start at the beginning, it's a very fine place to start

Since we have been in this house for more than ten years, we decided we'd start the process of freshening up the paint in the inside of the house.  King and I sat down and did the math. Although we would much rather hire a professional painter and never have to climb on a ladder or get down on the floor to paint baseboards again, it just isn't smart, financially speaking.  One room can be painted with a $30 gallon of paint, plus share the trim and door gallons with other rooms.  So our whole house should be able to be updated with a tiny fraction of what we'd spend otherwise.

We had two days to kick off the project (since we are trying hard to rest on Sunday), and decided that the two rooms that needed updating the most were the kids' rooms.  On the long list: ceilings, walls, crown, baseboards, and windows.  There was no way we could get it all done, so we did what we could.

Starting with the boys' room, we finished the ceiling, walls, and the two doors.  The walls are painted in Valspar's Evening Eclipse, a blueish gray.  It looks so nice.  They did have a pale yellow in there, which I loved, but it got smeared by one too many toddler boogers.  The antique beds they have look amazing against the color.  They are very proud of how their room looks.  I hope that translates into "we keep our room clean now."

The girls' room.... well, let's just say everybody makes mistakes, shall we?  Upside: waking in the morning should be a bit easier.  King has decided that Valspar's Aqua Quartz should be renamed Aquatic Nightmare.  Oy!  Is it ever bright!  Normally I would include a handy dandy little linky-poo, but since I have gotten spooked with this new level of security, Imma letcha Google the colors if you want.  It doesn't look terrib... hell, who am I kidding, yes it does.  But King did do a spectacular job painting.  Very professional.  If you are really good at the Pretend Game, you could convince yourself that you are a diamond ring inside a Tiffany & Co box.  But then, if you aren't that good at pretending, you try to focus on other things, like what a good job King did applying the paint to the walls.  And what straight lines those are along the ceiling.  Our juries are all still out on the color.  Their black furniture and black and white comforters complement it well.  I'm trying to like it....

Another thing we are doing to update the look of the house is to paint all the doors black.  Not the trim around the doors, just the doors themselves (look up "black door" on Pinterest.  You're welcome.)  It's a long process, as each door needs two coats of paint.  We've finished two doors.  No 1 is taking all the glass & brass doorknobs and brass keyhole thingamajiggers and boiling them in vinegar to soften the 100 year old paint and grime.  She then polishes them up with steel wool.  They look amazing.  Especially up against the black doors.  I oughtta take a picture and put it up h'yuh some day. Maybe I'll do that.  But just in case I get busy doing other things, don't hold your breath.

So in this whole painting thing, I have found yet another way to classify folks. Y'know, Movers/Shakers, Haves/Have Nots, etc.  So now we have the Rollers and the Cutters.
Some folk2s like to jump straight to the wall rolling first, rather than being patient and doing the "cut in" work.  I mean, get the instant gratification thing, that's exactly why we have a coffee pot that lets you sneak a cup in the middle of brewing.  But really, there are some things you just have to be patient and wait out.  If you are up late and think about it a lot, you could almost come up with a book title for the philosophy of it all:  The Tau of Paint.

But Imma take my tired arse to bed now.  I decided that offering up time on the elliptical machine for Lent isn't enough, so I have started getting lots of souls free from Purgatory by doing 30 second planks.  Was I really born with muscles in all those places?  Wow.  Ermazing.

giving my family and friends fair warning

Because of some rather upsetting news (as in Blogger tells me what news feeds sends people over here and one of them is a not-so-nice site... and I am a little freaked out that some freak might use photos of my children on one of their sicko websites) within a day or two I will make my blog a "By Invitation Only" site.
I certainly still want my family and friends to read about the ramblings that come from a brain run by an overworked and underpaid mouse on a wheel, but I don't want any freakazoids coming here by accident and helping themselves to pictures of my wee tots.
So, when you return next time, you will be prompted to ask for permission to be part of those who can read about the drool on my blue suede shoes.

randomness

1) Why is a Stargazer lily so beautiful, but smells so bad?
The Amaryllis, on the other hand, has a light, fresh smell that I love.

2) Leek and potato soup.  Yum.

a picture postcard

Greetings...

from the base of Mt. Washmore

review

much ado aldi about nothing 

Our town recently got an ALDI store.  We ventured out today to see what the fuss was all about.  I think it's cute how they have their little "ALDI facts" spread throughout the store, on their website, and in their weekly specials paper.
Our findings:  meh.  It's just ok.  I came up with some "facts" they can add to their own.

• ALDI fact # 78: got moo?  No 3 thought it was too cramped, "I felt claustrophobic in there."  I couldn't agree more.  We were cattle.   
• ALDI fact # 46: Cash only  They take cash, debit cards, or food stamps. Only.  They do not take credit cards, and they really don't care to take a check, although I guess they made an exception when I was about to walk away from $80 worth of groceries. 
• ALDI fact # 83: Meat n' two veg  They have carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions.  And that's about the extent of their veggie section.
• ALDI fact # 13: BYOB  They do not provide bags free of charge, although they are available for purchase.
• ALDI fact #96: You won't see the homeless guy downtown pushing one of our carts, nor will you see one knocked over like a dead deer on the side of the road.  I don't mind so much the "insert your quarter *here* to get a shopping cart" business, because it kept the kids' interest piqued for the end of our trip when we could get the quarter back.  However, the guy who was in charge of helping folks figure the process out was a tad+ weird.
• ALDI fact # 66:  It's not ok to spoon people you don't know.  Some freak followed me through the store and then bumped into me from behind on the way out of the store.  Eeek!  Do not touch me, stranger!  Haven't you ever heard of personal space?!?  Creepy Creeperville!

They have some really good bargains, like $2.69 for a gallon of milk (at least .30 cheaper than anywhere else in town), but, frankly, and I can't believe that I, of all skin flints, am saying this:  it's not worth the hassle.

file under: remember this forever

King and I wave to a friend as we pass by his home.

No 5: "Why were you waving?"

King: "Because we knew that man."

No. 5: "Well, who was it?"

Me:  "It was Ivey's dad."

No. 5:  "Who is Ivey?"

Me:  "She is your sister's friend."

No. 5:  "Ivey Profin?"

cutest thing ever!

Sometimes when things are misspelled, it is annoying... other times, it is as sweet as sugar pie.  Sort of like in this, that I found on the dining room table this morning. 

No 5 says it is a picture of a lamp.  And all the faces are the light beams coming out of the lamp.  Mommy, Daddy and her four siblings are represented by smiley faces. 
Isn't it so sweet that we mack her happy?