All the drywall was finished on a Wednesday night, then Gavin and the Guys left the painting to us. So on Thursday morning we pulled out the rollers and started putting primer on the walls. The kids were still out of school for Christmas break, so we had lots of help. The only icky part was doing the storage area over the top of the closets.
This is me, painting the walls and ceiling eight feet off the ground, in a space that's about eighteen inches high. None of the kids wanted to go up there, and Bruce was busy with another task. Bear in mind that I am the girl who must stand at least fifteen feet away from a high balcony with a sturdy railing, and who cannot watch her kids looking over said balcony. Also remember that climbing up to someplace is much easier than climbing down again. And I had to come down blind.
Just remember that.
So when I finished the painting, one of my boys held the ladder, and I'm wriggling backward on my belly, and I realize that the only way I'll reach that ladder is if my legs are completely hanging off of the shelf (so I'm bent at the hip), and I can't see where the ladder is at all. I can't sit up and look for it, because the space isn't tall enough—no, not even for me. So I told the kids they were just going to have to get their dad to help me down.
So Bruce comes in and says he's holding the ladder steady for me and I just need to scoot back and let my legs dangle off the edge. He says, "Most of your weight will still be on top."
And this is me: I can't . . . I can't! I'm scared! I can't see where I need to go! I can't ever get down—I'll just have to stay here forever! It's scary 'cause I can't see where to go! etc. etc .etc.
Finally I did get brave enough to twist around and see where the ladder was and to swing my legs over and let Bruce help me down. (No, I am not typing this up on top of the storage area.)
That was probably the most exciting (you know, like edge-of-your-seat adventure!) part of the job. Seeing the painted walls was exciting, but not in the same way.
Kaylie painted the other storage area. She was OK with that because she could go down via the refrigerator. I was OK with it as long as it wasn't me and I didn't have to watch her climb up or down. I am very brave like that.
Everyone helped paint. Bruce did some finishing in the storage space . . .
. . . and I stayed right where I belong.
On the ground.
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