before summer, and now that Missy is looking for countertops - well - the temptation to jump onboard was just toooooo big for me

But you can't argue with Jenny from the marble-block, now can you?

 

[MarionC]

Another beautiful kitchen!

I'll play : ) Here is my "old French house" kitchen that could use advice from you experts. I fear my French kitchen will never be sophisticated, but that is the least of my worries. First I need to learn how to cook.
But before that I have to get rid of a ton of cabinetry, as the sellers liked cabinets so much that they filled all the kitchen walls and then expanded with cabinets into the sunroom.



The blur at the table is my agent masked out. I was not sure he wanted to be on PS

 

[rainwood]

If we're going to vent about cars, I'll do mine. When I got back from Europe, I noticed a crack in the windshield down low by the wipers. It wasn't from a rock because it was fine when I pulled into the garage and the crack was there the next morning when I pulled out. I vaguely recalled something about cracked windshields on new Subaru Outbacks and sure enough, there was a service bulletin about it. So I called my local dealership who I bought the car from. They are usually great to work with. They said I had to bring in the car to verify the location even though I told them where it was and I knew it was in the location covered by the service bulletin. So I drive over there and they said yes, it's covered. So I needed to schedule replacement and I'd have to wait 2 weeks if I needed a loaner car, which I do because I don't have my DH to help with these things anymore. And then I scrape the side of my car getting out of their very user-unfriendly lot - there is a 90-degree turn where there's no room for error. Customers don't usually have to make that turn because they are dropping their car off, but because they were just looking at it, I did and disaster.

So today is the service appointment. I have to go in early (one of my least favorite things), we do all the paperwork, the only loaner cars they have are a lot smaller than mine, but fine, it's just for the day. Then 30 minutes later when all the paperwork is done and I'm waiting for the loaner, they come back and tell me they don't have the windshield in stock!!! Their only solution was for me to keep the much smaller car until they can fix mine. But I have family coming in tonight so we can go to the island and that won't work. Oh, and they're going to special order a windshield just for me - and I'm wondering why they didn't do that the first time or at least check on Thursday that they'd have one before I came in. So, so stupid. And now I'll have to go in a THIRD time because they can't seem to make glass right. I left a long message for the service manager when I got home asking what they were going to do to make this right.

Vent over. How is everyone else?

Missy, hope the rest of the day goes better. Some kitchen thoughts will be heading your way.

Scandi, sorry that your preferred stone is actually marble but in my experience those of us who love marble have a hard time finding something else we like as much. I thought countertops were the hardest part of the kitchen. And hope you didn't fall asleep at the computer! You don't want the imprint of your keyboard on your forehead!

Marcy, so excited for your new car being on its way! And a cruise for the next family reunion sounds like a good idea. Make it the largest ship possible and you're set!

Jimmianne, yeah for Pom's recovery!! And I'm so excited for you on the house in France. It sounds wonderful. My firs thoughts on the kitchen are to start with the basics. You need to find out if the wall between the kitchen and sunroom where those upper cabinets are is load-bearing. If it isn't or if only part of it is needed structurally, you might want to consider taking down the uppers to get more light as the kitchen looks a bit dark. Second, are you planning to keep the floor? If so, you might want to see if the cabinets are installed over the floor (tile?) and if they are, whether the cabinet installation caused any damage. If there isn't tile underneath or if it's damaged, you either have to replace the floors or put new cabinets in the exact same place as the old ones. That's where I'd start before getting into details. And if you're keeping the floors (which I love although I wish they extended into the sun room), then you already have your color palette established.

Junie, hugs is all I can think of to say.

Gypsy, glad the interview went well. Fingers crossed for you and that John continues to improve.

CJ, hope you have better car karma than me.

Hi to everyone else! I'm getting the sense we could all use some pretty in our lives so will try to post some more Norway shots today.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, I am glad to hear your mom is home. I like fall the best as well. I love the colorful fall leaves and it’s warm enough to star gaze and gets dark before 10 pm. That’s great you felt good about your interview today. I am still sending good luck PS dust your way. I hope your feet are feeling better tonight.

Scandi, yes fall is here too. Enjoy your weekend in the mountains. You never know when you might decide to review your vows. We were teasing some friends of ours we were going to do that this summer (25 years) so we could pick out awful clothes for them to wear to stand up with us. They agreed if they could write the vows. Strange it never happened. I love the kitchen you posted.

