Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Last week, I did something that I've been remorseful about ever since.  I bought a new range.  No, this isn't a case of Buyers Remorse, this is regret over where I bought it from.

The story begins a few months ago, when our old oven started acting up.  I would be in the middle of baking cookies, and all of a sudden, the oven door would lock and go on self-clean for 3 hours!  Then, the bottom element failed to heat correctly, so anything I baked was actually broiled, whether I meant to cook it that way or not.  I could honestly say it was the appliance, NOT the cook!

They say the average life of modern appliances is 10-15 years, and since this range had seen its twelfth birthday, we decided to buy new instead of hire a repairman.

So I shopped around at a few chain retailers and some local places.  One local shop owner found us a range and gave me a quote which included haul away of our old lemon and delivery of the new one.  That same day, I went to "The Big City" and found a range at a "Big Box Store" with more features for $100 less, which also included delivery and haul away. 

"Appliance haul-away" was very important to us, because here on the farm, we have to burn our garbage, recycle it in town, bury it, or put it in the woods with the rest of the old farm equipment, refrigerators, coffee cans, and iron headboards that have accumulating for over half a century.  When I first moved here, it took me forever to figure out why we needed so many wastebaskets: one for burnable garbage, one for recycling cans, one for recycling glass, and a slop bucket for the unburnable food.  It soon became my job to haul the garbage to the burn barrels in "The Swamp" and start it on fire.  Lucky for me, J has taken over this task during the cold winter while I'm not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting anyways.  ...Or maybe he thinks I still don't do it right! 

There was that one time when I went on a cleaning frenzy and hauled 9 computers, 4 VCR's, 2 light fixtures, a bedroom set, an electrocuting fan, a fire-starting microwave, and an old humidifier to "The Pit" (where we take things that cannot be burned in the burn barrels) to be buried.  A couple months later, he asked where that old humidifier went....oops.  I told him it was ugly, anyways.

So back to my original story.  I bought the range with more features that was $100 cheaper...from the Big Box Store.  Regret set in.  I broke one of the rules of sales.  Something that I hope my own customers don't do. 

I work for a locally-owned business that has been a part of the community for years.  We have a beautiful showroom that is ever-changing with innovative products and trends.  We employ knowledgable and experienced salespeople and installers.  I, myself, have a degree in Interior Design, and I personally go out to my clients' homes in order to make the best recommendations for the products that they select.  I give them service that I know cannot be matched by any Big Box.  I do my best to insure that my clients believe that my time and experience are worth something and that they get the best value for their money.  Then, I hope that my clients feel the same way, and don't make their purchases elsewhere just because they can save a buck.

And then I went against my beliefs and purchased from the chain store anyway "just to save a buck."  A buck that sits in my pocket now, but if I had bought from the local place, I would have piece of mind that I was doing business locally with a  shop owner with an excellent reputation.  His customers trust his judgement, and if something goes wrong, he personally comes out to fix it or replace it.  I should have given him the business, but I ended up doing something that I hope my clients don't do to me.  At first, I was going to keep this on the down-low, but I've decided to learn from my "mistake" and let this serve as my "punishment."

For the record, when the Big Box Store delivered the new range, they tracked a trail of mud from the door, to the kitchen, and into my bathroom.   

On the other hand, I am happy with the range.  I decided to stray away from the bisque color, which the salesmen told me was getting "phased out," and went with the enamel that looks like stainless steel.  I was concerned about what it would look like in close proximity to the true stainless steel dishwasher that you can see in this pic, but I was juiced that it wouldn't show waterspots and fingerprints.

The oven is working great.  The other day I was baking a roast, when J came home and said he had to run to a hockey game.  We took the roast out and cooked a quick frozen pizza for dinner instead.  I decided to finish baking the roast to have for supper the next night.  The next morning, I realized that I left the fully-cooked roast in the oven....overnight.  I told J what I did, and he said, "[sigh] It was a beautiful roast."  Yes, a beautiful roast indeed....and the dogs enjoyed it very much.

As requested...

So you wanted to see what I look like pregnant? 

