Painted Ladies

Just returned from going up to my friend Colleen's place in Czech Republic.  I'm such a sucker for the laughs and good food that I forget what a shit ton of work it is.  But I love it.  30 years of pent up HGTV have to be vented somewhere!

Never noticed my car matches the house.

This trip was all about PAINTING...love it in theory... hate it in practise.  Catherine and Colleen had the really hard part doing the floors.  They were an awful mishmash of tiles.

Bleech, but I guess they used what they could.

They began the awful job of "impregnation" (to be said with an Italian flourish!).  First you paint toxic schmutz on the tiles, let dry, then add a different type of toxic schmutz on the tiles.  Colleen is enjoying this waaaay too much. 

The smiles are suspicious..more ventilation please!

"St. Catherine, the patron saint of floor paint application."

What a difference!  Those two are amazeballs!

My job was painting the dining room and kitchen.  Let's just say it was nasty.  Years of wood smoke, spider webs and shitty stucco board.  The fun part was learning to plaster.  I have worked with this stuff before in theatre but there we always called it "Designer Pig Pooh."  So lots of taping and sanding was called for.  However the finished product looks pretty darn good, though I forgot to photograph it...duh.  Though I'm sure every time I'm up, I'll see a space I missed.  I deliberately avoided the living room because you know how it is when you paint..when one room looks good the others look dingy.

I think a portrait of me would fit that niche nicely!

It wasn't all work and no play.  Colleen occasionally let us off the compound to go to town and the various second hand stores.  I was so chuffed to find my cow picture still there!  I know exactly where it's going too!  The other store was really bizarre but in a good way.  Lots of crudely done artwork and tattered taxidermy...scary/cool.  But they weren't budging on the prices so we left a bunch of stuff behind, their loss.

"The Divine Bovine."  The picture not me!

Let's just merchandizing wasn't their strong suit.

So I left yesterday on the long drive back to Vienna.  Next week is the conference in Edinburgh so please stay tuned!  I appreciate you reading these posts and your comments.  

Ciao for now.💋