Olney - Home of the White Squirrels

I just spent 4 1/2 days in Olney, Il helping Eric paint the home they will be moving into on Monday. We did 4 bedrooms, living room and family room. Everything needed 2 coats and one room took 3. I am stiff, sore, and tired, but pretty proud that I could still do it! These are my top 10 observations.

1. If your pants get ripped on day one, you can wear them 3 more days with a little duct tape repair.
2. If you are in a town where absolutely no one knows you, you can go to Walmart as you are...looking like you've been painting for days (I did not wear the duct tape pants, though.) When I got there and looked around, I saw most people looked as bad as I did. Some even had paint on their clothes, and I don't think they had just come from a paint job.
3.If you let 3 teenagers pick their own bedroom paint colors, you get some wild-looking bedrooms.
4. If the paint is brown and the carpet is variegated brown...so much the better for paint drips and spatters!
5. I thought I was the only one who could trim the top edges. After I struggled and wasted a lot of time on 5 rooms, as this was a really difficult ceiling edge, I found Eric edging out the last big bedroom, with almost a perfect edge! "Well, Mom, I painted at least 20 whole duplexes when we lived in Athens, Al." Now you tell me!
6. In my book it's OK to get some paint on the woodwork, but please, wipe it off immediately! The lady who painted before us left white paint dripped and swiped all over everything.
7. If all you've got to clean with is dishwashing gel, go ahead and use it! It not only cleans, but leaves that little extra sparkle!
8. Time goes fast when you're painting. About the time you think you should stop for lunch, you realize lunch is past and it's time for supper. I lost 3 1/2 pounds!
9. I was ecstatic that I didn't fall off any ladders, knock over any paint cans, or have my back go out...but I did manage to pull down one whole set of window blinds, damage one ceiling fan, clog up the garbage disposal, and wear out the CD player.
10. Olney might be called the Home of the White Squirrels, but I only saw one squirrel and he was definitely gray - dark gray, not to be mistaken for white.

Oh, and one more, I went 4 1/2 days with no cell phone service, no internet, and no TV! and I survived! Glad to be back!