Very close

Well, the date for the demo of my kitchen has been set, and my contractor has put together a schedule that runs over about two weeks, where they will hopefully be able to get in and get out as quickly as possible. 

We have run into a little snag with the countertops, and it remains to be seen whether this will affect the schedule. When I met with the guy, it was my recollection that I had asked for prices on the Cambria, and the sales person did not have that recollection. I'm trying to be fair about this, but after a couple of weeks, I sent an email to my contractor, specifying what I wanted estimates for. He forwarded this email to the sales person. Still I heard nothing. Finally, early this week, I get an email from the sales person asking when I can come in and finalize choices. I say I'd like prices before I come in again. He says I didn't choose anything that he could give an estimate on. I reference my email with specifics. I hear nothing. 

Then we set up a meeting for yesterday (Saturday), and I figure he's got a few days to get the estimates. Then it's Friday (the day before) at 2 pm, and I don't have the numbers. I send yet another email saying I will not meet Saturday without seeing numbers ahead of time because (I mean, did I really need to spell it out?) I didn't want to see the numbers for the first time there in the showroom and feel pressured to make a decision there and then. Geez.

So he emails again yesterday morning, saying he'll have numbers by the end of the day Monday. I don't know if they'll be able to fabricate the counters in time, but I guess that's my contractor's conundrum now.

Grr. I'm getting frustrated just thinking about it. It'd be great if he came forward and said, "Oops, I didn't see that email where you asked for prices very specifically." But it will all work out.

I bought a new stove and a dishwasher yesterday. Of course, that has a story, too. I thought I would do a good turn and shop locally for the appliances, so I hopped online and went the downtown appliance store's website. I cross referenced the Consumer Reports recommendations with what the appliance store offered, and selected the stove above (a Frigidaire, gas, self cleaning, convection oven) and a dishwasher. For some reason CR likes expensive dishwashers, and I thought one shouldn't cost more than the stove, so I looked at models and then went down a couple of steps. Like the guy at the store said, if you're the kind of person that scrapes dishes before they go in the dishwasher, most of them will do a great job.

So I go into the store with my choices, and the sales person says, "Oh, yes, well that's a third party website, and we don't have control over those numbers." Pause. I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. She says they've been trying to get it changes so the site doesn't show prices, because (get this) the site shows the very lowest prices, on par with larger stores. Umm, OK. But she was able to sell them to me at those prices, and after a couple hundred dollars more for delivery, installation and hauling away my old stove, I've got shiny new appliances that will be delivered when they are needed. I'm keeping my fridge until it doesn't work anymore and I don't care that it is white an these are stainless. So there.

As I'm writing, I think that I should mention this or that, but this post is already pretty long, so more later. Hope you have a nice Sunday!