Missy, that is cool you have such cherished memories of eloping. Darn it for the install not working for you; hopefully they get it fixed soon. I am glad you like the Macan. I don’t know I’d recognize on right away just yet. I hope your day improved. How is your rash tonight? I hate those things; they are so miserable. I am excited to follow along on your kitchen design.

Jimmianne, any new jewelry in the works? Love your kitchen.

CJ, what helps me with family get togethers is alcohol. Ha Ha. I agree planning for something with a special occasion will make it a bit more practical. Like I said I am going to be more involved in suggestions and planning. I am sorry you are dealing with car issues too.

Rainwood, oh no to scraping up your car and how awful they didn’t order your windshield in before your appointment. That is inexcusable. I hope they aren’t charging you for the loaner then. I was thinking about asking the Audi dealer next week for a loaner - even though I’m out of town they can no more than say no. I hope you can get your company to the island okay and have a great weekend.

Work seemed to go on forever but 5 pm finally arrived. The cleaning lady was here today so it’s nice to come home to a clean house.

I talked to the wheels guy today. He said that Ding Monkey never pays him for his work. I am meeting him at the dealer on the 21st and I assured him I’d write him a check. Then I’ll submit my receipt to Ding Monkey for a refund. He estimated about $65-$75 per wheel which was less than I expected. Marty says after they get fixed I can’t go anywhere in the car but to work and back. Ha!

Have a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[Gypsy]

Since we are sharing kitchens, I'd like to share my dream kitchen.

I like white. But I like wood too. And I love grey. And the copper accents warm the whole space up. So this is my dream kitchen for a traditional style home.

Got the computer fixed today. The warranty service was so bad, I had to pay to have it fixed and now wait to see if they would reimburse me. Still and all I need the dratted thing working and this time I know the repair used new parts, not refurbished and that the correct operating system is loaded. It's the little things.

Our phone are also being warranty replaced. They both have issues and aren't going to make it to our November upgrade as is.

Ahh technology, the more it helps the more the lack of it hinders.

Like Marcy and Rainwood, I scraped my car too. The passenger side rear door is dented and scraped to kingdom come now. Not getting it fixed any time soon. Rainwood I would be VERY frustrated in your place. Marcy, you are a dream customer I am sure.

Tomorrow is another day.

Thank you all for the well wishes. We'll see what happens next week, shall we? I applied to several new jobs too. And so it goes.

House cleaning tomorrow. Probably.

Good night all.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, how are you doing and how is your mom doing? Thinking of you and sending you gentle hugs and lots of love.

Rainwood, ugh, I am sorry that sucks and why is it always something. I feel frustrated for you and I hope having family visit you at the island makes this all a distant blur you forget about this whole weekend. You will get it all sorted out of course but in the meantime it's frustrating and yeah it sucks.
And OMG sorry you scraped your car. That sounds like an impossible area to get through unless you are a skilled professional. I cannot navigate our car very well at all through tight spaces but that's because I have a tough time of visualizing how close I am to something. LOL you can imagine me and parking in NYC tight spaces. Not good. Curby, move over you have some competition.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with family and that this situation gets sorted out to your satisfaction sooner vs later.

Jimmianne, I like your French country kitchen. Yes it needs some TLC but the overall feel is romantic and very French and very Joie de Vivre. Love the beams.

Scandi, I LOVE your robins egg nest blue cabinets! And if I didn't have my heart set on white I would jump on that blue train! If you remember blue is my favorite color and every other color is a distant second, third etc. Really pretty cabinets! I don't know what I am doing anymore re the kitchen because I got some great advice from a trusted friend (and I so appreciate her taking the time and energy advising me) and all I can say is I have some heavy thinking to do.

CJ, I agree with you. It looks dirty and we are not going with anything like that for sure. And I like spiders but not on my countertops or inside my house.
I am sorry you are dealing with car issues and I hope you get that resolved soon. Hope you have a nice weekend planned.

Marcy, add a third for autumn as their favorite season. I dare say most of the NIRDIs are going to choose autumn. I love the colors of the leaves and the colors of the sky and the fall sunset and sunrise and the crisp autumn air.

Thanks for keeping me company on the kitchen design. I am so lucky to have you girls helping me. Also thank you for keeping me company yesterday while Greg changed our flat.

