I think I found my new home!

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

. . . I just need to get the longer bit (4 3/4") for use with the type of hole saw I have..

That's just what Roy Scheider said.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Wait till you drill a 1-1/2 hole with your new hole saws... then you learn it's a whole lotta fun trying to get that disc of wood out of your hole saw.

I forgot about that little issue. Frau, there should be holes in the back of the saw you can use to push the circular cut piece out.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I forgot about that little issue. Frau, there should be holes in the back of the saw you can use to push the circular cut piece out.

I'll worry about that once I get the stupid thing to cut something!

Only went to the condo today to do some more measuring re: a new fridge. I've concluded that unless I rip the wall base off the alcove where the fridge sits, I won't be able to get the one I really had my eye on - the toe of the base on either side really sticks out and unless the new fridge sits on some kind of base that is narrower than the main body of the unit, which I doubt, I have about 1 1/2" less width there than I originally thought.

A previous owner has already ripped the base off the back of the alcove, and it looks awful from what I can see. It either needs some new base back there or else some paint slapped on it. If I can get the supply line run for the ice maker, I'll move the current fridge over in the empty dinette area and plug it in there... it just takes a standard outlet, right? Not some special "wired for fridges" outlet that I don't know about?

Anyway once it's out of the alcove I'll see what if anything I want to do about the wall and wall base back there, fortunately I could replace the wall base in there and out around the counter next to it without having to redo any of the rest of the kitchen at the same time. Also need to get some wall base in that pantry cupboard, or else do something to spruce up the area down by the floor... of course since the supply line for the fridge would be running through there I'll have to figure out how to accommodate that as well without it getting in the way or being out where it might get caught on something or smooshed.

So, since I don't have my new drill bit yet it looks like tomorrow will be a trip to the store to see what I need for the supply line, and then after that who knows.

Had a really nice surprise today at the office, my coworkers brought in a surprise lunch for me as a little housewarming party. I didn't have a clue until I got an email requesting my presence in the lunchroom at 12 noon on the dot. Everybody had gone out and got me gift cards from various places, Lowe's and Macy's and Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond and some other places and no doubt the company purchased several on behalf of the doctors and business as a whole. Over $300 total, most of it at Lowe's and Macy's which will help a lot with all the little things I'll be needing now and in the future. I was really touched, I expected them to do something but not that much!

I'll probably break in the first of them tomorrow at Lowe's.

[AVGWarhawk]

We had to remove the quarter round molding so our fridge would fit. Its not unusual to remove the base boards so a fridge will fit. Need to keep a inch gap on both sides and rear of the fridge to allow ventilation.

You have nice coworkers.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

We had to remove the quarter round molding so our fridge would fit. Its not unusual to remove the base boards so a fridge will fit. Need to keep a inch gap on both sides and rear of the fridge to allow ventilation.

Well, with it already removed from the wall behind the fridge, it seems like a no brainer to remove it from the rest of the alcove. Then when I see how that looks I may just decide to clean up the wall as best as I can and paint it all the way down to the floor. Without the wall base there, I've got a 36" wide space.

I was looking at an LG and their recommendation is only 1/8" clearance on the sides, and 1" top and back. According to that I should be able to acommodate a 35 3/4" wide fridge but only if the wall base comes off.

Just talked to my sister and she checked with the BiL and he said if I decide to buy a fridge, wait until the end of the month as Lowe's will have a sale around then. He can buy the fridge and get a 10% discount and I can just write him a check. There are some places with cheaper prices now that will probably have sales then too, but I wouldn't get the discount and Lowe's has free delivery, the other places, not so much.

You have nice coworkers.

Yes, I'm very fortunate in that regard.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

it just takes a standard outlet, right? Not some special "wired for fridges" outlet that I don't know about?

Anyway once it's out of the alcove...

Once it's out of the alcove you'll have the answer to that question.

[AVGWarhawk]

Once the frig is in place you do not see where the base boards were anyway. Speaking of sales, Memorial Day sale coming up. Usually sales going on for Memorial Day Check Sears as well.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Once it's out of the alcove you'll have the answer to that question.

