Aug 18 2007
oooh. pretty.
Life always makes more sense when I have a project, so I decided to paint my bedroom. And now that I have mostly finished unpacking everything, it was really time to pack it all back up and move it, along with all my furniture, into the hallway.
Reports from the front lines to follow. You feed subscribers are going to LOVE ME.
Sunday Morning
Well, it is rainy and stuff. After last night, wherein I got sick and spent a long time wishing I would just go ahead and die, I woke up not really feeling like doing anything. Of course, I mostly wake up not really feeling like doing anything, so that’s pretty normal. Anyway, I didn’t get much done yesterday (though I did spend some quality time on the couch watching Under the Tuscan Sun and wondering why I don’t have enough money to buy a villa in Tuscany) and I knew that if I was going to get the damn room painted, I was going to have to work against type and set straight to work as soon as I got out of bed. This of course means that I stayed in bed just staring at the soon-to-be-painted walls for about an hour, but since getting up I have been busy busy busy. Most all of the furniture is moved, and now I am wondering what music one typically listens to when painting and why I don’t want to listen to anything I have in this house, except for what I’m sure is a brilliant collection in my digital library (hahah “digital library” how pretentious) but that is all on a different computer that is not set up and why oh why is life so hard? Sigh.
Right, okay, so until next time… when I hope to have everything washed and spackled and taped. And maybe I will stop being so lazy about pictures.
ISN’T THIS THRILLING?!?!?!?
Later
Why is washing walls so tiring? You know what’s good to listen to? Gipsy Kings. You know what else? I just realized that I haven’t eaten yet today and my blood sugar is low and I’m kind of loopy right now. Whee! Anyway, this is what I look like after I finish removing every single item from my bedroom. Hot, I know. This was right before my dog attacked me and tried to lick my belly button. It’s a thrill a minute!
Even Later
Well, I ate lunch and am no longer loopy. Or no loopier than usual. The walls and ceiling are spackled, and can I just say that I love spackling things? Because I do. It’s like one of my favorite things ever and I always like painting just so that I can spackle. That’s right. I’m a spacklin’ fool.
I took a picture of the spackle because it is pink but really there is no way to make a picture of spackle, pink as it may be, even remotely interesting. Of course, sitting here writing about spackle isn’t really interesting either, but hey I have to do something to entertain myself on these little breaks, right? I have some things to say about this spackle, actually, because okay, it’s pink. When I opened it, I was all “WTF, spackle?” and then I read the side of the tub o’ spackle and learned that it turns white when it dries so that I’ll know when it’s time to sand it. But what I have discovered is that I think it just turns white whenever it feels like it, dry or not, because I have tried to sand some incredibly white spackle and you know what? It was sooooo not dry. I got some spackle on my hand and wiped it on my pants and it turned white and it is most definitely dry. So maybe it turns white when it dries if it is not on my walls. Whatever, I’m pissed at it.
Also, “spackle” is really a weird word.
Later Still
Well, I finished sanding the ceiling…
Laterer
Yeah. My goal for today was to get the room primed so that all I’d have to do tomorrow was paint the walls. But you know about paneling? It’s hard to paint. I discovered this when I started priming the walls with a roller and noted the way the primer wasn’t really going into the grooves between the panels and I said, “Fucking hell, I am going to have to do this with a brush.” I did that for awhile, but got tired after a fourth of a wall, because it’s been a tiring day and I am covered in spackle dust and paint and I also have to figure out where the hell I am going to sleep tonight, and… yeah. So, not as much progress as I’d hoped, but not too bad, I guess. Woo! Shower time!
Monday Morning
I woke up on my mattress, which is currently chillin’ on the living room floor, and I felt a little sore and achy, and I got up and went into my bedroom and looked around, noting how now I am definitely beyond the point of no return, yet there is still so much left to do, thinking “What the hell have I done?”
I need hashbrowns. ASAP.