My rash is worse and it looks different than it ever did. I am worried and stressed but trying to not let it ruin the weekend. We got home late (for us) last night-after 10PM but we had a fun time with our friends. However I am paying the price now as I couldn't go to sleep immediately as I needed to wind down (and we ate late so I cannot lay down after eating for a few hours at least) and I woke at 4AM again so really I slept about 3 hours. And my rash is burng/stinging and looks scary. LOL I am sorry to always be venting and worried here and I wish I could be the sort of person who didn't let these things affect her so much and I am working on it but every time I decide I am going to be cool about things something else happens. Universe testing me I guess. And I am failing. Now the question is do we go cycling today as it is another too hot day. Or do I just give up and listen to my (unreasonable) body and do something else that has less of a chance of making my rash even worse.

So glad you worked out the wheel issues and it will be taken care of. Yay to coming home to a clean house yesterday and yay for the weekend. What are your plans? It must be so nice to be home in your own space and able to do exactly what you want to do without navigating with your in laws.

Gypsy, I love your dream kitchen. It feels like a happy calm place to be. Thank you for sharing the pics.
Glad your mom is home and I hope the rest of her recovery goes well. So pleased for you that finally your unemployment was approved. And you know I am keeping good thoughts for you re the job market and I hope you get your dream job or something very close to it very soon.


Our friends last night are so lovely and they are the couple we met riding our tandems many years ago though they have not rode for a long time now. Their families on both sides are Holocaust survivors (both sets of parents survived the Holocaust but lost siblings and many other family members sadly) and both sides of their families are small as a result. They have 3 children and lots of grandchildren though and are just such a great couple. They have an amazing relationship and one that Greg and I like to think we have too though they have been together since 1972 so quite a bit longer than we have been together. They are just so great together. Too bad they like eating dinner late. LOL. But hey I am proud of myself for being flexible and agreeable to the plans. I am working on that.

Not sure if we are going cycling today. I just wish this rash wasn't hurting me this way and wish it didn't look so scary. Hopefully it looks worse than it actually is...I hope everyone has a lovely day and we are thinking of you sweet Junie and sending good thoughts your way.
(((HUGS))) to all you girls.

 

[Scandinavian]

Gypsy, I so admire you for the job hunting and interviews! I've only bin to three my whole life So scary! Almost cried before my first one, LOL. Oh I do hope you find a dream job!!!! !!!!! You so deserve it! Your dream kitchen is really nice! I love everything except maybe the gray walls. I love gray stone though! The copper accent is a really good idea that I think might steal Glad your mother is home and better! Sorry about your car! That must be annoying.

 

[Scandinavian]

Rainwood, oh that is so annoying! !!!!! And so unfair and so very bad "service"! I agree re the marble! I'm very lucky though. DH said ok and that I can get the marble and get new if it gets ruined LOL. He is sick of me talking about it

 

[rainwood]

Hi, NIRDI's one and all!

Missy, I'm so sorry that rash is back. It sounds like a more painful version of the rash I got in Europe. I thought it was sun poisoning, but I made sure to cover up the affected areas and it kept spreading. I decided it was heat related rather than sun related because it didn't go away until the temperature cooled. I've never had it before. I'm guessing it is somehow heat related for you too (I had prickly heat once in Hawaii and it was more blistery and painful than the Europe rash). Do you ever get this rash when it's cool outside? You might want to keep a log of what you were doing a day or two before it shows up to see if you can see a pattern. That might help your docs make a diagnosis.

Marcy, Ding Monkey sounds like a bit of a scam if they don't pay for warranty work done under their warranty policies. I've never heard of them, and it sounds like I don't want to! I'm under the impression that most purchased warranties are problematic, and the only one I ever buy is Apple Care. I really like being able to call someone if I have a problem with any of my technology. They've always been able to solve my problems. Same with the Genius Bar at the Apple Store. We're back to summer here, although definitely cooler nights so I don't have to start up the A/C again. That week of rain forecast turned out to be part of 2 days so I didn't even get to turn off the sprinkler system.

Scandi, we're interview twins! Like you, my total number is 3. But I'm a lot older than you and the last job interview I had was in 1979. I've changed jobs once since then but didn't have to interview for the one I have now - yes, I'm a lucky, lucky person!! And you're lucky to have your DH who will change out the marble counters if they get damaged. He's a keeper, that one.

Junie, thinking of you.