Here I am today, feeling great at 33 weeks.  Thirty-three out of forty.  That's 8 full months + 1 week.  Three weeks from what is considered "full-term."  Six weeks from my due date.  The final stretch.  Me....having a baby.  Yikes!  It's scary and exciting all at once...which is probably why I woke up in the middle of the night dreaming about what size onesies to buy, wondering whether it is a boy or a girl, how big it will be, making a mental list of what is left to do, how long of a maternity leave to take, what labor will feel like, when to start washing baby things in Dreft, and literally getting kicked in the ribs and the bladder at the same time. 

We can't wait!

My uninteresting life

When did emailing replace writing letters, texting replace calling, and facebook replace socializing?  When did wearing sweatshirts to a hole-in-the-wall bar become more fun than getting gussied up to go to a dance club?  When did conversations turn from grades and gossip to recipes and kids?  When was the last time I walked to class instead of walked to exercise?  When did going out to dinner become more fun than just going out?  When did getting up early on a Saturday morning start to feel better than staying out late?  When did counting the months I'd been with my boyfriend turn into the years I've been with my husband?  When did getting my ring cleaned become one of the best free treats?  When did trips to the mall turn into trips to the hardware store?  When did thousand-dollar purchases replace hundred-dollar purchases?  When did my parents become so cool and so knowledgable?  When did my siblings become my friends?  When did my job turn into my career?  When did church turn into somewhere I want to be instead of somewhere I have to be?  When did my high heels get replaced with flats?  When did I start holding the steering wheel with both hands instead of one?  Could it be that I am officially a grown-up?  Sometime, in the last few years, a transformation took place... and now I have grown-up expenses and grown-up responsibilities and grown-up priorities and grown-up joys and a grown-up life.  And I wanted it all.  It just came naturally...

Sometimes the best things in life are found on a clearance rack in Target

To my Girls Weekend '09 gals:

Remember when I was so excited that one of you captured this photo of Hillary Scott from the Lady Antebellum concert?  (Just look at those amazing shoes!)  Well, I became one step closer to completing my knock-off version of this outfit when I found a black maternity vest on the clearance rack at Target!!  Yes, I said "maternity!!!" 
I love her style, so I'm going to copy it, pregnant or not.  Is there a rule against pregnant women wearing skinny jeans?  If so, I'm breakin' it!  Is there a rule that only skinny people can wear skinny jeans?  If so, I'm breakin' that one, too!

Basement vs. Weekend Warriors

I know what you're thinking: "This is isn't a very interesting blog if no one ever updates it!!"  I know, I know.  It's been far too long, so here ya go...

If there was a contest for "worst basement," we would win.  Avocado green carpet, gold-flecked countertops and outdated fixtures?  Nope, that was all upstairs.  Down in this dungeon, no one would dare install carpet, for fear it would get wet.  This basement sweats worse than Tiger Woods at a custody hearing.  Plus, the current occupants (my husband and I; guilty as charged) have done nothing to clean up the cobwebs or even swept the concrete floors since we moved in. 

Yes, this basement does serve a purpose and have a history.  It was poured and built from cinder blocks 50+ years ago when this 70+ year old farmhouse was moved to this yard.  It also houses the laundry facilities, deep freeze, furnace and corn stove, tons of storage, and even a shower that was used years ago for the dirt-covered men after a long day of farming.  But it was filthy, and it was time to do something...quick, before the baby comes!  I made it my New Year's Resolution to get it in better shape before the first weekend of 2010 was over. 

First, here's what my New Year's Eve looked like...

I drank sparkling grape juice out of a sorority formal glass.  I almost let loose and had a Diet Coke, but I had already gone all-out that morning when I had a caffeinated cup of coffee.  J and I had the most low-key, relaxing New Year's that I can recall.  I made a ham, we watched the USA vs. Canada hockey game, and watched the ball drop at 11pm our time.  Then again at midnight.  Then we went to bed.