Monday Afternoon
Uh, I broke my paint roller. Hold me.
Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays
So, after breaking my paint roller I set about finishing up with a paintbrush. The problem with this primer is that the wood paneling is soaking it all up, so once it dries it looks like there’s nothing there. Which means that I have to put another coat of primer on the walls, and I am THISCLOSE to getting all crymad.
I was supposed to have actual paint on the walls by now! Grrrrrrr.
Just Because…
Last night, I had a dream that I was in the grocery store with Jim Halpert and we sang “Tiny Dancer” sort of… I mean, yes, that was the song, except all the lyrics in my dream version were completely different than the actual lyrics. So it was pretty awesome.
Monday Night
It took all fucking day, but the walls are now primed. I’m totally not interested in this anymore (how about you?) but I still have to finish the job. Meh.
Tuesday Morning
Ceiling’s painted! Today I have determined that I am going to show this room who’s boss. So there.
Tuesday Evening
Since I would rather die than write out the adventure that this entire day has been, let me just paste in snippets from this IM:
Jamelah: so i painted one of my walls blue and you know? the blue is way way way brighter than it is supposed to be
Jamelah: i’m kind of pissed at it
Caryn: did you take a picture?
Jamelah: no
Jamelah: it’s supposed to be kind of muted
Jamelah: yet it is retina-sizzlingly bright…and later…
Jamelah: i think i invented a faux finish for the wall
Jamelah: the question is whether or not i like it and if i want my whole room to be like that
Caryn: hahahah
Caryn: what is it called?
Jamelah: um
Jamelah: modern weathered?
Caryn: hahahah
Caryn: wow
Caryn: that’s so pretentious!
Jamelah: hahah
Jamelah: that’s how i roll…and even later…
Jamelah: ok i am painting my room green instead of blue!
Caryn: hahah wow
Jamelah: well i painted my accent wall and i like the color better than i like the blue
Jamelah: even though i toned the blue down a lot with white paint, i still don’t want my entire room to be that color
Jamelah: and since i only had one wall painted blue, i figure THAT can be the accent wall and i will just hang stuff on it…and even laterer…
Jamelah: also it is swelteringly hot in my room
Caryn: i hope you’re not asphyxiating yourself in there
Caryn: and when do you think this transformation is going to be complete?
Caryn: the room that is, not your asphyxiation
Jamelah: THE HOFF IS SINGING ON TV
Jamelah: um, sorry, anyway
Jamelah: well i have two walls to paint green and a second coat of paint to put on everything and some touch ups to do, and then i guess i am getting new carpet so
Jamelah: probably never
Jamelah: THE HOFF IS TERRIBLE
Jamelah: sorry i can’t get over it
Jamelah: it’s like a bad american idol audition
Caryn: hahahahah
Caryn: new carpet!
Jamelah: yeah!
Caryn: will it be like hoff’s chest?
Jamelah: god
Jamelah: i hope not
Jamelah: because then i’d have to wax it
Yeah. Who knew this was going to turn into such an ordeal?
Wednesday Night
THE MOTHERFUCKING WALLS ARE PAINTED. (Two coats of paint too.) Carpet chosen and paid for (soft grey berber — I originally wanted chocolate brown, because I thought that would be a nice contrast, but then there was this remnant… and it was on sale… and I liked it… and I am nothing if not flexible with my plans about this whole thing… and of course it’s not being installed until, like, next Wednesday). Touch ups tomorrow and I’m painting my desk and the table I won in a raffle at the bowling alley white, and then I am done. So there.
what color?!?
Painting usually stresses me out. Mostly b/c I lose interest half way through and then I have a room that’s half painted, and seeing it for weeks on end is really, really stressful. I hope you have more follow through than I do.
projects are a great way to Get Things Done and make your life prettier. and those are always good things. can’t wait to see how it goes!
and, yay, painting! i love painting and just this week painted my apartment! flickrset: http://www.flickr.com/photos/susiejulie/sets/72157601488383187/
I was worried you were trapped under some paneling. Hope you’re feeling better and can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Actually it is pretty hot … and I am looking forward to finding out how many inbound search hits you get on “licking belly button” now.
