Painting in Secrecy

When you're married to someone like Kevin, you have to learn to have a bit of thick skin and patience.  I don't mean this in a negative way, wait for it.

When he's gone, I always choose a project to spend my time with.  It's one of those rare opportunities to work on something without distractions.  Last November I painted the bathroom.  One time I went through all of our keepsakes and photos and organized them.

This last trip I committed myself to finish the laundry room.  I had painted all of the walls except the alcove where the washer and dryer sit.  I had hesitated doing that area because difficult and because I was dithering over what color.

My original plan for the weekend was to paint one wall in our bedroom the same mocha color as our living room.  But I can't decide if that's the right color. Because I can't decide, that is my decision: no.  I'm going to choose a different color and do all the walls.

Anyway.

He left Thursday morning.  I worked all day then visited a friend afterward.  I mentioned that I was going home to paint and they questioned my sanity: "And, you're alone?"  "Yep" I said "I make sketchy and questionable decisions"  They shook their head and I think mildly considered calling for an intervention.

I started by taking everything down and questioning my sanity.  But it was looking so faded and grungy.  It's the original paint so flat white, in a mud/laundry room.  All the other walls looked clean and shiny.  I'd taken it all apart so there was no stopping me now. At least that's what I told myself.

It's fine. It's just blah

The hardest part is well, all of it, but that there are shelves affixed to the walls.  Kevin made gussets so that they were super sturdy but that meant they can't be taken down.  Then there's the actual washer and dryer.  They're not heavy but I wasn't going to disconnect anything because home alone.

I ran out of steam about 8:00 pm and yes, I am doing this while recovering from pneumonia. Again: sketchy and questionable decision making. I considered just leaving it this way because with the curtains pulled, no one but me would know it wasn't finished.

halfway done

I made it all the way to Saturday until I couldn't just leave it anymore.  I pulled everything out and painted to the floor.  It is one of those situations where I'm glad I'm small.  I could duck under/around vents and pipes and cords pretty easily.

My hand-eye coordination is crap and my patience is slightly less.  So the joint between the wall and ceiling is not great.  Kevin will eventually (perhaps never) finish that for me.  I did have to break out the white paint to fix the overspray on the outside walls but not as much as I'd feared.

It makes the room look more homey and warm.  It also makes it look a little smaller, but that could be my broken eyes.  All in all, I like it and am glad that I did it.

I knew Kevin wouldn't notice when he got home because he would be tired from his trip and he's just not that observant.  There is virtually no paint smell and I had all evidence cleaned so there wouldn't be any clues.  And he didn't.

Then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.  Nothing.  Now I am a little surprised but still not offended.  Now it was going to become a game. A story to tell the family.

This morning (Saturday) he organically mentioned that he hadn't noticed something.  Here is my cue.  "Umm, pal?  Is there anything else that perhaps you didn't notice?"  He looked at me and smiled, a little nervous.  

He is actually standing in the door way of the kitchen to the laundry room.  He begins to scan the house. "Like, in the laundry room maybe?"  He turns around and nothing.  I'm about to shout "SERIOUSLY" when he gets sheepish.

"When did you do that?" he asked, hopeful that it hasn't been weeks.

"Last THURSDAY"

Now he's embarrassed and laughing.  "I'm sorry. It looks nice."  He started to consider what it took to complete the job by myself and I saw him squelch those thoughts.  Better off not thinking about your tiny wife teetering on a ladder/appliances painting by herself.

He's totally going to to help finish the trim this weekend.  I win.