Life after Annandale High: From the Aisles of Home Depot to the Banks of the Occoquan

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

From the Aisles of Home Depot to the Banks of the Occoquan

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 – From the Aisles of Home Depot to the Banks of the Occoquan

Yesterday, I spent what seemed like an eternity cruising the aisles of Home Depot with Elliott. It’s part of our kitchen project, of course. He is determined to do much of the work that is normally done by the general contractor or installer. We started our afternoon Home Depot adventure by looking at range hoods and under cabinet lighting, just to get an idea of what’s available. But the main focus of our recent mission involved moldings. The previous day, Elliott had devoted several hours to measuring how much molding we would need in various places – along the floor, above the cabinets, along the sides of cabinets, etc. Since I can recognize quarter round, I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the subject. Once we got to Home Depot, however, I was in for a big surprise. There were hundreds of different kinds of moldings, in different materials, different sizes, different finishes and different styles. There was a wide range of prices, as well. At Elliott’s insistence, I took copious notes on all of the moldings we examined. Over the next few days, he’ll study all the information, do some calculations, and make final decisions about the molding order. I can’t help but wonder – does everyone who remodels a kitchen go through a similar process?

Fortunately, Wednesday provided a change of scenery. Elliott, Marshall, and I drove down to the town of Occoquan, situated along the banks of the river of the same name, to meet family members Karen-Elise and Gene for lunch at a cute little Belgian restaurant called Cock & Bowl. We didn’t sample any of the Belgian beers, but we consumed plenty of calories. I have no regrets, however. The tasty moules (steamed mussels) and decadently delicious wafels (waffles) brought back memories of our summer 2007 trip to Brussels and Antwerp. This afternoon, the sun was shining, the temperatures were hovering in the upper 50s, and there was a hint of spring in the air. It was enough to make me forget all about the kitchen project for a while.