noT ABLE to resist!

ok, I apologize for the lame title. But I am excited to share my awesome deal, so I didn't want to waste time trying to come up with something more creative. Plus, this one seems like something Will Shortz, the NPR Puzzlemaster, would come up with on the Sunday Puzzler.

Anyway, this Saturday my wonderful friend and best ex-roommate ever Janae came to Baltimore to do some antiquing/dining room table shopping with me. Here is Janae looking smashing while dancing up a storm on an equally blustery day last April:

First we visited a place called Second Chance, Inc., a series of warehouses behind the Ravens stadium in Baltimore, containing, well just about everything, including antique furniture in excellent condition, antique furniture in poor condition (like this table that fell on top of Janae while we were under it trying to figure out if the leaf worked),

salvaged mantlepieces, doors, windows, and a very random assortment of new and used cabinetry, sinks, tubs, and hotel furniture! It was fun to look around, and we did find a brand new Kohler bathtub that Kyle and I may consider buying for our new bathroom (goes down to $57 on April 4!) but we didn't find anything I had to have.

Next stop: Restoration Hardware Warehouse, aka one of the best things about living in Baltimore. It is one of only two in the country, and contains scratch & dent merchandise at a fraction of the original (albeit, inflated) price. We found a dark brown, round, pedestal table with a leaf- exactly what I've been looking for! List price: $2,195. Warehouse price: $199. Delivery price: $170. So, we were determined to make it fit in the Rav4, or as Caryl calls it, the family car. Lukily, the mister was along for the ride too.

We figured we'd just remove the top, but it was just a few inches too wide to fit in assembled. So, we had to separate the two halves, connected by a gear system and lots of screws. The really nice loading dock employee lent Kyle his pocketknife screwdriver, which got the job about halfway done, but some of those screws were really in there! So, as it was getting late and dark and rainy and cold, we called upon our friend Jeff to come on over in his truck and bring his screw gun. While Jeff was on his way, our loading dock friend remembered there was a screw gun in the office- hooray! Jeff arrived momentarily, and good thing, because the green screw gun just wasn't cutting it. Jeff's did the trick, and we finally got the table apart and in the car. Janae and I cuddled in the front seat for the ride home and loved every minute of it (at least I did).

The table is not quite ready for its close up yet, but when it is, we'll be sure to post its pretty mug. Thanks, Janae, Jeff, and warehouse guy!