Oh my, kitchen remodeling is so much fun, and yet so scary and so pricey. The final choice - KraftMaid birch, square doors like these, Toffee finish, with a Sandstone Corian countertop. However, they're going to let me bring home a door and a Corian sample to live with in my kitchen for a few days to make sure this is what I really want, since this is Forever, baby. I'm nt sure about the countertop color, I might go darker, but I keep coming back to Birch with the Toffee glaze no matter how many samples I look at, so I think that's going to be it for the cabinets. I'm actually spending about 50% more than I thought I would of course, but that includes installation, upgraded Corian countertop, integrated Corian offset sink, fancy pull-out inserts in cabinets to utilize every inch of space, 4 additional cabinets facing the eating area, and all the bells and whistles. This is a very long, complicated process. Today was just step one, the rough estimate. Next the measuring guy comes out. Then I go back in for the final selection process, then they send another guy out to double check the measurements of everything to make sure it will fit. Then I pay, then they send in the order to build the cabinets. About six weeks later the old kitchen gets ripped out and the new cabinets go in, BUT not the countertop, because the Corian Experts can come out and make the template for the countertop only after the new cabinets are in place. THREE weeks later, I get a countertop. So we're looking at maybe being done by...Memorial Day? I'm also looking at a hell of a lot of Lean Cuisines in the microwave, and in fact my over-the-range microwave will be out of commission so I guess I will be picking up a $69 microwave to use for those weeks - it's cheaper than eating out for a month. I'm so excited!!!

After getting the kitchen process started I went to Lowe's garden center. I hadn't realized that apparently the latest thing is to take your small dog shopping for plants with you - a crabby Chihuahua and a mellow, panting Lhasa were shopping with their owners. Somehow I don't think I could buy tomato plants with Mr. Life of the Party, he loves to go shopping, but when I take him it becomes all about socializing. I bought more tomatoes and some red bell peppers and a rosemary and a basil. It's really hot today - "too hot for yard work at this hour" hot - but tomorrow is supposed to be much cooler, so if I don't get the veggies in the ground late this afternoon, they will be on tomorrow's agenda. After lunch it's time to take a load of this and that to Goodwill. Then my butt is heading for the couch and knitting. My back feels much better but I know better than to go nuts and push it for another day or so.