So, I got a wild hair yesterday to continue with one of those projects that seem as though they will never end. During my sabbatical in July, I remodeled our master bedroom and bathroom and replaced the carpet in our room with a wood laminate.
We love the look of it, especially the pro hypo-allergenic nature of losing our massive dust catching carpets. So, Liz suggested we continue the laminate down the hallway and into the living space.
Yesterday was hallway day and it started like this.
I figured it would take me about 4 hours to complete- start to finish. I forgot about adding the “amateur” time tax as I normally do, which would have realistically doubled my original estimate. So 8 hours it was.
By the evening hours, my exhausted wife stood viewing my progress, bouncing our 4-month old on her right hip after policing all 4 kiddos in our little house and managing to keep the laundry train chuggin’ all day long; she had a look on her face that was split into thirds.
One third said, “great job honey! Keep going!” The second third said, “what would happen if you stopped right here?” And the third third third said, “FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED! Just quit and blame the failure on your lack of physical stamina!”
Oh man, I was hurting too… My back, my knees, my head, my wrists, my ego. But I persevered, looking longingly at the couch and my dinner sitting on the kitchen table, long since having gone cold. I knew that victory was just around the hallway corner.
So here it is in all its unfinished glory!! I lift my arm victorious (mainly because I can’t feel my legs) and cry, “almost done! All I’ll need is another hour or so…!”
The Wild West 