And the survey says.... yes. All you need is a standard outlet. The survey being my sister, of course.

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Once the frig is in place you do not see where the base boards were anyway. Speaking of sales, Memorial Day sale coming up. Usually sales going on for Memorial Day Check Sears as well.

I've given up on Sears entirely as of... a long time ago, lol. The last few times I was in there it was just sad. Anyway I did compare some prices on their website -which appears to be a mess of things that don't work making browsing very difficult - and they're about the same as Lowe's, where I'd get a discount so... no.

[AVGWarhawk]

We found our best deals at Sears for the fridge. Several incentives. Garage door opener as well. I agree the Sears browsing site has a lot to be desired. The best deal on a washer/dryer we found at Home Depot. Specifically the features on the washer. My wife was smitten with a washer/dryer that was not the traditional white in color. The darn things beeps like R2D2 and if you shut off the lights in the wash room the pair look like the Death Star with all the lights on the control panel blazing away. In the end with all of the incentives, rebates and actual checks written to us for purchasing energy efficient appliances the total was close to $900.00 saved. The web is invaluable when it comes to shopping deals.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

The survey being my sister, of course.

Yeah, but your sister is a compulsive shopaholic.

I know the one has nothing to do with the other, but never let a good insult go to waste, I always say.

[Wolferz]

You betcha Steve...
Letting a good insult go to waste is... well...
Insulting.

[frau kaleun]

Today on This Old Condo...

Actually, we'll start with last night, when I started cleaning out my dresser and closet and chest of drawers. Weeded out the stuff I don't need right now (winter clothes, dress-up duds, etc.) and the stuff that was still good but would probably never be worn again (things that don't fit, bad fashion decisions, etc.) and stuff that just plain needed to be thrown out. Finished up the job this morning and ended up with two bags for the dumpster, four bags to donate somewhere, and five boxes that I could move on over to the condo.

Tossed the dumpster offerings, then loaded up the car and took off for the local Goodwill drop-off and handed over the donations. Then I decided to put some of my gift cards to good use and went shopping. Got an expandable tray for my new flatware:



and a nice cushy mat to stand on in the kitchen:



and when I stopped at Lowe's I discovered they finally had the little task lamp I'd been wanting back in stock:



I've been looking at an OttLite desk lamp but wasn't sure about it, figured I could use the task lamp right away for a lot of stuff and then decide if I like it enough to go with one of their desk lamps as well. Anyway, this little item would come in really handy today as I also picked up this:



in order to remedy this little situation:





That copper tubing is cut off right where it passes through that wall into the pantry cupboard... I guess since the previous owner's fridge didn't have an icemaker, she didn't want to deal with the line running through there. Whatever. I was hoping I could take the nut off where the tubing connects to the saddle valve and just replace it and the tubing with the appropriate parts from the kit, but that proved to be a tough nut to crack (yes I see what I did there ) and the whole thing looked so old and gunky that I decided I'd rather just take it all off and start from scratch using the hole in the pipe that was already there.

Found the shutoff valve for the cold water line and shut that off, then did a quick test at the kitchen sink to make sure the water was absotively posilutely off. It was. Then I got that old cruddy setup off of there.



Now comes the fun part!



Slinky, Slinky, what a wonderful toy! Slinky, Slinky, it's fun for turning water into ice when you buy a new fridge for... a girl and... the cats I'll probably adopt eventually. Okay, I need to work on the song some more. But not right now, I got a saddle valve to install!



So far, so good.



BUT WILL IT WORK?

And now it's time for a protip from your Auntie FK.

When you install one of these gizmos, and turn the water on, and then turn the little thingy on the saddle valve so that it's open all the way, THE WATER COMES OUT REAL FAST. You may think it will not come out fast enough to completely fill up the Tupperware container you are holding before you can turn the little thingy on the saddle valve all the way back in the other direction. But you would be wrong, especially if your hands are wet from all the water that is now slopping over the sides of the Tupperware container you are trying to hold onto with one hand while frantically spinning the little thingy around with the other. In short, always put the other end of the hose in something really big, like a sink or a bathtub or perhaps Lake Erie if it happens to be handy and the tubing is long enough.

