I live in a rather rundown 1967 tract house rental unit which (sometimes only in theory) I’m refurbishing in exchange for reduced rent.

Painting this room was a long chore because the previous tenant installed many rows of shelving for tiny Hot Wheels toy cars on every wall.

So there was an incredible amount of spackling to be done before I could paint. Like many people, I dislike painting.

In addition, the tenant also chose to paint the bedroom walls turquoise and brown.

In a dark and gloomy house with zero direct sunlight. Every wall took at least two paint coats.

But I persevered and got it done.

Then I got a broken small toe: and a loss of motivation which might have been cannabis related.

My landlord/old college pal scored me some lightly used, light colored, recycled laminate flooring.

I’ve installed several laminate floors and it’s not that difficult.

Unless you are 75 years old with a fake right hip joint and a laundry list of old, mostly surgically repaired, musculoskeletal issues like hammer-toe, carpal tunnel syndrome, and trigger-finger.

Plus a broken toe in late March, luckily only the left, little toe

But again I worked through the pain and (heroically) finished the job. And it looks good considering the flooring cost my landlord/buddy zilch.

But, oh, bending over to carefully slam those delicate cardboard planks into place 800 times took its toll on my vintage body.

Some of the flaws are visible but I located the most dinged up planks where the bed would be.

Most of the quarter-round wood baseboard trim I scrounged or inherited from my late father’s woodshed, I can’t remember which.

The other two trim pieces I bought from Jimmy Carter’s Habitat for Humanity outlet, called Restore, for $3 each.

Much inferior and not even wood. But cheap, and good enough for a Summer of Love (1967) rental tract house.

I also bought the paint at Restore and it was high quality, covered well and was reasonably priced, like most of the construction materials and supplies they sell.

It’s pleasant to have actual flooring in my bedroom instead of sixty year old particle board underfoot. Hopefully the next room will go faster, certainly they’ll be lots less spackling.

I cannot actually play a 5-string bass guitar but the shower curtain sure brings the room together.

I was going to start painting tomorrow on the front bedroom that I just moved out of. But I tweaked my right hamstring moving my old recliner into this room. Old age is a shipwreck.

So there could be more delays. But hopefully not four more years.

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