Gypsy, I hope you get one of the jobs and especially the one you're most excited about. And that John continues to get better. And it sounds like you've had quite the technology issues. I've been lucky that way but stick to Apple products that hardly ever cause me problems. Most my calls to Apple Care are about things easily resolved, something I don't know how to do, or something I might have caused like dropping my iPhone face down on a pebbly sidewalk so the screen cracked into a spider web. That was fixable too.

I was quite proud of how I handled the whole car windshield debacle. I came home and drafted a one-star review for the dealer's Facebook page, redrafted it a few times, and then decided that was not the best way to solve the problem, and deleted it. So I put in a call to the service manager instead, left him a message stating what had happened (he was out of town), and he called back wanting to make things right. When the windshield comes in, they will drive a loaner out to my house, take my car back for the replacement, buff out the scrape for free, wash and detail my car for free, drop it off at my house, and give me a free oil change next time I need one. I was calm and didn't lose my temper, got what I asked for and more. So it all worked out in the end (or at least the middle). I shouldn't jinx to by speaking too soon.

I'm on the island with my sister and her significant other this weekend. We went to a winery fall release party today. It's invite-only with a person at the driveway making sure you're on the list, great weather, great wine, great food. Everyone is now napping except me. Tomorrow will be hiking and dinner at a great new place that offers BBQ only on Sunday. Yum!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, great dream kitchen! I can see myself baking cookies in there. Darn it that you scraped your car too. I am glad you got your computer fixed and are getting new phones. I was debating getting the iPhone 7 since i can upgrade but there isn’t a think wrong with or lacking on my iPhone 6 so I think I’ll wait a while. Marty did order a second generation iWatch and I am getting his old one.

Missy, I don’t want competition for scraping up cars or wheels - I know how awful it is. We noticed some fall leaves on our trip today already. We went north where it’s lower altitude but I definitely saw some yellow leaves. I hate to hear your rash is worse and you didn’t sleep well. I woke up about 4 am and Marty had the covers wrapped around him and I was cold. So I started pulling on them and woke him up. Poor guy got up then but hey I got all the covers that way. Yes, I am loving being home and being here alone. I am glad you enjoyed the evening with your friends. That is something about their parents surviving the Holocaust but how sad they lost siblings. Such a dark time of history.

Scandi, good deal your DH agreed to the marble countertop. Sweet. Like you and Rainwood I’ve had 3 interviews and 3 jobs since college. Strange as it sounds they were offered to me rather than going out and applying for them. The job I got after college was at a photo shop / photographer who I babysat for in high school - they offered me a summer job during college and hired me full time when I graduated. The teaching job was offered to me 3 times before I accepted it and my current job a neighbor of ours told me to apply because he said I’d be perfect for the job. I guess I am lucky there.

Rainwood, I agree with you - Apple Care is the only warranty worth buying. I am not buying anything extended warranty or maintenance with my new car. That will save on your utility bills leaving off the AC and sprinklers. That is wonderful the car dealer is making things right with you about your windshield. That party sounds fun; enjoy your dinner tomorrow.

We went on a road trip today. I checked out every rest stop along the way. Ha! We are looking for a spot to observe the solar eclipse next August. We found a few spots we really liked and will have to see if we can get permission to use them. One is a department of transportation rest stop and another is a camp area at a lake. I prefer the rest stop - it’s closer, has running water and is very easy access. I pictured myself driving there in my Porsche.

Speaking of my Porsche the ship is almost to NJ - it’s first stop. Sweet.

Marty took a Killer Rabbit and his new “holy hand grenade of antioch” on our drive. I took a teddy bear that Marty kept trying to “see free” and throw out the window. Brat!

We had popcorn for supper. Mm.

On our trip I had a continuation of the chills (they started last night). I had on my sweatshirt zipped up and had 2 of Marty’s fleece jacks on me as a blanket. I get those sometimes when I am getting sick or getting over something. I feel fine now.

Have a great evening and Sunday!
Marcy

 

[Scandinavian]

CJ so fun that you think I'm laid back not sure that is true by Scandinavian standards.. or maybe I'm easy going but high maintenance LOL. You really are too sweet!!

 

[Gypsy]

I have had great luck with warranties from Best Buy. This one though, it is through a third party company, and I will post more about them later. AFTER I have my refund. Rainwood, I am still thinking of how to handle it. You did handle the windshield/ding issue perfectly!

