Neck-Deep

For years, one of my favourite magazines has been Kitchen and Bath Ideas from Better Home and Gardens. I would pick it up occasionally, drooling over page after page of granite counter tops, stainless-steel professional gas ranges, and immaculately-tiled back splashes, knowing that each and every kitchen must have cost a fortune in the remodel--a fortune I didn't have to spend on a kitchen I didn't have to remodel. But I liked looking and dreaming, anyway.

Now, the time has come. Here we are, busily planning our "dream house"--or as close as we can get on a budget. Suddenly, I am actually planning exactly how I want my kitchen laid out. And there are so many decisions to make! What kind of cabinets do I want? What colour? What kind and colour of flooring? Where should the fridge be in relation to the island? To the dining room? How big should the window be? What should the countertops be made of? Gas or electric oven?

And that's just the kitchen.

Did you know that when someone built your house, someone had to decide what kind of doorhandles to use, what kind of toilets to put in, whether to stucco, drywall, or put a tile drop-ceiling in, what kind of windows to use, and the list goes on and on. If you are one of those people who has a hard time making decisions, I am not sure whether building a house would be for you, or not. On the one hand, it might cure you forever. On the other hand, you might wrestle at length with every little detail, slowing down the building process, and then regret the decision you finally made every time you glanced at that feature after you move in.

It's exciting, it just feels a bit like we're in a hurry. Oh, wait. We are in a hurry—our goal to move in is sometime in September or, at latest, October. Eep!

So, if I don't call, e-mail, write, or comment on your blog, it's not that I don't love you and miss you. I am most likely thinking of you fondly at that very moment. And if you would think fondly of me in return, and perhaps send up a prayer on my behalf, it would be appreciated.

'Cause it just means that I'm neck deep.