And now we return you to our regularly scheduled programming, where Frau Kaleun has just successfully installed her very first water supply line.



LIKE A BOSS!

If you don't count that little incident with the Tupperware in the hallway. Thank goodness I had a drain in the utility closet and a towel on hand just in case.

To be continued...

[frau kaleun]

And the mayhem continues...

I let it run into the sink for a good five minutes per the instructions, no leaks anywhere. Then I turned it off again and threaded the tubing into the pantry cupboard through the hole that was already there.



I'd already thoroughly cleaned up the floor and lower area there, as I'm planning to put some kind of "false floor" in there to protect the tubing and wanted to get any gunk out first and know it was good and clean. I've got some bricks I bought a while back (long story) and I think I might put them in the corners and then get something cut to fit that space and sit on top of them... it'll make a safe space for the tubing to run through without being in the way or getting squashed by something, plus hide that ugly bit of wall where someone ripped the wall base off. And it'll keep whatever I store down there a little higher up for easier access... I'm thinking maybe some kind of little bins or baskets for onyuns and taters, but I'm not sure. I still have to thread the tubing through the hole in the other wall and over behind the fridge, but that can wait until I move the fridge out which I wasn't gonna mess with today.

Anyway... with that job tended to, I decided to have my very first non-takeout meal in my new kitchen:



Okay, it's still sort of takeout food, since it's the leftovers I brought home from the lunch they brought in for me on Friday, but the point is - I didn't have to get in the car and drive somewhere to get something to eat, lol. SO IT TOTALLY COUNTS. Look, I even used one of my new dishes and a real knife!

After cleaning up from my dinner and washing the bowl and knife - OH WAIT I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, I HAVE A DISHWASHER NOW - I moved the stereo into the living room, where I'd set up a little homemade cabinet/shelf thing that I brought over from the apartment. It's what the stereo sat on here, and I'll probably throw it out and buy a real non-junky media cabinet or something eventually, but I'm not sure yet where the stereo will end up so it will have to do for now. At least it won't be sitting on an upturned box in the kitchen any more which seemed like a much better option with Moving Day fast approaching.

Then for some stupid reason, even though it was already getting late, I decided to start putting the bed base together. Or as I've come to call it, Adventures In Splinter Removal. Yeah, it's a bed base, and so the wood is a little... er... rougher than I'm used to from putting together things that are meant to sit out where someone can see them, lol. It wasn't so bad once I realized I just had to be careful about not running my hands up and down the pieces when handling them.

The beginnings of one half of the base:



And the completed section:



Also unwrapped the mattress in the course of moving it out of the way and took the mattress cover off to be washed. Sadly, the goddess Ikea has decreed that Thou Shalt Not Tumble Dry Thy Mattress Cover, so I had to hang it up on the very convenient tension rod that the previous owner left over the washer/dryer in my little laundry alcove.



Probably a good thing that I decided to wash it now, I have to idea how long it's gonna take to dry and I hope to be sleeping on it next weekend. It's supposed to be made of some kind of material that wicks moisture away to help maintain a comfortable sleeping temperature and environment, so maybe it won't take too long to dry out. I hope I can at least move it somewhere else tomorrow to finish drying since I'll need to do my weekly laundry when I'm over there.

Getting it back ON the mattress once it's finally dry is sure to be a real treat, lol.

Well, that wraps up today's installment of This Old Condo. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures from the world of first-time home ownership, including... some time next week... a Very Special Hole Saw episode, which with any luck will not involve me attempting to dial 911 with the one finger I've got left while trying not to get blood all over my clean carpets.

[Sailor Steve]

Wow, Frau, you da man...gal...whatever! I thought of a word that rhymes with wow and frau and how now, but I figure I better not go there unless I want a visit from Ohio that I probably wouldn't enjoy too much, what with the chop socky and all.

Anyway, it's looking real good.

[Onkel Neal]

This is better than Game of Thrones.