Creamer Kitchen Renovation Chronicles - Week 1 is Complete!

Week 1 is complete. Demo down to the studs, and lots of wiring and plumbing done. 

  

  

George and I can't wait to see what the next few weeks will bring!

Burns Night

We'll be celebrating with a wee dram.

My soap opera

I have never been a big fan of the TV soap opera. I tinkered with the Bold and the Beautiful as a teen just to see how many names they could come up with that originated from land formations (Ridge, etc.). I also tried watching Santa Barbara for a while in high school, but when A Martinez and his wife (don't remember their names on the show) picked up a magic rock off a Hawaiian beach and bad things started happening, I had to put an end to it. I loved the movie Soap, which made fun of the soap opera culture as much as I loved Zoolander and its take on models. But now I have a confession to make. I am a fan of one of the "soapiest" shows I've seen, and I love it! It is Downton Abbey,

and after I watched Series One on Masterpiece Theatre last year, I was hooked. I couldn't wait for more of the World War I era British drama. Now that Series 2 is playing, I again am eager to watch each episode. The loathing I feel for Thomas and the modern-woman sympathy I feel for Lady Sybil are the main emotions I feel on Sunday night (or if I'm busy, when I get a chance to watch the DVR recorded episode). I feel almost guilty, but I figure 36+ years is long enough to go without a soap addiction. Besides, this soap is British, and we all know about that obsession. Watch it, you'll be hooked too!

Is Santa British?

The stockings this year were filled with a variety of classic toys, fun stuff, and candy. However, the candy was not the normal fare. It was a mixture of full-sized British candy bars and miniatures. The brands Cadbury and Mars replaced Nestle and Hersheys. Our favorite? The Curly Wurly, not just because it's delicious, but also because we can say in a British accent "I love Curly Wurlys because..." (if not familiar, the line is from one of my favorite Vicar of Dibley episodes).

More from April

I know I said May was next, but I forgot two very important things.

1. What did Danny do while Megan was at Sea World? He spent the day with George getting a haircut and eating lunch with Zachary.

Don't they look like they had fun?

2. Also on the 29th, and the main reason that the battery on my Blackberry died halfway through the day, was the wedding of William and Kate. Let's just say I had plenty of British royalty shows to watch on my birthday weekend!

Besides getting my hair done, and taking Megan next door for some ice cream,

not much else to tell for April. Whew! Like I needed anything else.

I knew I was an anglophile for a reason!

UK Prime Minister David Cameron writes a column for the Wall Street Journal, and yesterday's article was picked up by Fox News.  It is an article titled "DAVID CAMERON: Why I'm Staunchly Pro-America" and reading it makes me proud to be an American and an anglophile at the same time. Read it, it will make you feel good, too.

Finally, some cooler weather...

Just to let you know that we haven't fallen off the face of the planet, I am going to give a general update. Zachary has been driving our van regularly for the last few days, and I will have to say he's doing pretty well. Megan recently became hooked on Dr. Who (yes we screen for the scary and inappropriate ones), and put this picture on her wall. I hope it doesn't detract from her studies!

Danny is getting some new furniture in his room, so George and I have been cleaning out (me) and putting together (George) various parts of Danny's room. We, however, have both hurt ourselves over the last couple of weeks, so we are a sad-looking couple at the end of the day. Between my limping and his back-holding, I don't know which of us looks worse. I know Danny will appreciate all of the hard work we're doing for him (not!).

Last Friday, we went to the fall festival at Megan and Danny's school, and they had a great time. Megan and Zachary's friend, Clarence, spent the entire fall festival in the cake walk line, and she finally won on the next to last round. That was an expensive cake, let me tell you! Zachary volunteered at the snow cone machine for me, and other than exploding flavor syrup and an intricately dyed right hand, he had few mishaps. Danny decided that friends are more important than his mom (aka "chopped liver") and spent the whole time trying to convince me to leave him with his friends for the rest of the evening. Sure, that's going to happen.

I can't possibly tell everything that we've done because the list would be endless. It seems like October exploded with engagements, illnesses, and general plans. I hope November is a little more calm.