Unhappy Days

The first day of school was a success. Hannah had a great time, and I think was happy to get back to her routine being with her friends. It's a new year with new responsibilities. She's a really bright child, and I think she'll do great.

I headed to the Iowa State Fair yesterday. I helped staff a booth that my company sponsors. While it was fun, it was an exhausting day. Hundreds and hundreds of people streamed by our booth throughout the day, it was a non stop. I did take a couple of breaks to walk around the fair. Wow, there were a LOT of people there, and I think everyone was having a great time. The Iowa State Fair sure is different than the Nebraska state fair, which has become boring, with attendance very sparse.

Today, I started painting my daughter's room. I'm not happy about the color at all. She chose a pastel purple. I think it's too dark, and indeed, after painting one wall, I don't think I'll like it. It's her room though, but I have to live with it too. Ugh. Then, I left the door open by mistake, and the cat jumped up on the headboard which I was using to hold nuts, bolts, screwdrivers, etc. He knocked it into the freshly painted wall and put two huge knicks in the drywall. Damnit. Now, I have to get spackle and repair it, sand it, and smooth it, and paint it again.

I hate painting. Of all the tasks that a homeowner has to do, I do hate painting, period. Really, I don't like the detail work of taping and painting around the trim. That really sucks. And, for me, it has to be nearly perfect, or I'll never be happy with the result. No paint on the woodwork, no paint on the ceiling, none, nada, zip. It's just so tedious. Bottom line, I hate it. Although, we all do things for our families, even if it makes us unhappy in the end.

In fact, I'm sure there will be many unhappy days to come as I embark on painting the rest of the house. The dining room, the kitchen, our bedroom, the laundry room, two additional bathrooms, and eventually our living room. Yuck! I'm happy with the way it is, a gentle taupe color, but my wife insists that it needs real color. Decorating is overrated.