I've been telling Andrew for a while now that we could use a new kitchen--my cabinets give new meaning to the words "distressed look." But it's not as high on his list of priorities as, say, a flat screen TV or a Jeep Cherokee or some other such manly purchase. However Fate is the great equalizer and has smiled upon me. Kind of.Monday night I was fixing dinner and running the garbage disposal--a vintage 1910 steam-powered model made right around the same time as the incandescent lightbulb and which should have been put down rather than plugged in--when something made a Bad Sound. Potato peelings flew, water gurgled, slime spewed, broccoli pieces and egg shells swished upward and out while the most horrific metal-grinding-against-metal sound let me know that something wasn't quite right. (I'm a genius).
The whole thing blew, water poured out of pipes below the sink and for the next half hour I worked to determine that yes, my garbage disposal had left this life in search of a better.
When Andrew got home and saw the buckets under the sink catching the continual trickle of water coming from the belly-up appliance he too knew something wasn't right. I greeted him with "We need a new kitchen."
Something about the fetid water pooling in the buckets, the pieces of rancid food swirling in the scum and the water-logged cabinetry convinced him I spoke Truth and he didn't even hesitate when he said, "Okay. How does Friday sound?"
So tonight it's Andrew, me and my new best friend--the kitchen consultant at Lowe's--in what will I'm sure prove to be one of our more expensive dates. I still need a new garbage disposal ASAP and went out and bought one the next day, though it's just waiting on the kitchen counter for the repair guy. I hope my number comes up soon because changing the honey bucket is getting old. Though the sound of trickling water that fills the kitchen like one of those zen water gardens is strangely calming. Maybe that's why I'm okay with the whole situation. Hey, I'm getting a new kitchen!
Oh, and that picture you see is my lovely sink. I'm tossing that too.
Technorati tags: Alaska, kitchens, motherhood, appliances
30 comments:
As one in the middle of house suck, I send my condolences.
Man, there are few things worse than your disposal dying and the GRODY ICK that is the result.
Barf.
Did you jam it on purpose? :)
Have we turned into our mothers when we dream of a new kitchen?! :)
Have fun tonight!
I loved the way you described the garbage disposal drawing its last breath. :)
Can't wait to see pics of the new kitchen!
Our stove blew up on New Years Eve day. For my gourmet cook husband this was just the kick he needed to be convinced that our 1940 kitchen needed a major overhaul. We feel both your pain and your anticpation/excitement!!!
Can you break something over here? I have always wanted a new kitchen :)
Enjoy your hot date tonight!
Ah, I remember the day I broke our garbage disposal with eggshells and potato peels. Who knew you weren't supposed to grind those up?
Congrats on the new kitchen! Home improvement is such fun. :)
Ummm..I never thought I'd have the oppurtunity to say this, congratulations on your garbage disposal being broken.
Congrats or sorry, I'm not sure. We have an old kitchen too thankfully we are just living in and old rental home for now.
Hey! We're getting a new kitchen too! We can commiserate together when we're in the throes of "what were we thinking?"
And? Never put potato skins in the disposal. Ever. ;) I think that may have been your fatal, though winning, mistake.
Hey, my dishwasher blew up (literally) and I did NOT get a new kitchen.
[pouting]
Okay - I can be grown up about this - yay for you guys and can I, like, borrow your husband!?!
Okay, can I respectfully disagree about the potato peelings and egg shells thing? My philosophy with a garbage disposal is that if I can't throw bricks down there, what use is it? Give me raw POWER and let me do my job.
Oh, and I've already bought it, an Insinkerator 3/4 HP beauty that can double as a cemeent mixer. :)
Congrats on your new kitchen - hope you have fun planning it and buying it. The installation process will SUCK, but it will be worth it in the end. I replaced my enitre kitchen 2.5 years ago and I LOVE it.
Also, I agree. Potato peels and eggs are essential garbage disposal food. Seriously.
You'll get years of enjoyment from a new kitchen! The construction time is a drag, but everything has its price.
Sweet! So that's all I have to do for a new kitchen? Wait, I don't have a garbage disposal... hmmm, any other ideas? ;)
Have a wonderful date tonight! :)
Can't wait to see your new kitchen!
