Hick Cooks Up a New Kitchen for Bargain House

Hick is plugging away at Bargain House. Of course, it's not nearly as exciting as his SUS2.5 (Storage Unit Store 2.5), nor as satisfying as sitting around the Senior Center for an hour lunch, and doesn't garner the glory of taking care of the elderlies and their apartments. One of these days, Bargain House is going to be ready to sell.

Hick got a good deal on cabinets at Lowe's. With his contractor's account, he got $600 off the total price. THEN, when he went to pick up the cabinets a couple days later, the gal he was paying told him about another deal.

"I got down there on Tuesday, even though I'd told them I didn't need the cabinets that soon. The gal asked if I would be needing appliances. Because they had another deal, and it ended on Thursday. Thanksgiving. So I thought about it. I'm not ready for the appliances yet. But I had her figure up the cost, and if I got the stove, refrigerator, and microwave, I could get $700 off. I figured that was a pretty good deal, rather than trying to find them later. So I ordered them, and can pick them up in December."

Hick decided that white cabinets are a thing now. So that's what he got. He and Old Buddy put up the first couple on the day Hick picked them up.

That board will come out. It's there to hold the cabinets level while they screw them into the wall. The next day, Hick put in the rest of the uppers.

I'm sure Hick will trim out that window after the sink and lower cabinets and backsplash are put in. That's the living room behind the ladder. And what looks like boxes with the rest of the cabinets.

The stove and refrigerator will fit along this wall, next to where the door goes into the new laundry room. On the other side of this wall are those open shelves in the laundry room. Hick needs that access to run wiring. Then it will get drywall. That contraption that looks like half an exercise bike is Hick's saw. 

I don't know what kind of handles Hick plans for the cabinets. I'm happy to see progress in the kitchen. Imagine how quick this project would have been done if Hick treated it like a regular job, and not three hours, four days a week!

It's a Wrap!

Now that Thanksgiving 2025 is over, we have delicious food lolling about in FRIG II. It's not going to eat itself! I had a bit of inspiration, sitting on the short couch Friday mid-morning. I usually have two main meals a day. "Breakfast," which might come at noon, and consists of a banana and bowl of Maple Brown Sugar instant oatmeal. The other is "supper," which is around 9:00, after Hick has been fed and put to bed, and my scratchers have been scratched.

Why should I go back to my standard breakfast when these leftovers are clamoring to be consumed? My early meal can just as well be called "lunch." I'm not one for making a Frankenstein of a sandwich with turkey, stuffing, green beans, and cranberry sauce. But I figured out a way to make a tasty combo.

It's a WRAP! I had some large flour tortillas on the counter. Sure, they're past the use-by date. But do tortillas ever go bad? Not in this house! I used bacon left from roasting the vegetables, some turkey breast, and my 7 Layer Salad.

Yes, that's a giant burrito-size tortilla. It's bigger than the plate. Mmm... I gotta say, The Pony was repulsed by this idea, because of the peas in the salad. But it was delicious! Perhaps a little dry. Next time I might add some green olives, which I had on the side, and added a little tang.

Hick would not appreciate such a culinary delight. He'll get the conventional version of the leftovers. As will I, for supper.

Thevictorians Strap On the Feedbag

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Val's 7 Layer Salad!

I almost hated to dig into it. Almost. Romaine lettuce, green onions, boiled eggs, peas, mayo, shredded cheddar, and bacon.

Hick had his plate filled and was sitting down to eat before I came back to kitchen upon announcing it was ready. The Pony got a picture before Hick began feeding.

As you can see, Hick prefers ham to turkey. And doesn't mind his foods touching.

The Pony forgot the deviled eggs, and had to go back!

The Pony loves (Stove Top) stuffing and the "vinchtables." Even tried the hash brown potatoes this year, though they were left from our last holiday meal, and unfrozen this time.

Can you believe The Pony eschewed my 7 Layer Salad to make a plainer version??? And that pan of Sister Schubert's Rolls belongs to The Pony. Hick and I had our own.

It's Thanksgiving, and I believe in turkey. So I had a turkey leg!

It was a bit tendon-y, as are all turkey legs, but I enjoyed gnawing on it and waving it about. The Pony said I belonged at a Renaissance Fair. I also had a scrap of ham, deviled egg, hash brown potatoes, roll, green beans with ham, and roasted vegetables. And the star of my meal, the 7 Layer Salad.

