The Saga of the Table

I spent a lot of time wanting a new kitchen table. I daydreamed about it. (Why yes, it IS sad when you hit your 30's and find yourself daydreaming about a table. Glad you asked.) Our old table was one we got from JC Penney when we were first married. It was a little circular pedestal table that fit four, but had side leaves to drop down to turn it into an adorable cafe table for two. It became shockingly less adorable as our family grew. The kids tried chin-ups on it, making it wobbly. Even a guest or two made eating crowded. More than two made it down right silly. I wanted a nice big table. It would be rectangular. It would fit six comfortably. It would be heavy, and solid, and never wobble. It would have a finished wood top with white legs. It would NOT be a pedestal table. In my head it was magnificent. In reality it was at least five hundred dollars. @#$%^*

One day on Craig's list I found the right table. It was structurally what I wanted, but with an abused top, marker and nail polish splotches, and legs painted a god-awful coral, with sky blue and black showing through the chipped spots. After negotiations, it cost me $90. In other materials, it cost me a $30 sander, $5 of sand paper, $15 of acrylic coating for the top,and a $15 bucket of paint. If I am thinking clearly enough to do math (always questionable), the whole project cost me $165. Through the magic of power tools, I started to rehab it. Working just an hour a day, it took almost two weeks.

Man, I love Craig's list. And power tools. Seriously love me some power tools.

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