formerly Diane's Addled Ramblings... the ramblings are still addled, just like before, and the URL is still the same...
it's just the title at the top of the page that's new

Sunday, August 16, 2009

I Am Woman...

My cousins were raised to be gentlemen. When I visit them, they all treat me like a... girl. It's nice, actually, to have someone carry my suitcase for me but when they do it, I chuckle. They act like I can't carry it... like it's too heavy for me. I always ask them how they think I manage when they're not around. It's not that I don't appreciate their chivalry... I do. But I'm used to doing the heavy lifting. As a single woman/mom, I have no choice. I do all the 'guy' stuff around the house... I mow the lawn, I take out the trash, I shovel the snow, etc. It's fine, too... most of the time. This weekend, however, it would have been nice to have a man around...

Remember when I said I was going to redecorate Ryan's room for her birthday? Yeah, I did that. It was a job. A man-sized job. Hell, it was a giant-Hagrid-sized job. See, our house is small... moving the big pieces furniture out of the room in order to redo it wasn't really an option... so I had to work around them. That doesn't sound like a really difficult task, does it? Not if you're just painting... you just throw a dropcloth over everything and have at it, right? Well, what if I told you I was removing wall-to-wall carpet to expose hardwood floors? And what if I told you I'd never done anything like it before?

Lordy, lordy. I painted Ryan's dresser first... easy peasy. Then I painted her walls. Not so easy, given how much I hate painting. I'm not detail-oriented enough to be a painter. I mean, when it comes to work, I'm all about the details... but painting? Yeah, not so much. Let's just say it's a good thing the carpet was coming up, as it was splattered pretty consistently with 'Spaqua' paint by the time the walls (and some of the woodwork, which wasn't actually supposed to be 'Spaqua'... does anyone know how to get paint off woodwork?) were finished. Then came the carpet...

I had to Google "How do I remove wall-to-wall carpet?" to find out what to do. It didn't sound that hard. Pfffffttttt. It was hard. It wouldn't have been so hard if the room was empty but figuring out how to work around a daybed (and trundle) and honkin' big dresser? It was hard. It was super-duper hard, people. I used muscles I didn't know I had... well, muscles I didn't know I still had (I thought they'd disintigrated into fatty blobs of goo a long time ago). But I did it. And then came the stupid tack-strips that were nailed around the perimeter of the room... I had to pry them off the floor. That, my bloggy friends, was %*&$#*-ing hard. I hit myself in the mouth with the prybar. I poked myself in the eye with a piece of wood... with nails attached. If I'd had any sense, I would have driven it straight through my eye and into my brain, ending it all right there.

I am woman, hear me whimper in pain and exhaustion.

Did I mention that it was hotter than Hell here this weekend? Or that I had PMS? Or that I was all alone (as a 10-year-old creates more work, not less). I was horrible to poor Ryan. I did apologize in advance because I knew it was going to be a rough few days. See, I do DIY because I have to... not because I want to. I want to pay people to come in and do it for me while I spend the weekend at the beach. But my bank account is a bitch.

Ryan tried to be a good sport when I yelled. Mostly she just stayed far away from me (which only proves how smart she is). At one point, though, she came in her bedroom (during the tack-strip prying part) and she said, "Ewww, I can actually smell your sweat." Yes, she did. Would you think less of me if I told you I very nearly threw a big hammer at her? I don't care. I very nearly did. In my head, I did. But she was right. I smelled awful. The sweat was actually dripping off me and pooling on the wood floor. In fact, later that night, when I went next door to feed my vacationing neighbor's cat (the cat who loves me and crawls all over me and licks my face), he sat on my lap for about 3 seconds... and then he got off and wouldn't come near me again.

But it's done. And it's gorgeous. Her room is this bright, fresh aqua color... she has a hot pink and white dresser, and a new comforter in aqua, hot pink, lime green, and brown stripes. On her new wood floor is a rug in all the colors of her comforter, patterned in butterflies and swirly designs. She has some new pictures on the walls and a bulletin board loaded with all her swimming ribbons and medals. And when she sat on her bed today and looked around at everything she picked; at everything she wanted; at everything I did, her face was as bright and happy as her new room. I loved it. And I told her that if she ever, ever, ever, in her entire life, doubts that I love her, all she has to do is think back to the past few days... and she will know I love her more than anything on the planet (and that I am never redecorating her room again. Ever).

And with that (and the top-to-bottom cleaning and furniture rearranging I did myself in the rest of the house), I'm done with most of the crazy-busy stuff that's been going on. School starts in a week (whoo hoo!!!) and other than work and the Booby Walk training, I can settle down to a somewhat normal schedule. I'm ready for fall!!

