More of the Same

Bedroom paint swatches
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

In case you may have forgotten, as I had, since it's been a while: Painting is a messy and ache-inducing endeavor.

Not surprisingly, we underestimated the time it would take to prep and paint the living room, hall, and TV room. It's still not done. M and I had resolve to do a little something every day after work this week, but so far it's all we can do to come home, make dinner, and watch videos on M's laptop propped up on pillows on the deconstructed loveseat. Since our ancient boobtube is packed away in the PODS.

It's Friday and I've taken the day off to try to catch up, leaving the weekend free to clean the craft room walls and paint the bedroom. I still haven't found a color I love for the bedroom and time is running a little short. After that, the real work starts--pulling up the now paint-covered carpet and vinyl flooring and prepping for the bamboo. I'm really really excited about it, but I know it's going to be disruption at a whole new level. I'm just focusing on the mental picture I have of how beautiful it will be when it's done.

M did acquire something surprising and significant this week. In a scene reminiscent of the Season 2 finale of "Chuck" where Ellie and Captain Awesome are arguing over what they should buy to celebrate their anniversary, a new washer and dryer (him) or a flat-panel TV (her), M came home from a $5 ceiling popcorn run to Home Depot and thrust a stack of papers into my hand with an enigmatic "Gotcha a present." And in that moment the new flat panel TV I was anticipating somehow morphed without discussion or comparison shopping into a new LG washer and dryer combo, instigated perhaps by the fact that the free dryer our neighbor gave us nine years ago finally crapped out for no apparent reason (well, it spins but there's no heat) and the washing machine we bought for $50 from Sean ten years ago has never really recovered from the time a couple of months ago when the comforter stuck and strained the motor. There is nothing quite so panic-inducing as the prospect of having to go to a public laundromat, is there? My only concern is that for all its high-tech glory, the new washer won't be able to felt my projects like the top loader. But that's all moot now.

I do find it very cathartic to do the painting and being as active a participant in the upgrades as I can. It's like we're finally making the rental place we've lived in for nine years our home. It's a wonderful feeling. I'm starting to really enjoy inhabiting this place.

*****

On a creative note, Rebecca and I went to see Chris Baty of NaNoWriMo fame speak at a local writers forum event last night. He's a wonderful presenter. It got me very fired up for November! I had nice conversations with other people there, too, one of them a woman who publishes a local literary journal. It was great being in a room with so much writerly creative energy. It reminded me that sometimes I think of myself as a writer and need to think of myself that way more often!

Chris inspired me to start work on a whole new novel for this year's NaNoWriMo, not just continue on my initial romance novel (though I do have to actually "continue" with it at some point). The best part? M wants to do NaNoWriMo too!! That is making me super stoked.