Then, New Year's Day, the production began.  We started from the top and worked our way down.  First, every cobweb was swept out of every floor joist- by far the grossest job I have ever had.  The kind of job that leaves a person sneezing all day, and when you blow your nose, black dust comes out.  Gross.  I'd rather be shopping.  I could tell J was having as much fun as I was when he said periodically, "I thought you're not supposed to work on New Years?"  But we kept on, until every shelf was cleaned off, every surface dusted, and the floors were swept.  Every item was sorted into "keep" piles, "burn" piles, "recycle" piles, and "stash-this-under-the-crawlspace-so-we-never-have-to-look-at-it-again" piles.  Every time J would poke or nudge me, I told him that I felt like my body was covered in spiders, so he had to quit that immediately.  But we got through it together, and J made the experience much more enjoyable than it would have been alone. 

He was so excited when he found this old, metal jug and requested to use it for his morning coffee from now on.  Here's a photo comparing the size of this jug, a standard coffee carafe, and a thermos.  How practical....

We also found a bottle opener that said "Hamm's Beer, the refreshingest."  Hey, no one ever said drinking beer made you better at grammar!

After being married to him for two years, I have learned that sometimes J says things just to get a rise out of me.  Mid-basement-cleaning, he looked around and said, "I think I'm going to set up my drums in this corner and this can be my office!"  He wants to spend more time than necessary down here?!  He wants this to be his man cave?!  I'm thinking, "Go ahead and do the laundry while your down here, too, buddy!"  I will never understand him.

So the basement is DONE!  What a sense of accomplishment!  

"I've been baking..."

This was the opening line of our big announcement that I had a bun in the oven, expected to arrive sometime near March 18 (J's birthday!)  Since then, our lives have been filled with doctor appointments ("Our baby has a spine!  Our baby has fingers!  I hope our baby doesn't look like an alien like this ultrasound shows!"), casual baby-name discussions ("No, that's so-and-so's dog's name!"), and preparing a nursery ("Is this crib supposed to look like this?") in anticipation for our new, little bundle of joy.

I finally have the profile of a pregnant lady.  Up until a month ago, I longed to look like I was carrying a bun, not just rolls and muffin tops!  (Please excuse the baking references.)  Now, my wardrobe options are getting slimmer and slimmer and I have resorted to maternity clothing.  I am at the point where stretch marks are dreaded, but stretchy-waisted pants are welcomed.  This is it.  It's really happening.

In preparation for the baby's arrival, we have been remodeling the upstairs of our house.  There, we'll have a couple of guest bedrooms and the nursery.  Renovating projects included: new windows, painting, new carpet, new window treatments, and a new guest bed.  Most of these tasks were completed with the help of my parents, whom I can't thank enough!!  Here's a glimpse of the nursery...

Let's be clear that the first photo is BEFORE, and the second one is how the room looks now; a work in progress.  The crib was a totally-unexpected-but-so-appreciated gift from the gals that I work with.  The colored blocks on the wall will coordinate with the yet-to-be-acquired crib bedding, and they will have a special touch added by a friend of mine.  Stay tuned to see the completed project...

 

This inherited dresser will soon become a changing table. 

Just a few coats of paint and new hardware, and it is good as new!

Don't see anything baby blue or pale pink?  Well, that's because we don't know yet what "kind" of baby we are going to have; a little hockey player or a mini-shopaholic...  All we know so far is that everything is progressing smoothly.  It is purely amazing each month in the doctor's office when we get to hear the heartbeat of our offspring.  I am anxious for these next few months to rush by so that we can meet him/her! 

Winter Wonderland

This...

...is why I call it God's Country.  Who else could have created this majestic sight?

Yes, I enjoyed this view from inside the house and only stepped outside into the frigid cold long enough to snap this photo, but it is majestic nonetheless, agreed?

This snow is the remnant of our first big winter storm this week, so it is beginning to look a lot more like Christmas.  The house was decorated for Christmas long before Thanksgiving, Christmas cards are in the mail, Christmas baking will be in full force this week with help from my sister-in-law, Christmas shopping lists are made, and I changed the background on this blog, so I am more than ready for the holidays to begin. 

'Tis the season!