Sorry for being such a crap blogger lately. But I'm back... I hope you're all still out there and haven't given up on me! XOXO

18 comments:

Coachdad said...

Want to help me do my girls' room? You can have a few days off first... you need some much needed rest.

Zuzana said...

You know I can relate to all of this; we women can really do more than we think.;))
Although I have to admit, at times I do sit down in despair needing a mans strong hand to lift something or to move something...
So glad that Ryan's room become such a success.;))
Glad you are back.;))xo

Pauline said...

Good for you! The sense of satisfaction that comes from saying "I did it myself" is enormous. Even if it's only opening a pickle jar.

Women who DIY should be the ones writing the how-to books. It's made to sound so easy but the actual work is not at all the way the written word makes it out to be. I know - my ex and our 4 (ages 3-9) kids and I built our own log cabin from scratch, starting with the felling of the trees. I never worked so hard in my life. None of us knew what we were doing - he'd never held a chainsaw in his life and I'd never even heard of a peeling spud. But in the end? We had a log cabin and I had a set of unparalleled skills :)

Jean said...

Women are amazing people. Period.
(no pun intended.)
You are more than amazing.

blognut said...

Me? Give up on you?

NEVER EVER. NOPE.

And you? Rock! I'm proud of you. Will there be pictures?

blognut said...

Oh yeah, that paint on the woodwork should come off with a little bit of Goof Off. I stress the importance of little bit.

me said...

Helen Reddy would be proud!! If youre doing ALL that then you donthave time to blog!!!!! hehehe No apology neccessary!

Heather said...

Wow!! I can't imagine taking up carpet with furniture in the room! That's impressive! :)

I want to see pictures now. Obviously. It sounds super cute!!

Anonymous said...

Come on Diane...a bit of DIY gives us a a great sense of achievement! Its also good for your pocket and for stretching those little sleeping muscles to!
It is so nice to sit down at the PC when its all done as well!!

Michelle said...

I did both my girls rooms in a weekend once....haven't done one since....I am empathy.

Good for you!

Anonymous said...

Wow you are awesome!

Connie said...

Shit Girl! I thought it was bad when I decided to paint my room at 17, took a break to go see a fab band at a bar, came back at 3am drunker than a skunk and had to climb over my dresser (in the middle of the room) to go to bed then 10 minutes later climb back over the dresser (in the middle of the room) as fast as I could in order to make it to the bathroom to puke my guts out. Anything with 're' in front of it sucks the life out of you. Well, I guess you can relax until she moves out right?! Oh ~ and I'm pretty sure I'm a more sucky blogger than you. I pretty much dropped of the blog-o-sphere until now. I'm back though and can't wait to read more! Wow ~ I'm a comment hog arent' I?! **Snort** :)

Jenners said...

I'm so so proud of you!!! It isn't easy doing this stuff ... even when you have help and someone who knows what they are doing. I admire you tremendously. I'm glad she loves it --- sounds like it was worth it. And don't you just feel like you accomplished something amazing? Cuz you did!

hooray said...

YOU are totally AWESOME! Can we see it? Sounds lovely!

I'm rooting for you on your boobie walk training.

You inspire me!

Love and hugs!

mo.stoneskin said...

Not all men would have been helpful, I hate DIY, can't do DIY, unless motivated by the promise of a beer when I finish a job.

dianne said...

No we havent given up on you dear Diane, its lovely to read about what is going on in your life, never a dull moment for sure.
Yes it is hard work redorating, really hard work.
I remember when my daughter was much younger I decorated her walls with a lovely tiny floral Laura Ashley wallpaper and a co-ordinating fabric for the drapes and comforter which I sewed.
I would never take on wallpapering again, it was hard, heavy work and I ended up with paste everywhere, thank goodness the floor was not carpeted.
She loved her room, when I added the little trimmings & feminine touches she said it was like waking up in a garden of flowers...that made it all worthwhile. ♡

Sometimes Sophia said...

Congrats on completing the job. It sounds lovely, and you ought to be showing us some pictures!!

Paint on woodwork: Spray a little Goof Off on a clean rag and lightly wipe the Spaqua; lightly because if you rub too hard, the woodwork paint will come off too.

Did you cut the carpet into manageable pieces? (Use a utility knife on the back of the carpet.) ... just in case you tackle the carpet in your own bedroom.

You're a fantastic mom, as I'm sure Ryan knows...

Rachel Cotterill said...

Sounds like you did a great job :) Any before-and-after photos?

I used to get mad whenever anyone tried to carry bags for me - now I let my husband help ;)