In Focus

We all need a break sometimes. To just step back and take a breather when things get crazy and overwhelming. I recently did just that.

With many hectic weekends approaching, it’s hard to take a real break when you are basically working seven days a week. And with how busy the past few weeks had been I was drained. I had zero motivation or will to do anything. So I took a few days off before I completely burnt out.

It was nice being able to shut off my computer and ignore my phone for a few days. That was just what I needed. But I am not a person to sit still for long.

There isn’t much left in the house I haven’t painted since moving in four years ago. The upstairs hallway has been a thorn in my side since day one. I hate plaster and the way it was fixed and patched over the years just made it look bad. Patches and cracks were filled but never sanded down or retextured to blend in with the walls, and water stains. The trim was worn out and orange from the decades-old varnish and it looked dirty all the time. I knew this was not a quick or easy project, as I had painted that hallway and stairwell years before for previous owners. The dirty tan walls, water-stained ceiling, and crappy trim had to be dealt with. So in my five-day hiatus from work, I worked on the hallway, and it took five days to do.

I spent a day and a half just sanding the trim and chunks of plaster on the walls. I fixed everything I could, retextured the patches and cracks to better blend into the wall, and primed everything. It was a process. I painted the trim white and the walls a light purple/gray color. The banister took most of my time as that too, was painted white.

Another issue has been waiting for the ground to thaw to get the Christmas decorations out of the yard. While I was waiting for the paint to dry on the nice Saturday afternoon, I was able to get the decorations out of the yard. I still have to deal with cords but getting the stuff out of the yard was my goal at the moment. That stuff is hanging out in the basement drying and waiting to be put away until next Christmas. My poor decoration storage room is in need of clean up. A project for another day.

But I am happy to finally have another item crossed off the list. Now to paint the downstairs hallway and the stairs. The staples in these stairs are inches long and I am tired of fighting them, trying to pull them out. I can’t sand or paint until the staples are gone. I’m just going to have to invest in a grinder and get rid of them that way.

So I spent my staycation working on my house. Now it’s time to get ready for the busy week at work.