Monday morning and I am somewhat present. On Saturday, we went to E's sister's house for family day lunch. I forgot my bathing suit and I was a little miffed at that, but otherwise it was our standard affair, sort of. Burgers and dogs on the grill, and I made a killer potato salad to bring along. Family day started as my idea because I wanted to cook for everyone and socialize with them once a month. Papu eventually suggested we come out to his house one month, and it was out there for a while, then last time, K said why don't we meet out at her place. I usually do not mind that wherever it is held, I am the cook, but I do not care to provide the food when it is being held somewhere else. Somehow that rubs me the wrong way.

Anyway, on Saturday, Papu asked us what we were doing on Sunday. He announced he wanted to take us to buy a stove. E told him we liked one at Lowes that was between $500 and $600, and that we just kept dropping the priority of it for other things. He said he would be over at 11 and we could use his truck and go pick it up. This was followed by the discussion of money being tight for all of us, and he said he had gotten an increase on his credit card and wanted to do something nice for us because we had been doing so much for him.

We went to the Lowes down the street and saw that the stove, a stainless and black, ceramic cooktop, stainless and black Frigidaire classic series was $547. He said "Well, let's do it!"

We discovered that it was out of stock, but the guy told us they had it at the next closest location just 10 minutes or so away. We drove there and picked it up. The stove guy at the second store was just not as pleasant as the stove guy at the first store. But we got the stove and were on our way. Of course, when we got it home we discovered that we had a four prong outlet and not a three, so I had to go back to Lowes, the closer one, and exchange the power cord we bought.

I got home pretty quickly and Papu began the hooking up. It seemed to be more of an ordeal than it should have been, but he did manage to get it done. After taking off the back covering... Once it is all in place, E opens the dishwasher door, and there is not quite enough clearance. She had measured this before, but we had not given it further thought. The stove has to sit about a half inch or less beyond the edge of the wall for the dishwasher door to fully open, and this just really rubs E the wrong way. Having seen the back off of the stove, and all the room that is back there, she decided that she will cut the back so that the plug can recess. then the stove can be flush to the wall, and in place squarely so that the dishwasher door has clearance. I am not sure I like the idea, but it will happen and I will get used to it I suppose. At least the ground did finally get hooked up.

I mentioned at the store that this means we can host Thanksgiving this year, and Papu said he seconds the idea. I am not sure that that goes as much to my cooking as it does to us being a closer drive than K, but I would say it is likely 50/50 for him. I am curious to see if K commits to coming, and then what the eventual happening will be.

I also decided that there will be fabulous holiday baking this year. Martha Stewart move over.

A new stove. It's a good thing.