So I have this fireplace. It’s framed in a rough-hewn stone style with a wood mantle. The owner of the house let an artistic friend of hers paint it maroon from mantle to hearth. It’s sort of cool to be able to say I have a Beetlejuice fireplace, but I really prefer the natural look. She said it was brick underneath and that we could strip it. As it turns out, it’s concrete. Yuck. Now I understand why she had it painted. I still prefer the natural look though. Once all the old paint is off, I’m thinking of using a faux stone paint to cover the frame. I’m hoping to be able to just stain the mantle and let the wood show through, but I haven’t seen what’s underneath the paint there yet.

I thought this would be a weekend project. Had it been all flat surfaces, that might have been the case. Using a toothbrush to strip several square feet of nooks and crannies tends to take a bit longer.

Just think how good I’ll feel when it’s all done.

Is it done yet? Sigh.

So much for the goal of writing something every day. I don’t suppose personal emails count? Of course, even if they did, they don’t account for all of the missed entries here. Ah well, I shall just have to try harder. I find it interesting that I enjoy writing until I tell myself I -have- to. Then, all of a sudden, I have nothing worthwhile to say.

See?

At least I can take consolation in the fact that no one reads this, so I don’t have to be embarassed about it.

I just discovered another benefit to working the night shift. I turned the main ringer off, so I don’t hear the phone ring unless I’m already awake. When I got up today, I found SIX messages on my answering machine. My first thought was “holy crap, who’s in the hospital?” My second was, “wait, why didn’t they just call my cell phone?”

Sure enough, they turned out to be two recorded cold calls, one return solicitation and three hang-ups (which I’m sure were live solicitors). I can’t wait to get on that do-not-call list. Until then, it’s nice to be able to dodge the solicitors simply by virtue of being asleep.