Gia-Gina Across the Pond: August 2007

Un-Met Expectations

Everyone knows that remodeling is a pain in the butt. Nothing is ever done on time. Nothing is ever done within the set budget. None of your expectations are ever met. I have been through quite a history of remodels with the families that I've worked with when I was a nanny.

For a week I had to cook on a camping stove when the promised kitchen was not ready in time.

Once when a bathroom was not "attached" to the plumbing and a child "went", only to have the contents fall from the second story bathroom right into the middle of the first floor living room. Yuck!

One family moved three times in 5 months while their home was being remodeled.

This weekend was the pits, the new closets we're having put in were missing some brackets and they are on back order. Ugh! Plus two shelves were crooked.

The tile guy is two days behind schedule.

The painter is a week behind schedule which delays the electrician.

The flooring guys only have half of the bamboo flooring that I need at this time, the rest will come in about 1-2 weeks! Damn!

It took one cabinet guy over three weeks to come over and measure for the new cabinets.

I hate it when things are promised and not delivered. I pay on time and so I expect the work to be done on time. Is that too much to ask?

Project still pending:

Demolishing the new kitchen, new windows, new front door, new appliances....

Photos to come soon.

All contents copyright 2004-2007.
All rights reserved.

Some New Things

Last week the work and upgrading started at the condo. We needed a new furnace and hot water heater. Luckily the central air conditioner was still okay. We have to get it maintained and some refrigerant added but it does not need to be replaced at this time.

We needed an earthquake strap and an expansion tank to bring the hot water heater up to code.

The furnace was from 1983 and about to crack which meant possible carbon monoxide leaking into the house. With two babies in the house that was the first thing I had replaced.

This weekend we have been busy cleaning up the condo and getting it ready to get painted. We removed all outlet covers, blinds, spackled all holes, removed old lighting, old mirrors that were screwed on and glued on to the walls (so we had to patch a lot of drywall), we painted a fence, some metal railing and tomorrow the painting begins!

*Did I mention it took almost 2 weeks for Deme and I to agree on room colors?

All contents copyright 2004-2007.
All rights reserved.

Produce Find

No this is not a deformed peach, it is a donut peach. They are becoming more and more popular as they are cute and delicious. What I love about them is that they are storeable. Regular peaches are hard to store and transport when ripe since they bruise so easily. These little guys are much easier to bag and take home. I would love a dwarf donut peach tree for the kids. The flesh is white and tastes like a cross between a peach and a nectarine. Look for them at your local farmers market.

All contents copyright 2004-2007.
All rights reserved.

My Newest Recipies

Click here for my newest recipes.

All contents copyright 2004-2007.
All rights reserved.

Design School 101

Design has never been my forte. This remodeling project has really taken over my life. Last night I dreamt in square footage, price per gallon, tile and bamboo flooring. My dreams are interrupted by bidding wars as well as countless hours of Internet research. We hope to update the condo with contemporary bathrooms and a fully functional kitchen. By this time next year, if we are lucky we will have sold the condo and will be in our new home.

Today we went to pick up a special order, stainless steel undermount wet bar sink for our wet bar. At the showroom we saw the most fantastic bathroom sinks and vanities, see photos below. As you can imagine high style comes with very high prices. I love them all and do not have a favorite.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

The remodel of our condo officially started this week. I have been antsy to get the repairs started because we want to move in at the end of the month. After 10 years, we have decided the place needs a complete overhaul. We have to redo the kitchen cabinets, countertops, buy all new kitchen appliances, re-tile the fireplace, front entryway, tile the balcony, redo three bathrooms, replace some carpets and lay down hardwood floors. Do not ask me how much this is going to cost because I have no idea. We are getting to some of the projects right away but others just have to wait.

The first thing I wanted to do was to get the furnace and air conditioner serviced. When I called a local heating and air-conditioning company to come out to do the job, we got a bit of bad news. We needed a new furnace in the air conditioner needed some major servicing. We bit the bullet and purchased a new high-efficiency gas furnace. While THAT furnace was being installed, we were informed by one of the technicians that our water tank was old, rusty, leaking and was due to be replaced. I tell you with the remodeling job if it's not one thing it's another. I know we are going to be stretched to the limit time wise and budget wise.

We could save quite a bit of money if we didn't have to hire a painter but since I can't help with any of the painting we just have to dig deeper into our pockets. I am in charge of selecting, paint colors and small details but Demetrio has been great in helping me make those decisions. He is working on a few small projects himself; this weekend he is replacing to garage door motors. Other projects on his list are to change/replace:

1. The doorbell
2. The deadbolt (he’s interested in a fingerprint reader so if we lose our keys we can still get in the house.)
3. Some of our existing light fixtures (he used to be an electrician remember?)
4. Pressure washing the exterior entryway as well as the balcony

That is the short list, for all the other little jobs, we have hired a handyman. Wish us luck!

Trader Joe's Phad Thai

Today I went to Trader Joe's and wanted to try their Asian boxed lunches. They have phad thai and two other varieties. ( I cannot remember the varieties right now.) I usually do not like boxed food but could not resist. This phad thai claims to taste authentic and be ready to eat after 2 minutes in the microwave. I was game so I took one home for 1.99. The directions say to remove the noodles from the pouch and fluff with a fork then pour the sauce on top and microwave for 2 minutes.

The verdict: It was okay, the sauce was too sweet but not bad. The noodles were not soggy but not al dente and chewy like they should be. The only things missing were the bean sprouts, cilantro, lime, green onions, hot sauce, fried egg etc...
I don't think I will be buying it again.