Wow, that pink spackle actually looks sort of … appetizing. I think that means I need a snack.
hey, now i know what colour my hair is. It’s sanding ceiling tactile.
spackling under my breath.
wifey — I am going light blue with a sagey green accent wall. Fancy!
Mindy — Heh. We’ll see. I wanted to get it done by tomorrow because I got a new dresser that is being delivered then, but… yeah. Probably not.
Julie — Your painting project turned out pretty damn cool, I must say.
Caryn — I think being trapped under paneling would’ve been more fun. I will keep you posted on the belly button licking stats. Heh.
Fraulein N — No, it totally looks like frosting. Though I endorse snacking, too.
judih — sanding ceiling tactile… do you think i could market this to clairol?
Is being trapped under paneling better or worse than being trapped in the closet?
spackle spackle spackle.
PS my spellcheck doesn’t like spackle. Also, it doesn’t like “spellcheck.”
jam - clairol will love it if you’re the model.
but just spitting out the name might get you kicked out (do not eat peanut butter before pronunciation, and try to refrain from chewing gum)
i like the word ‘laterer’. it was truly the only time marker available.
This cracks me up only because, oh, how I have been there!
i’m never so ambitious that i need more than a day to do a wall job.
if i do stripes, or effects, it all has to be accomplishable within a day or else i end up with the lost motivation phenomenon.
so jam, do hashbrowns and keep this dream alive.
you can do it.
caryn, you’ve done this and survived?
Oh good lord! I feel terrible with all this trauma you’re going through, but I’m cracking up! You’re so funny!
yay! second wind!
what music are you listening to?
Eh, there is nothing I do that is trauma-free. It keeps me entertained.
Today I have been listening to a bunch of random CDs I was able to get to in the massive pile of my stuff. I found Buena Vista Social Club, and I hadn’t listened to that in years and years and I’ve been enjoying it… because there’s nothing like rocking out to the music of old Cubans while I’m painting.
old cubans! so that explains it. It’s that subtle jazz, all will be okay, theme. and it is okay. it’s ok, you’re ok.
green is okay. as they say in that Tuscany movie. Okay,yes-yes.
I love how often you inspire me to say “hahah wow”.
[…] I’ll finish writing about my bedroom remodeling adventures in the other post, because that is where those adventures belong, and I assure you, there are more adventures in store. It was just supposed to be a quick paint job, and as it stands right now, I am never ever getting my mattress out of the living room (which seems to suit my dog just fine — it is her new favorite place to nap, and last night when I finally collapsed onto said mattress, I noticed that she had arranged all the pillows and blankets to her liking). But I thought I’d write something else because frankly, I am getting sick of the whole damned mess, which is just going to be worsened by the addition of carpet. Seriously, do you want to know how this got started? I’ll tell you. On Saturday, I got a new dresser (which was supposed to be delivered on Monday but I’m holding off because where the hell am I supposed to put it?). I knew that in order to get the dresser into the bedroom, I was going to have to rearrange some furniture, and I figured that hey, if I’m going to be moving furniture anyway, I might as well just paint the room. And then my grandmother offered to buy me carpet, because she is a peach, and I am taking her up on the offer because I hate the carpet in that room, and here we are: room not painted, carpet not yet purchased, dresser not delivered. That’s life. […]
What a saga!
I love the “spackle” and “post-sanding” pics. The first one looks so hopeful and optimistic.
what a glorious denouement. brief, victorious (slightly victorian with grey berber - a fine berber)
yay.
will there be a final showing with finishing touches?
You totally kicked that room’s ass!
You know … eventually.
Huzzah!! Now I want to see pictures of this room’s ass on a silver platter.