Garage, Second Can

Someone told me that one eventually gets used to the heat here. I decided to encourage the adaption by not using any air conditioning for any of my errands in the car. After all, I've seen a few cars doing it and it was only 91 and the humidity had gone down to 40%. By the first stop light, as my sweat glands and crankiness went from 0 to 60, I immediately questioned my decision:

Baby steps. I know I can't beat the heat, I'm just looking for ways to work with it.

After yesterday's post, it was suggested I get an “edger” to take care of the seams where walls & walls and walls & ceilings meet. I headed to Home Depot as I had to get another can of paint anyway and I asked the paint guy there how I should handle such seams. “Why, you'll just have to use a brush to get into those corners.” After I told him that I had done that but what about at the heights I can't reach? He smiled. “Why, you'd need a stepladder.”

Then I mentioned that someone had suggested an “edger” that could be attached to an extension pole. I could see the man stifling an eyeroll as he sighed, as if I had walked into a bait/tackle shop asking if they had electric seat warmers for the fishing boat ride. Bottom line, I know I lost all painting street cred in his eyes. He walked me down the supply aisle and pointed to the edgers. “Well, you could try these out—though I've heard there not all they're cracked up to be.” I was half-expecting him to use the word “newfangled” or coldly point me to a place where I could buy Snuggies too. Anyhoo, I bought it:

Unfortunately, due to the height of the ceiling, with the extension pole extended so far out, I couldn't make the edger work. I couldn't keep even pressure, so it would have a very skipped pattern of unpainted areas and going over it didn't improve it. So I ended up borrowing a ladder. And using a brush. I include this unflattering picture (I blame the angle) of me rocking the Mom shorts (or do these count as lady shorts, as my friend K was wondering?) in the slim chance the paint guy at Home Depot sees this and gives me credit for paintin' it old school. (Side note: Anybody know how to get dried paint out of clothes?)

I confess it was the first time using this kind of ladder and it was a bit trial and error figuring out right length to pull it out (taller is better) and the angle of where to plant the feet (farther out is better). I'll also confess that at first, I was slightly acrophobic, feeling like I was clinging to a ladder that could fall back any second while vulnerably six feet off the ground. But after dragging that ladder all over the garage, going up and down, the acrophobia on the ladder wore off. I also regretted not investing in a paint cup as I was just climbing up with a loaded paintbrush on the paint can lid, which meant regular trips down the ladder to reload.

The girl, I'm so pleased to say, still had a good attitude about helping me. I told her that the paint guy had advised painting in a "W" formation first--I'm not quite sure why, but she was game.

And she tried other letters too:

She even made a trip up the ladder to tag the wall with this thought, but agreed that it felt "scary" to be up on it.

We finished off the second paint can and I'd say we're 2/3 done. Unfortunately the worst is still to come--the ceiling.

I'm sorry to admit that I've reached that breaking point of hating painting already. First off, I would say that I've accepted paint drips, splotches, and smears to be part of the garage floor patina that already includes moth wings and other varnish vapor victims. And second, if there was a way that I could have the painting done by drinking paint or being married to it in some carnival side show then I'd say, Crank up the calliope and let the freak show begin! Because I am soooo over painting.

Wishful thinking aside, I aim to tackle the last part tomorrow morning while it's relatively cool. Wish me luck.