The one with all the paint and an update

Sun, Oct 05 2008 by Vanessa.

Well, I noticed that lately my rambles have turned away from the progress of our RV escapade so I thought a review of my event line appropriate.  Here is the event line as originally proposed….

1. Finish wrapping up loose Abacus ends. (Oh the jokes that could be placed here!!!!)

2. Sell off all our stuff.

3. Remodel house - some destruction is already in progress. Actually we’ve only taken up the carpet in our master bathroom (yes, there was carpet in the master bathroom!!! GROSS!!!!) and created very basic remodeling plans for the kitchen and master bath but we’re moving along.

4. Find and develop our first muse. John has found half a muse so that’s a fabulous start. I’m also working on a muse so we’ll check this one off the list in no time.

5. Rent an RV and give it a trial run. I think this would be best when we put the house up for sale. It’s SO much easier to show a house when you don’t have 20 dog feet running around.

After reading over the list, I feel like we actually are making progress!  It’s hard to tell, at any given moment, the progress made by our daily actions. However, looking at the newly revised event line below, RV here we come!

1.  Abacus - Unfortunately, this issue still remains but the good news, the silver lining, the cup-half-full view allows us to pull out of town even if Abacus remains a part of our life.  So really, I can cross this off the list because a resolution can occur no matter where we happen to be and staying in San Antonio will not help nor hinder our progress with this one.  It’s kinda silly that I put it on the list at all.  I wonder why I thought it a part of the list?  Yippeeee!  The new list is down to only 4 items!

2.  Selling off your entire life is an art, let me tell you!  Simply packing up the Pilot and driving down to the Medina Children’s home with load after load of our crap seems easiest.  However, since we do not feel rushed we might as well try to make a few bucks.  Ebay might be okay for smaller items but large or heavy items requiring shipping become overwhelming when I think of Ebay, so I avoid this route.  Craigslist managed to find homes for many items so I’ll stick with that route for now.  A community garage sale might work wonders too!  Gotta find out when the next one is!

3.  Remodeling.  My favorite item on the event line and an appropriate place to begin documenting the main point of this post, my painting experience.  Our entire downstairs lacks proper flooring.  All the tile and carpet left a while back leaving behind nothing but cement.  This fact makes painting so much easier.  I’m pretty neat when I paint but knowing that I can splatter paint all over the floor if I want makes painting even more fun.  I always find amazement in how effective a gallon of paint can be in completely transforming a room.  So far I’ve used less than 2 gallons of Camel (yes, I decided to not go with Puppy Paws downstairs) and less than 1 gallon tinted to be one shade lighter than Camel.  I coated all of our main walls with Camel and did the angled portion of our ceilings in the living room and informal dining room in the lighter color.  The contrast really makes the crown molding “pop” which makes me happy because the stark whiteness of our walls prior to my painting camouflaged the molding.  Such beautiful molding, tucked away in the whiteness of our house, finally revealed for the world to enjoy.  Anyway, less than 3 gallons of paint and a FANTASTIC paint roller made by Wagner later, and our living room, the informal dining room and our hallway invite you to sit, relax and enjoy yourself.  So many people comment on what great “bones” the house has and now its skin looks pretty darn good too.  I love painting.  I’m tired as all get out but the sense of accomplishment that comes with making such a simple and cheap change makes me happy.  Plus, I understand the full ramifications of splurging for a $99 paint roller.  OMG!!!!  Never again shall I transform the walls of my abode without a powered paint roller.  The roller makes everything less messy, much faster and really, there is no other way to go.  I love powered paint rollers!  I love ‘em, I love ‘em, I love ‘em!!!!!  A great little attachment that came with the roller allows you to trim so fast and so easy, another attachment lets you even coat corners with easy (although I just use the trimming attachment) and then the main roller just works and works without pause to cover every last inch of wall.  And now, instead of white everywhere we enjoy our light-mocha covered walls.  What a fantastic difference!  I can’t wait to see the house with wood floors.  It’s really too bad I can’t put wheels on the house.  By the time we finish remodeling I’m going to want to stay and enjoy it.

4.  John’s muse, to this point, fits fantastically into our new, soon-to-be mobile, simplified lifestyle.  I get so excited to think about our simplified life.  I just can’t wait.  The transition from childhood to adulthood evolved so subtly I never really saw it coming.  I have to say, I’m tired of being an “adult” and I’m ready and excited to go back to living life in terms of “What do I WANT to do now.”  So excited, so excited, so excited!!!  My muse evolves with each passing day but since it requires the acquisition of specific knowledge, my progress is slower than John’s.  I make progress each day though and that’s what counts right now.

5.  Renting an RV for a trial run this Holiday Season might prove insightful and just plain fun.  If work allows, I’d love to rent an RV for a month and get a taste of the new life.  I wonder how much it costs to rent an RV?

So that’s it!  That’s the update!  We ARE making progress.  We ARE getting closer to our new life.   When I re-read this post years from now I’m sure I’ll look back and laugh at myself.  I’m just so excited to look at my Camel coated walls because they represent progress towards a goal.  Camel is a great color!

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