Meet the Demo Man!

Yup, he's gonna tear out this kitchen all by himself! Just a part time job, really, he says. I help out my brother, Chris. (that is the installer)

Chris was named Number One cabinet installer in the Country! For all the Lowe's stores in the nation!

His brother says he's so particular and his attention to detail is amazing!




So, it's 2 hours later and demo continues. . .














Meanwhile, I have found the most difficult part of the remodel so for is trying to comply with CA's Title 24 high efficiency lighting requirements for kitchens!

It takes a calculator!!

Will I get the pendants of my dreams?. . . stay tuned!

The Real Deal!

Yeah, we had our ribs grilling,
the strawberries were washed and the pie shell was in the oven. . .

then, the fireworks began early! The sirens blaring, ladder trucks rolling down the street. Three ladder trucks, paramedics, intense!

Out to the street everyone ran. The trucks rolled all the way down to where they got trapped on the narrow streets!

Finally, the paramedics were able to get their truck backed down the street and we found out it was for a false alarm call on "barbeque smoke"!

Always, a thrill to see our firemen on the job!

Thanks guys! So long, and, see you next year!?!

OK , so I told you about all the planning. . . now that my techno stuff is functioning I can update you with pictures! Yeah!

So, here is my planning binder full of plans, permit applications, specs. . . I've got divisions for everything from countertops to windows, ventilation to windows, cooktops to refrigeration, doors to hardware! People are starting to ask us if we are designers!




Here are some of the samples I've been collecting. . . a sample door, some paint chips, some counter top material.












So, then I emptied out the dining room. Well, almost emptied out the dining room. I was told 300 cubic feet were needed for the cabinets that were coming. Ummm. . . let's get out the calculator. . . yeah, this should do. . .








Well, here they came and some spillage went into Sean's bedroom. So nice of him to leave and let me fill up his room!













OOh, here's a peak at one of the cabinets!

The cabinet installer came over after they arrived to make sure they were all here, in good shape and what we wanted. Well, we have two extra cabinets!









Here is a peak at our wine cooler. It has two temperature zones. One for red, one for white! Ooh, perfect for those wine tasting parties!










Here's a peak at our top pick for the counter top! Not granite. . . not marble. . . quartzite! Supposed to be even stronger than granite, but looks like marble to me. . . what I would have if it would stand up to my cook, which it won't!

I spoke with Sean this evening. He was so excited! (It takes a lot to get Sean real excited!) His robotics team made their power point presentation, qualified for the event, and took 5th place (out of 50 bots) for design! Fuel cell, baby!
Here is a link to the site at the university. They don't have pictures yet for this year, but if you're interested, they have previous years events pictures and results:

http://www.igvc.org/teams.htm

He competes at 0700 tomorrow morning! May the force be with you and your team, Sean!

My camera is infected, my laptop is on life support. . . my blog maybe be terminal if things don't turn around. My computer/tech MD is involved elsewhere (2000 miles away) and I'm at a loss.

I was about to blog the latest events of the remodel, however, now, without pictures, it seems quite boring really.

We, Mr. Roberts, my architect, and I faced the Building and Safety of LA and proceeded to get the ball rolling on the city's approval. First, we went to apply for building permits. That took 2 hours and some $300 to find out we need a Grading Permits or Waiver for a lone cement pad (all of 18 inches) to support a lone beam on our precarious hillside property! Ha! Going downstairs to get that, we were told to come back when the inspector was available: 7:30-8:30 am. It was by then, about 12:30.

So back we went to Grading this morning, armed with pictures, engineering calcs, and structural plans. The lone supervisor, Sergio, for our area of LA, was tied up for 45 mins. with plans ahead of us. I ran out to feed the meter in the pouring rain (it never rains in June!!) while we waited. Sergio waived us our grading inspection with barely a glance at our fortressof evidence built for our lone cement pad ( for another fee) and off we went for approval for permits. One hour later we were approved (no fee!!). Next, the contractor gets the permits that are now cleared and we are ok to proceed!!

I was going to show off my samples that I've been loading up on. Sample cabinet door, sample countertops, sample backsplash material, sample paint chips. I've filled a three ring binder with bids for appliances, plumbing fixtures, spec sheets on every single item I've ever considered from door hardware to doors and windows, all the way to ventilation hoods! I've filled another folder with floors plans, cabinet plans, receipts, final bids, permit applications and invoices! And we haven't even started! We're wickedly obsessed!

Pat joined us this weekend with the ladies! She held a cooking class!

I've always wanted to learn how to make her cabbage rolls that Terry grew up loving, and she showed us all by holding a class in mom and Aunt Dorothy's kitchen!








After grocery shopping, she got right to work and we all pitched in.

Aunt Dorothy said she had made them before but had forgotten how and it started to come back to her.

I learned a lot about how to cook the cabbage so that you can pull the leaves off the head and roll the filling.



Pat doesn't use a recipe, so it was all a little of this, oh, maybe a bit more of that and so on till it felt just right!













We made enough for our dinner with leftovers, then I got to work on the next batch while the ladies sat and had oh'derves.

I filled another couple of baking dishes, for takehomes for me and Pat and for a couple of freezer dinners for the twins for later!







Yum! Smells delicious!

Do I smell a new Memorial Day tradition!??!

It all started at the base of the West Covina Compound, our Ground Zero base of operations!



The two Commanders in Chief delegated duties and oversaw the operations on the field!

We proceeded to execute field operations once orders were received!









Stategy sessions were held with field commanders and plans were outlined and tested.









Relaxation and much joviality were central themes in base operations as you can see here!













Nonetheless, action in the field commenced and rations were prepared for the upcoming field excercise. . . moving troops to the Getty Center for exploration of artifacts, grounds and of course, picknicking.

Several troops were sent out to scout other locations and meet with their commanders, er, mother's, for their orders!

The result: Mission Accomplished!

It never ceases to amaze me, these girls friendship. . . friends that met in the 5th grade, grew up together, dated together, got married and had kids together, widowed and grieved together, supported each other and still do after some 80 years!









Standing here in front of "The American Girl" , these girls sure are. Saw the depression together, World War II, the baby boom, the civil rights movement and Vietnam together and ushered in a new millenium together. And still they are together!









Sure, now and then they sit for a rest, but these ladies move. They keep involved and active. No, none of them drive anymore, but they sure get around. Here, at the Farmer's Market and The Grove, next week out to Descanso Gardens or Disneyland or University of Fullerton or a live theatre production, maybe the next throwing a party for family and friends, we should all be so lucky!








We all love and admire these girls for the lives they've led and the support they've given and the inspiration they provide. I'm so proud and happy to be and integral part of their lives.











Time is short, but each moment is precious!