Dessert was an Oreo Cake. Hick and The Pony love it. Me, not so much.

It's not the prettiest cake I ever made, but I'm sure the flavor was all that mattered to the feasters. It looks a little better from the top.

I was planning to have a bit of Hick's anniversary cookie for dessert.

Turns out I was too full of turkey leg and salad. No room for dessert. I'll try again tomorrow.

The Pony left with a box full of leftovers. FRIG II is as stuffed as I am. 

A Different Kind of Creepy

Strange things used to happen around our house. Often. For the past couple years, the unexplained noises and occasional jab in the neck and toiletries shooting across the bathroom have pretty much stopped. I suppose our lives are too boring for the paranormals to hang around.

Sunday morning, Hick left for his SUS2.5 shortly after 6:00. I gave The Pony a wakeup call at 7:00. Then I sat on the couch, planning to snooze a bit until 8:30, when I would get ready for town. I would be picking up The Pony to shop for a couple items, then come back home to listen to an album release online.

During my couch time, I heard what I thought was booming bass from a passing vehicle. Or maybe somebody with a tractor blading the gravel road. Just an unusual noise that got my attention enough to mute the TV and try to figure out what it was. Also, my little dog Jack had a bout of scrabbling his claws on the front porch in a cartoonish hurry to chase something. Which was shortly after a spate of barking that was more urgent than his bark at our unwanted new possum visitor.

I didn't really fret about it. This was something that doesn't happen every day. But we live in the country. People are gonna make noise with vehicles, and dogs are gonna bark.

At 9:30, I started out to the garage. I was greeted by a strange sight:

What in the NOT-HEAVEN!!! It was Hick's fake Irish Setter. He also has a fake Scottie, and a fake Basset Hound. This Irish Setter usually sits on the porch at the top of the steps, to my right. 

As an old Val who is unsteady on her knees, this was an unwanted obstacle. I get down these steps sideways, one leg at a time, while holding onto the rail with both hands. This fake dog was right in my way. I'd have to stop and lean over to grab it. But there was no other way to get to the garage, save going back through the house, out the front, down those steps, and navigating a large "L" shape of that uneven brick sidewalk.

Of course I started rassen-frassen whoever put this obstacle in my way. I couldn't imagine Hick doing so. Even though he has many creative nontraceable ways to try to kill me, I didn't think this was one. I managed to move the dog back to the porch. While in town, waiting for The Pony to come out, I sent Hick a text and the picture.

"Did you put the dog on the steps?"

"Nope."

"How? It didn't fall like that! Were any of your people out here?"

"I have no idea and no one that I know has been out there."

This is really creepy. I don't for an instant think something paranormal moved this fake dog. I could imagine giant squirrels chasing each other, and knocking it off the porch. I CANNOT imagine this fake dog falling just right, to be sitting there on the bottom step in my way.

I think somebody was here. WHY? There was no knock. And why be around on the side porch? If they were snooping to break in, I should have heard them walking on the porch. Or if they were tippy-toeing, going around back to look in the kitchen windows, and saw and/or heard the TV... surely they would have left no evidence of being there as they crept away.

This is creepy, and I don't like it! I want an explanation. A prank, perhaps, by one of Hick's buddies, who might have stopped by and seen that his truck was gone. 

That's the best possible scenario that I can imagine.

A Happy Turkey Day for the Elderlies

Hick was pleasantly surprised when he received his turkey dinner tray at the Senior Center on Tuesday. He had been carrying on about how they BOILED THE TURKEYS, and were going to serve it shredded. Looks like Hick was out of the loop. Oh, he indeed pulled all of the boiled turkeys out of the pots for the cooks the day before. But it looks like the turkeys were not totally shredded. Perhaps they had meant the dark meat. 

Hick's tray looked quite appetizing, even though I don't like anything on it but the turkey.

I don't see any cranberry sauce, which was on the menu. But Hick doesn't like it anyway, so might have declined. Also, it looks like there are sweet potatoes, which were NOT on the menu. And I don't see a roll. Hick definitely got a generous slice of pecan pie. I'm pretty sure it helps to be "Cooks' Pet."