Congrats on the new kitchen. You know that means we need pictures of the finished product. I would love to remodel mine but it's not in the budget just yet. Maybe someday.
Good luck tonight. I am looking forward to hearing how it goes.
Have fun in your new kitchen - keep us up to date with the installation - that'll be fun!!!
We put a new kitchen into our old house and it was relatively painless in terms of reno pain - and the sheer heaven of having everything new! It's definitely worth it, enjoy.
We love Lowe's -- had good luck with them when we got new countertops/sink/faucet/cooktop.
Wishing you lots of happiness in joy in your new kitchen. Hope you take pics too! So we can "oohhh" and "ahhhh" all over them!
You are going to post pictures of your new kitchen remodel; before, during and after, right? I'm so jealous. I want a new kitchen too. A couple of years ago we did replace our harvest gold appliances [yes, they were that awful], but now I'd like to see new cabinets and a new backsplash, and, oh the possibilities are endless. Can I live vicariously through your kitchen remodel?
Lemme know the damage when you're done. Though my kitchen is fine for now, I think an upgrade is on our horizon. Must...have...gas...stove...!!!
Oh man--that is bad! Especially for someone who is actually GOOD at cooking, like yourself.
But, it is also so GOOD because new kitchen for you!!! I'm excited to see the "after" shots.
Sounds nasteeeeee!
Congrats on the kitchen!
Are you sure the kitchen couldn't use a big screen TV, though?
:-)
we've got a vintage kitchen. and the vintage disposal was disposed of some time ago. the vintage counters really can't be counted on and the vintage cabinets... ok, I've got nothing.
new kitchen, coolness! sorry about the blow up tho ;)
There is a great surplus hardware place here where my friend found an old bronze farmhouse sink. Everytime they've bought a new house (3) she's removed it and taken it with them. someday I'll have a house, someday....
I once backed up our sink in base housing (ft.richardson actually) and found out that when they put garbage disposals in they didn't enlarge any of the ancient pipes. So even though you could grind it up, you usually couldn't get it to fit through the pipes....genius
Congratulations on blowing up your sink!!
Good for you! And he didn't even accuse you of sabotage.
ok this is strange. I googled Lowes in Anchorage AK good or bad? and found your blog. I'm probably the only guy on this thing.
Question: how did the Lowes guy do helping you with the kitchen? I ask because I just accepted a managment position at one of the Lowes in the area. I want to know what kind of team I will be joining. I got the corporate "wonderful place, grate people to work with, all pro's speach" but something must be broken or they wouldn't want me to come in.
If you have any insight let me know please.
mnjmvj@gci.net
I'm just finishing up the countertops today, and overall I've been happy with the Lowe's team--the kitchen consultant I worked with was easy to get a hold of and friendly and helpful, but I got very frustrated at how many hidden costs there were. I kept asking "is this everything?" and would find out that there were more costs.
The contractor Lowe's worked with to do the cabinet installation was good, but I heard from him that the countertop information I heard about Corian v. Himax wasn't entirely accurate, or at least there was more to the story. I would have gone with the cheaper Himax product had I known they were equivalent in quality and nearly equivalent in warranty and better at installation.
But much of my problem was that I was so tired of making decisions on various issues associated with the remodel that I didn't do enough homework on my own to find those things out. If I'd researched it out I could have saved myself some trouble I bet.
The biggest frustration came with the countertops, we have an overhanging island bar and I was specific about wanting the size to be the same as the existing but somehow there was a mistake made and not enough material ordered to make the overhang. They came to me with another $730 for more Corian and I balked. Since it wasn't my mistake and I already had the material bought and paid for for them to tell me it would cost that much more seemed unfair.
But Liz worked with someone at management and they ended up doing the work, ordering the material at no extra charge which I thought was great.
It's taken a little longer to order more material but for the cost I'm okay with that.
I've been very happy with the Schuler cabinets and am glad we went with the nicer quality over the other brands.
Overall experience? I'd give an 7 out of 10, maybe an 8.
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