Bringing Home a China Cabinet

You know those stories that older married couples have?  The ones where they are laughing now, but at one time it was not so funny?

Well, the story of aquiring our china cabinet will become one of our stories.

Back Story: When we were looking to buy a home my main desire was to have a large-ish dining room.  Fortunately, we found a house that had a nice open formal living/dining space that we converted to one big dining room. 

Fast forward 2 years.  We (ok, mostly me) have thought up and down about every way to get a china cabinet for the dining room.  We considered buying one new, buying one at a shop in OKC and transporting it back here, scouring consignment shops, and finally kinda settled on David building it for us.

But, David is busy.  Working and having a little dude to play with are soaking up all of our free time.  I didn't feel like it was fair to expect him to have time to build something.  So, even after planning it out and sourcing stuff for it, I moved that idea to the backburner. 

And then came Craig's List.  Who knew that china cabinets are posted all.the.time?!  After a few months I stumbled upon one that I really really liked.  Most of the cabinets needed work, or paint, or were too ornate.  But the one I (finally) found needed no work and seemed like a great fit.

So, after reaching a fair price with the seller and asking David to consider it, I waited.  I'd like to say patiently... but I may have been a little excited.  Sweet David agreed to it and I set about with excitement and then indecision, and then excitement again.  For whatever reason, making big purchases (either in size or price) takes me forever to feel comfortable with.  And they probably take David even longer to be comfortable with.  For me, a china cabinet feels like a forever piece of furniture, so I wanted to be sure that it could work "forever" in our home.

The morning that we were scheduled to pick it up I made a trip over to the seller's house to double check that the cabinet was everything the picture promised.  Well, folks, it was!  Hip Hip Hooray!!   After 2 years of looking for this piece, we'd found it and it was almost ours.  I just couldn't believe it.  A china cabinet seemed like such an adult purchase.  I am a bit dramatic.  But, I have been hoping for one for sooooooo looooong. : ) 

So, I headed home to let D know he could pick it up.  Only one glitch, we needed to work with the seller's schedule and oh yeah... It was Saturday.  Game Day.  His team had a big game slated for 2 pm. OU was staged to beat Notre Dame.  I was asking something big of him.  To possibly miss part of the game to pick up a piece of furniture, AND, to find a friend willing to leave behind game day to help him load it. 

And, oh yeah... RAIN WAS IN THE FORECAST.
If David was telling this story he would have just said, 'OU IS PLAYING NOTRE DAME.'

So, around one we headed to pick up the cabinet. 

We arrived, payed for the cabinet, loaded the cabinet.  And then the RAIN STARTED.

AND IT RAINED.
AND RAINED.
AND RAINED.

THE WHOLE WAY HOME.

20 MILES HOME.

IT POURED.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A TARP.

AND THE CABINET WAS NOT COVERED WITH ANYTHING.

I was driving behind David doing my best to trust that this was a good idea.  I was not convinced.  In fact I was convinced that the cabinet would be ruined.  I mean, that sorta makes sense, right?  At least to the ladies reading this?  And, thinking that it was ruined I was trying to figure out a way to not be mad.  To be able to move forward, re-save money, and not hold a grudge about the lack of a tarp...

And I kept thinking about how this whole thing brought new meaning to "Saving Up for a Rainy Day".  Except I'd been saving up for something I never wanted to see a drop of rain hit it.

Well, folks.  We got it home. 

I had visions of two men slipping in the rain and dropping the cabinet.  And it breaking... :(

BUT THE RAIN STOPPED.  JUST AS WE PULLED INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

I went inside, but little man down for a nap and braced myself to see the condition of the cabinet.

Somehow, the whole event didn't really phase D or his friend.  In fact, they both commented on how nice of a piece of furniture it was.  David was impressed I'd found something like it on Craig's List.  He was being so nice.  And so calm...  I could not understand how they were not phased.  It took me a few minutes before I could bring myself to look at the cabinet that they unloaded into our garage.

And, as a nugget of "fun", these are the two things the guys said,
David, "It didn't really get that wet.  It's not like we left it out in the rain all night long."
    Yep, he's right.  But, who would ever do that???  Oddly, though, I thought it was a little bit of a comforting sentiment.
Friend: "It's a common misconception that things made of wood can not withstand the rain... think about trees, for example.

Friends, friends, friends--
I was not a happy camper.  I was silent.  But mostly because I did not even know how to articulate how challenging the drive home was watching rain pour onto the cabinet.

Ok, long story short-
they were right.  it is fine.  perfectly fine.  not a scratch, dent, or warp in the wood.  i am shocked.  really, and i feel blessed.  i thought for sure it would be warped and damaged and look like a hot ness.

But it all worked out.

I'm not laughing yet.  I'm just thankful.  Very thankful.  One day I will laugh.

On the brightside: it looks good as new, doesen't have a speck of dust on it ; ) and has dried out perfectly.

I'm looking forward to loading it up and getting it all styled this week!  What fun it will be!

The story of our china cabinet.... ah, hopefully the only story of its kind in our home.