I received the 50th anniversary issue of Bon Appetit in the mail this week. Great series in there called The Way We Ate - essays that capture the culinary spirit (yes, the bitegeist) of the past five decades. William F. Buckley Jr, for example, on the 50s, Tama Janowitz on the 80s, Frances Mayes on the 90s. And right in the middle of it - on page 91 - an ad for Electrolux ICON appliances. I've been enjoying my Electrolux appliances - a wall oven and a 36 inch gas cooktop - for more than a year. I suspect that I'd enjoy them even more if they were installed in my kitchen as opposed to taking up space in my hall.

When Electrolux was working on the ICON launch, I did a little work for them - recipe selection, perky narrative for an owner's CD, a few columns that were going to be part of "The Electrolux Kitchen" online. Unfortunately, my contact was laid off, and the person who assumed his responsibilities didn't share his passion for our project. Nonetheless, the appliances were part of my compensation for the work I did. 

When the guys delivered them, I wasn't ready to install - so I stored the boxes in the garage. Months later, I unpacked the appliances and staged them in the hall. I thought it might prompt me to move forward on my kitchen renovation. More than a year later, my kitchen remains untouched (okay, I did install recessed lighting), and my ICON appliances continue to hold court in the hall.

What is my problem?! Not vision - I've mapped out the overall plan. Not resources - I've got people lined up for all the individual jobs. Oh, right ... initiative. Instead of picking up a hammer and starting to bust up the tile floors, instead of disconnecting the old GE Profile and tossing it on the curb with a FREE sign, I find myself sitting here thinking about where I can move the appliances so that I can run back over to Weinberger's warehouse sale and buy that jazzy TV console that would make a terrific hallway bar.

Somebody ... anybody ... please light a fire under me. Call me and tell me you're coming over for dinner in two months and you're bringing Bobby Flay. If I knew a throwdown was in my future, I might get inspired to, as they say in these parts, get 'er done.