The Styrofoam Ceiling

I had a very disorganized and comfortable day yesterday, and I got a lot accomplished. I drove way the heck out to the edge of town to pick up the power cable I accidentally left behind on Thursday, then I drove all the way back to my new house, realized I needed more adhesive, so drove most of the way back to the edge of town to go to a different hardware store. I got fireplace tool sets at a VERY DEEP DISCOUNT. I certainly never would have spent $150 each on them. I would spend $20. Now I'll have a set for each of the three fireplaces I anticipate using (LR, DR, MBR--wish it could be music room too, but that flue is collapsed).

What a good thing that I picked up double-sided foam tape on a lark there in the adhesives section. As it turns out, I should eschew the adhesive and just use the tape.

Most of yesterday, I hung the new ceiling tiles I bought to cover up the disaster that was my MBR ceiling. They are imitation tin tiles (you know, all embossed and a common retrofit to a significant minority of all English pubs? Instead of tin, they're made from recycled styrofoam egg cartons. Tin ceilings are not exactly appropriate for my house, but they are a more acceptable evil than are the cracked, textured, half-repaired nonsense that are my current ceilings. These styrofoam tiles paint up with latex and then stick to the existing ceiling. This has worked pretty well in the MBR, which ceiling was poorly covered up with luan and drywall screws. And? Stained the color of tupelo honey. It reminded me of a ski lodge, if the lodge were more like an ice fishing shack, and if the builders of the lodge shack had been mentally deficient in more than one way. If I hadn't run short of egg carton ceiling tiles, my ceiling would now be a restful shade of lilac. The part that IS restful lilac is lovely. I still don't like tin ceilings in my house, but it's so much better!

I, cheeky lass, emailed the company that supplied the tiles to ask if they wouldn't discount my purchase of 300 more tiles (arranged end-to-end they would reach... 500 feet)and they gave me a small face-saving one. I'm grateful, nevertheless. To re-ceiling 5 rooms, I'll spend what on supplies what it would cost to drywall one. I can deal with fancy ceilings at a cost savings like that.

When I'm not hanging ceilings at my new house, I'm teaching myself to play my piano. I can almost play a dumbed-down version of part of a Rachmaninoff concerto now. I can't play anything that doesn't have the names of the left hand notes written in (otherwise, I have to keep translating them into treble staves so I know where to put my fingers).

The conference was a success, I think. I felt good about it and some people had some wonderful things to say and there were no disasters, but I've been too exhausted and afraid to open my email yet and see if there are lasting repercussions.

BB/MGBF is not taking calls or returning text messages. I am disappointed.

GothGirl told me last night, in the middle of saying something else, that I looked really good, that I had a new sparkle, and asked what it was. We had a longish conversation about my need for a boyfriend and the qualities of a suitable candidate. It was somewhat satisfying. We also ordered super-nachos and lemon icebox pie by delivery and THAT was VERY satisfying.

I really really really want to get into my house. I need to get the plumbers in to do the bathroom/water heater/washer/dryer/kitchen rough-in so I can move in. Really need to do that. Yup. Really do. Hoping EK will come up with a brilliant solution to my bathroom design woes though...