Marcy, I only have two apple products and no apple care on either of them. I didn't know it was a good program. Good to know! YAY on your car being in the US! I have seen several of them around here are they are very nice. I love the blue. I saw it on highway 24 the other day and said, "that's Marcy's car!" out loud, confusing my husband.

I have an entire board of Dream Kitchen images: https://www.pinterest.com/gypsylayla/dream-kitchen/ For me the kitchen is the heart of the home and I literally dream of the day I get to own one.


As for the job search. I am at this point just leaving it to fate. Whatever will be will be. I do my best and that's all I can do.

Missy your rash sounds worrisome. Post a picture? Do you have any calamine lotion? That and Benadryl are what I reach for when I get rashes.

Thank you Scandi for your lovely post. I have been to considerably more than 3 interviews at this point. I wonder if that's the problem sometimes.


Hope everyone has a nice Sunday.

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, I'm concerned to read that your rash is worse again! I hate that! But I think you are going about it the right way - if it is not dangerous, try to just ignore it !! Soon the fall is here - actually, here it is here already, lol. Lots of pretty fall colours in the mountains now I love the fall too But at home I love a nice winter even more! Might be disqualified as a NIRDI for that one...
The Holocaust is just such a sad story and it makes me so angry to think about how "evil thrives when good people do nothing".
Were you able to go cycling yesterday? And how is the weather?

 

[Scandinavian]

Rainwood, good girls can do anything

 

[Scandinavian]

Gypsy
I'm going to enjoy looking at that inspiration board!
I'm thinking you should set up a new carrier / business as a professional "we help you find a perfect employee / job" company! Recruitment firms are big here now I don't think you have been to too many interviews - I just think you are over qualified for some of the jobs and perhaps not really loving some of the others It's like with men - no point until the right frog comes along just have to keep looking

 

[Scandinavian]

Marcy, I'm so looking forward to you car arrives! I think I'm almost as exited as you are waaaaaaaaaiting for bling pictures when it gets here
The solar eclipse outing sounds fun! I know absolutely nothing about such things - will it look the same from here?

 

[Scandinavian]

Jimmianne, I have about 400 000 ideas for that wonderful French kitchen of yours! Don't think you need any of them but will try to post later when I'm not typing on my phone

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy
I'm going to enjoy looking at that inspiration board!
I'm thinking you should set up a new carrier / business as a professional "we help you find a perfect employee / job" company! Recruitment firms are big here now I don't think you have been to too many interviews - I just think you are over qualified for some of the jobs and perhaps not really loving some of the others It's like with men - no point until the right frog comes along just have to keep looking

I love that analogy. And it is very helpful, thank you.

Okay. Then, I'll do what I did to get find my husband. Pray.

Story time. I am not a very religious person. But, law school was very hard for me. I hated it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. I was too young (in maturity), too smart, very far away from home, and too pretty (not being conceited just realistic) and extremely depressed and all that added up to my making some poor life choices at the time. I had been dating with mixed results. I was torn between what people told me I should want, in general with life, and what my gut was telling me. I was dating guys that looked good on paper: right family, right education, right future. And either there was no 'click' or the guys were just not very good human beings. I had a large studio apartment in DC, right off Dupont Circle. I couldn't sleep one night and I'd been crying. Just worn out and overwhelmed. And so I prayed. I prayed for a lot of things. But one things that stands out to me the most was the prayer I sent for a life partner. For the FIRST TIME in my whole life, I put aside people's expectations for me. I put aside what looked good on paper. And I prayed from the heart for what my gut told me I needed in a partner. Someone who was genuinely good, kind, stable, honest, and sincere who would love me and want me for me, who would be a true partner and a friend that I could grow old with. I didn't wish for a good looking guy. Or a rich guy. Or an educated guy. None of those things made the 'from the gut' list.

And right after that I met two men. Within a day of each other. One was great on paper. One was not. And for a short moment, I almost let conditioning win out over my gut. I am ever so grateful that I didn't go for that 'paper' man. And that I went for my husband instead.

He was the FIRST thing I chose by listening to myself over listening to others. My whole life, I'd been the obedient child, the obedient student, the friend who went with the crowd instead of against it. But after that night, praying. I turned a corner, and I started listening to myself and trusting my gut.

So... I think that's what I am going to do about this. I am just going to drill it down to what *I* need. And pray for that. Not worry about what anyone thinks. Just trust my gut.

Thank you Scandi. That was a very good reminder.