In other news, even though I already have my Cornish game hens for our Thanksgiving meal... I will let them cool their heels in my mini freezer for another time. Because I found a REAL TURKEY that I figured I could deal with.

It's fully cooked! I don't have to do anything but warm it! Which means Hick will carve it the night before, and I will just warm up pieces of it, along with the ham Hick will slice the night before. Takes up less room in the oven that the sides can use. 

Anyhoo... I found this Butterball on Errand Day with The Pony. It was the only one of its kind. I nabbed it right away. It's 11 pounds. No neck and no giblets. I will gnaw on a leg, and Hick and The Pony can use some of the white meat for sandwiches. That's how they eat it. We are not gravy-makers.

Sure, I will eventually love my Cornish hens. But this was my chance for real turkey on Thanksgiving. A more elderly-friendly version. No toting it across the kitchen for rinsing, and wrestling it into a pan to hopefully not drop it from my arthritic hands while balancing on my arthritic knees.

All I've accomplished so far (Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.) is to boil 30 eggs. The Pony will come out Wednesday and Thursday to help, by fetching ingredients while I combine them, and to check (and taste) the dishes we have simmering.

Hick says, "You don't have to go to all that trouble for me."

You know he secretly is happy that we are.

The Less You Know

Hick was all excited about the Thanksgiving dinner that will be served on Tuesday at the Senior Center. 

Turkey & Dressing

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

Roll

Pumpkin or Pecan Pie

Yes, Hick was really looking forward to it. Until Monday. When he was called back to the kitchen after eating that day's lunch of:

Chili

Grilled Cheese

Wedges

Crackers

Muffin or Fruit

Hick was called back by his "girls" who do the cooking. They were getting things ready for the big Thanksgiving dinner the next day. Cooking the turkeys. Hick was SHOCKED!

"They BOILED the turkeys! They're going to shred them. So they'll serve it like pulled pork."

"Well, it seems that would be way faster than baking the turkeys. How many were there?"

"At least seven. Maybe more. They were all in separate pots. The girls couldn't lift them out! I could barely lift them myself. I used a shovel. Well, not really a shovel. I big spoon, about six inches in diameter. And with a handle two feet long."

"What did you do, put the spoon in the cavity to lift them out?"

"No. I put the spoon under them."

"You balanced a whole turkey on a six-inch spoon???"

"That was two feet long. And I did seven of them. Or however many there were. It wasn't easy! Them girls could never have done it. One of 'em's really short. Her nose was about in the pot of water."

"Well, I'm sure it will be good. They'll probably give you extra for helping them!"

"I just can't believe they boiled the turkeys!"

That said, Hick also revealed that he probably won't want any supper Tuesday night. Because he'll be full of turkey.

Bargain House Gets a Little Attention

Hick managed to fit some time in for Bargain House last week, in-between catering to the elderlies at the apartments. He worked on the laundry room, which is the portion he added at the back by closing in part of the porch. It's just inside the back door. This picture was taken from the door to the kitchen, I think. Which used to just go out on the back porch.

This was Wednesday. "Laundry sink installed and starting on flooring." Hick asked how I liked the laundry sink. I'm pretty sure he regretted that question.

"I don't! Nobody wants a laundry sink these days. I didn't want one when you built our house! But you put it in anyway. At least this time, you haven't put it between the washer and dryer. I guess it's okay. People could use it to give a small pet a bath."

I told Hick it looked like the floor was torn up by one of the laundry sink legs. He said no, that it was just stuff not swept up from putting up the drywall.

This was from Thursday. "Floor down." You can see the little window beside the door. The shelves are temporary. Hick needs that wall open while running the electrical wiring to the kitchen. Once done, it will become a regular wall like the others.

Also on Thursday, Hick put Old Buddy to work tearing out the old kitchen cabinets. I'm pretty sure Hick also ripped things out. It's not like him to stand and watch Old Buddy work.

"Cabinets coming out." Hick says he plans to put in white cabinets, because they seem to be the style now. He's getting everything from Lowe's, to get his big discount, rather than looking for cabinets and a countertop on Buy/Sell/Trade like he's done in the past.

The Pony and I will be glad when Bargain House is finally done. Though we don't feel right about complaining while we sit on our rumpuses and let Hick do all the work.