Free Re-Decorating (Vic+Toddler+Paint)

As I've mentioned in the past, Vic is a wonderful painter. This story is right out of the history of how to get you house re-decorated.

This is what you need:



1-Vic painting walls and ceiling
2-Shelby or any toddler 1.5 years old
3-Semi open paint can left alone with toddler.

Vic was working in the front room painting the walls, windows, and ceiling. What bugs me is she never learned to take the faceplate off the outlets. I still to this day can't get some of the outlets to work because they are painted shut. I also remember not being able to open the front windows. Thank goodness for Air conditioning.

Vic leaves Shelby to roam the house one day while she was down stairs getting caught up with the endless mounds of dirty laundry. Shelby being the toddler she was, examines the paint can and spills the can of paint all over the carpeting!

Vic tries to clean up the mess, but there is just no way of doing it quickly. (Before green machine) I come home, and Vic had pulled the coffee table in front of the spill on an angle to keep Shelby from walking in it. Shelby is behind the table squishing up and down like she is making wine in the grape vat. The picture above is the paint and whats left of the "blue onesie" That Shelby was wearing.

Now your are wondering, what a mess, what is for free? Vic is on the phone, (like when isn't she) talking to someone, and they said "turn it into the insurance agency, they will cover the replacement of the carpeting." Vic turns it in, and they cover the cost of the carpeting. Funny thing is, the carpeting was in the front room, into the front entryway, down the hallway, and in the dinning room. All this carpeting was covered! Free floor covering. I used this joke for a long time. If you need some free decorating in your house, leave shelby and a can of paint in a room long enough, and she will spill it. She was for hire. No one bite, but it was funny.

Now Shelby, my little one, the youngest is 14 going on 20, and she has now surpased the 6'0" mark. My little one has grown up (sad). I've grown also, but not up. (mostly out).

Now she is for hire to babysit. Funny how times change, but stay the same.

Redocorating with Vic has always been fun, and this time, all the costs were free!

See-Saw

I like chain saws. They have the feeling of power. They destroy the wood, and make chips so well (when they are sharp). I love the smell of fresh cut wood. Oh to be a logger. I think in the back of my mind, I was going to be a logger or something that involved power tools. (Every little boys dream) After growing up on a farm, where powertools was a way of life, I'm become domesticated(neutered). Like a dog or cat, tommy lives in the burbs.

I do have some clean up once and a while in the yard. We have these very large oak trees, and they are always dropping large branches. I decided to go the domesticated way, and buy a electric chainsaw. I know, I'm a burb wimp! No need for all that power. The big problem was getting a big ticket purchase past Vic. She wanted a hand saw(no gas needed). I wanted a 18 inch Stihl beast, that could cut through anything. We settled on a electric saw, and I made the noise of the Stihl saw when no one was looking. Electric saws are great because they start when you have power to them, and they are really easy to operate.

That is if you grew up with them. (Vic didn't). I think the closest Vic got to a chainsaw was a TV commercial for the logging industry. I'm from Waltonsville, and Vic is called "Hollywood" by her co-workers. We are definitely on opposite ends of the farm boy, city slicker continuum. (if there is one) Did I ever tell you opposites attract? (Green acers)

I have always been leary of Vic working with power tools. She loves to use them, especially when I'm gone, (That scares me!). We have some trees that invade our backyard, and Vic decided to start cutting on them. The only problem was the branches that she wanted to cut were very high in the air. She took the step ladder, pulled it over to the fence, and started reaching and sawing. She is standing on the top rung, hugging the tree with her right hand, and sawing with her left hand. The problem is she cut under a high branch and the saw pinched from the weight of the branch. The chainsaw is suspended in mid air up in a tree, and she had no way of getting it down. Vic starts pulling on the cord and raising the branch to get the saw down.

I told her not to cut the trees, because I felt it was to dangerous. They were too high, and out of reach for our step ladder. Well, now the fun begins. The chain comes off, and Vic panics. She doesn't what me to find out, and she has no way of getting the chain back on. She runs around to different hardware stores to see who will fix it. She finally lands at a place, and the guy gives her a funny look. (Like why can't your lame husband do this?, it only takes about 2 minutes?). She explains, he laughs, and the chainsaw is back to normal. Tommy never finds out, but it makes for a good story in the chapter of power tools.

Some day I might get my own gas saw. For now, I'm content with the electric one. I do get my fix when I go home to Mom and Dads. He is the grandfather of the powertools. He was the one that got me addicted! (got to love him!) I just try to keep Vic from them, because they are a manly mans toy... Oh that's right, I'm an electric burb wimp kind of guy.

Chain saw hints....

Good news, Ron is the next generation of fueling the power tools addiction!