Money

Ha!  Should this be called “Money” or “Money and the lack thereof?”  It doesn’t matter.  If it’s called “Oxygen” or “I can’t breathe,” we’re talking about the same thing.

This, however, is related to our remodeling efforts and how we’re having to let things go.  We definitely are not letting maintenance things go.  We have a contractor scheduled to come over next week (during the predicted ice storm!!!) to fix the rotten spots in the siding.  But we’ve decided to skip repairing the bathtub.  Instead, we’re just going to paint the room, fix the water spots in the ceiling, buy a new mirror, and put up a very heavy shower curtain so that people cannot see that hideously ugly bathtub.  We will also issue a warning to anyone foolish enough to pull back the curtain to see just how ugly it is. 

You would think that “fixing the bathtub” would fall under maintenance.  But it doesn’t.  Unless you mean maintaining my ability not to gouge out my eyes when I look at it.  The problem is that the white paint on the bathtub and the tiles are peeling away.  Hmmmm?  Paint?  On a bathtub and tiles?  Yes. 

The remodel folks argue that it’s better to just replace the tiles and tub than refinish and/or paint them and I agree.  However, the previous owner did not have enough money to do that so he painted them white.  Fair enough.  I understand.  But the reason he had to paint them white is because the owner before him bought and installed a PINK bathtub underneath green SEA FOAM tile. 

Holy Fucking Shit I am NOT KIDDING YOU!!!!!  Not only did this man have a PINK bathtub and SEA FOAM green tile, he used the SAME COLORS in the “master” bedroom at some point.  I know this from when I was scraping away at the layers of eye-popping paint in the bedroom two years ago.  I just had no idea at the time that these colors had co-existed.  I thought they had been options one after another.  But now that I see the fashion choices in the bathroom, I know these colors existed on purpose side by side in large amounts and in close proximity. 

It makes me anxious.

So why don’t we do something about this?  Well, we planned on it.  But it would cost over $1500 for us to strip the current bad bath-tub and tile paint job and have it repainted.  And it would be even more if we had everything replaced.  And we know for sure that when we remodel this part of the house is going to go, go, go!  So yes, if we remodel in 10 years, it would be worth it to invest that money now.  But if we remodel in 3 years?  No!  What about 5 years?  Is it worth $300 a year to have a pretty bathtub?  Well, no.  Not to us. We don’t have $300 a year to blow just on a pretty bathtub when a fancy $50 shower curtain can keep us from seeing that hideousness.  Or at least keep me from seeing it.  Dave uses this shower primarily, so I can avoid large splotches of PINK and SEA FOAM most days.  (It does make me wonder about the man two owners ago.  Who on earth would think those colors were a good choice?  Even if they were free, they are so ugly a combination in large quantities that they could be used in jails to get people to confess)

So, yay!  We save money by not spending it.  We risk gouging our eyes out by leaving it there.  But Dave claims not to mind.  Fine.  He may shower there.  I will use the other painted over tub which appears to only have an off-white tub beneath it.  Definitely, it’s not as bad.

BFF

What would you do if you found out that it was highly likely that your best friend was going to be moving from across the country to live in your neighborhood?  Yes, you would worry about the culture shock of moving from the big liberal California city to middle-sized moderate southern Charlotte.  You would recall your own angst at moving across country and how it takes a while to settle back in.  But then you would dance the toddler dance of joy around your house not believing in your own good luck. 

That would describe our household right now.  More news as it becomes more certain.  But we are absolutely thrilled at our good fortune. 

9:05:53 AM