I just have to share
I was going to talk today about being on set and filming. I did have tons of fun last week. I will talk about this later, but I really have to share our trials with renovations of our house.
We bought a new house last summer and it had a hellacious carpet with an odor that defies description. Mold was only one of the many scents we were able to sort out. We pulled that baby up put down a new floor about a month ago. It took our carpenter 1.5 weeks to lay the floor in the entire basement. That is two bedrooms and a huge living area. Complete with trim work around all the windows and the fireplace and the baseboard.
We thought while we were doing this lets go crazy and paint it. How long can that take? I really thought “how long can that take” was a rhetorical question. I was apparently wrong. What started in the beginning of December is still ongoing. Yep, we are on New England time and you cannot rush perfection.
We thought 2 weeks to paint the big room was plenty of time and we scheduled to have some furniture moved in on December 19. I should have known the first day (December 5) our painter – I will not name him but I really do love him – came at 1:30 PM and then said an hour later that he was wrapping up- that we had a problem.
As the two carpenters and I just stared at him as if he had grown a third head- I told him it was 2:30. He was surprised and thought he might stay a bit longer. I told him that was good idea. I actually said that. “Good idea” he said he had plenty to do to “keep him busy”. He left an hour later.
The room was finished Christmas Eve. 2 hours before our Christmas company was due to arrive for the weekend. You can tell by the photo we still have no furniture in the room.
Now, we are not finished. There is still one room left. It was supposed to be started Monday. I know since he told me on Christmas Eve he was coming in this Monday. Well, he called Monday but I was on my cell phone and, being passive aggressive, I never called back. He never came. I really thought he would since I had his paycheck.
Tuesday he called and said he was very busy but would be here today at 9:30 AM. I said great and then we started placing bets as to what time 9:30 really was in painter land. Needless to say when he showed up at 11:15 I was not ready. I fully thought there was a 2 hour time difference and he wouldn’t make it till 11:30.
He started working. 2 hours later, yep 1:30, he said he would see me tomorrow. I think it is sort of like dog years: 1 human year = 7 dog years. Well 2 hours painting= 8 normal working hours. And we wonder why it takes so long to get a room painted.
I promise you though, there will be no cracks, no holes, no drips and the color will be perfect. But I think he will be in our family photo for the Christmas card next year. Still, I am grateful that he so very sweet and really the best painter ever.