beware the ladder of death...

When last we left off I was wondering what I was going to do...

I have a running list in my head of all the little things I want to do to make my house "ours" instead of just a builder's "blank, builder grade, ivory paint everywhere and no overhead light fixtures" special.

First up on the agenda was doing some painting.  This would be good for me to get done now that Ron has started his new job and the boys are still in school for a few more weeks.  Or so I thought.

Unfortunately, neither of our ladders from our old house made it here.  One was junk and rickety, so we threw it away when we moved.  The other one was inadvertently left of the moving truck.  Although there have been promises of getting it to us (or at least a check to cover replacement costs) we remained ladder-less, which is not good in my house.

You see, we are short.  Dreadfully short.  My poor kids are always the shortest in their class and forever doomed to be in the front row for assemblies and school choir concerts.  My towering height of 5'2'' and my husband's of 5'8'' do not leave my children much hope.  (Ron claims to be 5'8", but he is really closer to 5'7"...shhh..don't tell him I told you).  Ron's mother never made it to five feet and my mother is just over 5 feet.

So, ladders and step-stools are a bit of a necessity in our house.  We have ones handy in the kitchen (and not just for the kids---man, this house has tall cabinets!) and even in the bathrooms for Ben to be able to reach to attempt to wash his hands without splashing water everywhere.  But, in order to paint, one needs a ladder. So, we thought we were all smarty-pants-ladder-buyers when instead of buying 2 or 3 different ladders we decided to buy one of those convertible ladders touted to "meet all your needs." 

(Insert cheesy car-salesman voice)

"It's a ladder! It's a scaffold! It's an extension ladder! It's a stair-step ladder for those hard to reach lights over stairways!"

What that voice should actually say is...

"It's awkward!  It's heavy!  It's impossible to operate with one person!  It will smash your hands when you least expect it!  IT IS THE LADDER OF DEATH!"

Well, "ladder of death" may be exaggerating a little...but, I did manage on my first day of painting to get my hand awkwardly caught and smashed.  I mean smashed.  I really thought it was broken. I broke into a sweat.  My head starting spinning.  I almost threw up.  And I said many words that should not be repeated in front of small children.  Many words.  Loudly.

After the initial shock wore off and I sat with an icepack on my now swollen, bumpy hand, I became very angry.  Angry at that stupid ladder.  It was not going to beat me and my painting!  So, to hell with the ladder of death and off to my favorite hardware store I went to buy a "regular" 6-foot aluminum ladder!

I forged ahead and got the first coat of paint done in one of my bathrooms, and for the next several days I alternated ice packs and paint brushes to prove to that damn ladder that it will not defeat me!

Two of our bathrooms have been "beachified" and my hand is still swollen, bumpy and sore (but not broken).  Next up is the kitchen and family room!

We are slowly making this place our own and each day we take another step towards being "local"...