June 2014

NEOS LOG
June 2014

The kitchen continues to dominate the remodel project. Rog tackled the assembly of the countertop and was quite pleased with the results.

Once it was together, he sanded it down and stained it. Then we applied polyurethane. We did 4 coats, with Rog giving it a good sanding between each coat. At this point, we took a breather as the contractor debated the best course of action for filling the holes and deep grains to give it a smooth finish. We researched options and then pulled out the 1.5 foot section of wood previously cut off and set aside. This would be Rog’s test wood. He mixed some of the sawdust with the polyurethane and applied it, wiping off the excess with mineral spirits. He liked the results. So the bar countertop will be ready for this step next month.

Rog then designed the wooden top for the cooktop counter. Before we left for vacation at the end of the month, the pieces were cut and almost ready to piece together.
In between coats of polyurethane on the bar top(we did the coats in the evening and let each coat sit for 24 hours), Rog built drawers. He spent almost 2 days on the first one, one day on the second and then finished 14 in a week. We used those soft closing glides on them and they look sharp! Since the insides are so pretty, I didn’t want to paint them. I gave them each 2 coats of polyurethane and will let them dry until we get home in July. That means that half of the drawers are done!! They still need drawer fronts and hardware but they are functional. Can’t wait to fill them up.

My project for the month was to refinish the wooden bench that the previous owner left behind. I forgot to take a “before” picture, but I like the way it turned out. I also got the countertops done for the project room. One top is an old closet door that I painted white and the other top is a solid wood door that I put polyurethane on. I love this room. I actually got a sewing project done and used the new tabletops. We now have decorative side curtains for the bathtub. Once Rog gets his kitchen done, they will be ready for the valance we designed. Meanwhile, they hang over the shower rod.

Not all work and no play….we were delighted to be invited to Kalen’s graduation from Bear River and spend some time with our good friends, the Adamson’s. Kalen used to do homework on Neos when we were cruising with them 8 years ago. Nice to see him turn out so well!
Karissa had a special date with us, thanks to Beth and Ryan. They coordinated a trip to see horses with a friend of theirs. We drove out to Elverta and Samantha shared an hour showing Karissa what it means to take care of horses at Crossroads Stables. Karissa enjoyed Miss Tilley and the dogs. She had hoped to see a unicorn and we looked hard but never saw one. We stopped for pizza before heading back home.
I have referred to our upcoming vacation. On June 12, my sister Micki held a get-together for the folks in this area going on her trip to the British Isles. We met almost 10 new faces and are starting to get excited about this adventure. We leave on the 23rd and get home July 8.

The grandkids spent 2 “project Mondays” making a Father’s day sack for their dad and we did a cooking spree on the next Monday. We made protein cookies and black bean brownies (they taste much better than they sound!).
On Father’s Day, Rog wanted to go to Jake’s at Lake Tahoe (an old family tradition) and Eric wanted to take a family hike. We combined both wishes and had a great day. We all fit in the truck and headed north. We ended up at Fuller Lake and walked almost all of the way around it, then hit private property and had to backtrack back out. It was a beautiful day and we were surprised that the lake was actually full! Then we drove up to the Lake and got to Jake’s for a late lunch, about 2pm. Service was really slow, but we were in no hurry. After a great meal, the waiter treated us to a free hula pie dessert for being so patient. We had always found a coupon for this dessert in the past so it was fun to get it for free again. We devoured every bit of it in about 5 minutes.

Ryan took us out for lunch at McCormick’s. He is able to have a leisurely lunch and we enjoyed having the time with him.
On the 19th, Rog took off for a 2 night campout with Mike and Jay, Shotokan pals. They hiked to the upper lakes of Loch Leven and chilled out for a day before hiking back out. That gave Rog one day to prepare for the trip to the British Isles.

We spent Sunday the 22nd packing and preparing and are looking forward to some time off from the remodel project, not to mention the hot weather predicted for the next few weeks.
The entire trip will be summarized in a separate blog.