renovation

After years of thinking about renovating our home it is looking like we may actually do it. The planned major changes will be: the removal of all the carpet, updating with hardwood and tile; the addition of a walkout from the living to the backyard, possible removal of the living room/kitchen wall, new kitchen counters and cabinetry, new kitchen appliances and funds permitting a small or hopefully massive update to the backyard. So this means there are thousands of things need to be determined and decided. Bdot is set to the task to research and scrutinize the specifics. The details are coming together remarkably smoothly so far. Suspiciously smoothly. We have tentatively decided on one of two hardwood flooring options, tile, cabinet type, oven, cabinet colour, counter type (quartz) and generally the colour of the counter and are close on lighting. The reno is at its infancy and it will be weeks before anything is started and months before it is done. The kitchen was always my least favourite room of the house. It functions so poorly. The goal of the reno is to remedy this and bring the room into this decade. I’m looking forward to saying goodbye to the ugly wallpaper and tile. My kingdom for an island.

Another season of hockey is ending. The Sabres which are remarkably still under the direction of Darcy Regier are out of the playoffs again. Yes more fail. Once again the stats are baffling. The Sabres will end up with a winning record against the top four teams in the East and a losing record against the bottom four… So many missed opportunities. It looks like Sabres veteran goalie Ryan Miller could be playing his last game as a Sabre tomorrow. I think Miller is a decent goalie and interesting guy. However, at $6m a season I don’t think the difference between him and a $2-3M goalie justifies the extra coin, especially with the cap going down. Vanek may also be gone. I’d like him to stay if a reasonable contract can be achieved. I think he has potential if the Sabres can acquire an elusive first line centre…I like Cody. I’d love him on the 2nd line. The Sabres might not have a choice if Vanek wants to go. He is in the final year of him contract. The disappointment of this season is exacerbated by the Leafs passing the Sabres in the standings for their first playoff berth in close to a decade. It is hard to find optimism for the future as the architect of the all the failure is still running the show. Regardless, it should be an interesting summer and who knows what the roster will look like in October…