Literally speaking, the weather's been really crazy; I didn't get any sleep two nights ago while the dog panted, paced and shivered through the same series of storms that caused those terrible tornadoes in Oklahoma. The storm system had stretched out by the time it reached us, so it wasn't quite as nasty, but Simon still shivered and panicked every time it thundered. Poor pup.
Figuratively speaking, the time became right to plan a trip to London later this year. I won't get into too many details except to say that we've been saving for this for years, the exchange rate is at a decade low, and airfare plummeted. We'll be tightening our belts big time when we get back. I used to live there and like to go periodically. The kiddo's never been. So a lot of time has been dedicated to planning for that. One little nice bit of info I will share, though, is that some airlines will continue to "rebook" your flight at lower fares if you ask without charge. We booked our tickets thinking they couldn't possibly go lower; then they did go lower on the same flights, same airline. So I looked into it a bit and found that they allow changes up to the first day of the trip. You are charged the difference if there is one, or credited with the overage if there is one. Pretty sweet.
So, on to house issues. Notice anything different?
Besides being a messy counter, it is now a counter with trim! But it's a pretty thick trim. We had to cover up the area over the dishwasher, due to accidents removing the cabinets when we gutted. I think I like it, but I'm not sure. For that reason, we only installed that piece and haven't sunk the nails or caulked. I'd also still like to sand the doors and bottom cabinet bases to make them a bit more natural and a little less yellow. It's a pretty piece of wood-- we decided on a chamfered profile:
I think I'm happy...
10 comments:
I LOVE London! It's one of my favorite cities to visit. You're going to have a great time!!! If you like fish and chips, make sure to order them at the Black Friar Pub. Best fish and chips in London IMO, plus it's an amazing Art Deco pub.
http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=154
I lived there for about a year and a half. I can safely say, it is DEFINITELY my favorite city in the world, and I am probably MOST looking forward to repeated meals of fish and chips. I'll try to make it round to that pub-- I used to live across from the North Sea Fish Restaurant (usually touted as one of the best, if you ever get a chance), but in the last few years I've become a fan of Two Brewers off of Seven Dials. I think we ate there 3 times out of 6 days on the last trip! Then there's always the Museum Tavern Pub-- it's been there since the early 1700s, I think. Ahhh. I'm so happy.
This will be the kiddo's first trip-- she's 11, so it should be a double blast. This will, however, be my 5th or 6th time to take the Beefeaters' tour at the Tower. All the same stuff is totally new again with a kid!
Thanks for the recommendation!!
Ooh-- and I just remembered mushy peas...maybe it's lunchtime!
The trim on your countertops looks nice!! :)
Peas! I hate that fact that fish and chips here in the States come with coleslaw instead (I like coleslaw, but with my BBQ).
I like the trim... it looks nice. Have fun in London! I've never been, but I've wanted to go.
Thanks guys! I'm feeling better about the trim. Maybe we'll finish it up this weekend...
How do you like the granite tile on your counter-have you had any problems
Tracy-- I cook a lot, but I don't bake terribly much outside the holidays. When I do need to roll anything out, I use the butcher block, so I can't really speak to the intrusion of the grout lines...
Otherwise, I can only give 2 complaints. One is that I have seen a suspiciously round darkish spot that I'm afraid was caused by a hot pan being set on the stone, but it may just as likely have been a greasy pan-- or frankly, my imagination; the dark granite doesn't require sealing, but that's not a license to go crazy! We discovered that our toaster oven was tilted just so that any butter drippings from garlic bread were pooling up behind and below the oven on the stone, for no telling how long-- that cleaned up no problems. Honestly though, there's so much texture on the uba tuba we chose, that the "dark spot" is barely visible.
And then there's the fact that you just don't see crumbs or smears or smudges of any kind. Which is great on the one hand, but I never know when it's REALLY clean ;-) I generally just wipe with a damp sponge and once or twice a week spray with Perfect Counters to sanitize and buff.
So that's about it. I love the durability, the shine, the coldness. Considering the cost savings, and the fact that I have butcher block for cutting and smooth surface requirements, the tile can't really be beat.
The trim looks nice. I want fish and chips, too. Yumm.
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