Dodgy blokes and clean cuts

It's frightening the choices I'll make during a week of limited remodeling activity. I turned my anxiety over no progress into some decisive actions.

We chose our appliances. Bennett and I found some good deals with this crazy appliance warehouse guy. A man my British designer calls "a dodgy bloke." I've decided that I simply do not have enough dodgy blokes in my life. I've been clinging to my awesome neighbor who has a serious tatoo, Harley and fondness for Yagermeister as my token dodgy bloke. But Appliance Man has definitely moved the "dodgy" dial and my neighbor no longer qualifies. I'm going to try to find some more.

Dodgy Appliance Man talked Bennett and I into this 36" range made by a company that gets the same parts that Viking, Thermador, Wolf, Dacor, etc. get, ships them over to China and makes professional caliber ranges available for significantly cheaper. I'm still a bit in awe that we bought this schtick. Perhaps I should have tried to fill my "dodgy bloke" hole with something a bit cheaper.

After that move, I finally let Pam give Henry a big boy haircut. No dodgy blokes here at all--just a super-hunky boy. All these years I thought he was like Sampson--all his power lay in his lucious locks. But apparently his power lies elsewhere because he's won over every camp counselor at the JCC.

Before (aka Shaggy Dog):

After: (wubba wubba; please notice, also, sister who consented to having an entire 1/4 inch cut off her hair and insisted on seeing the shavings to ensure that only the most minimal split ends were removed.)

The next step: cutting off my own hair. Despite Bennett's eternal insistence that it should be long and layered (this from the man who has never blow-dried his hair...in Texas...in the summer) he approves.

And, after two years of knowing it had to happen but being unable to pull the trigger, Bean is hissing and scratching herself silly in kitty heaven. Bean, you'll live on in our memories. We've pulled up the carpets so we'll have to go by our pictures rather than our sense of smell. Audrey wanted to commission a proper tombstone for the backyard (my Goth wannabee--I'm afraid she might find her own share of dodgy blokes at some point). I convinced her it wouldn't go with the mid-century modern vibe we're going for and she's agreed to a small cat statue for the back garden.

As for the construction, I knew this week would come and I'm trying to hold steady...breathe...enjoy the process...etc. But we've got to find some momentum or I'm concerned about what other momentus decisions migh get made in the midst of stalling. The only real progress seems to be minor foundation progress. I have big bags of corn seed as one layer in my foundation. Isn't that wierd? Apparently very common, but I can't help but wonder if perhaps another dodgy (or should we say "corny") bloke has crept into the renovation process.

Fearful for what other major life decision might land in my sites, Bennett is packing us all off to a week on Lake Austin. We're going to have one fun meeting with the cabinet guy (custom-made vertical fir grain cabinets;tingle) but otherwise attempting to chill out despite 104 degree heat.

Stay tuned to see what might land on the chopping block this week...or what dodgy blokes I discover on the lake.