Fool painting
I don’t think it would be possible for less to be going on in my life these days. It gets dark around 5:00, so no hiking after work. It’s been raining on the weekends, so I haven’t been out hiking then either (though I did have a nice one–albeit a little muddy–this past Sunday). Mostly I’m working and reading and watching TV, which pretty much gives me nothing to write about.
On the pill front, after I wrote my last entry it got worse. I suffered the dreaded “sexual side effect” the commercials mention. And believe me, “dreaded” is the right word. You work and work and work and work, sweating and straining and wondering if you’ll ever finish. The problem is compounded when your crippled shoulder forces you to stop and rest every couple of minutes. Instead of being pleasurable, sex becomes a sort of nightmare of pain and frustration.
(Side note to the spud, who’s probably running around in circles and screaming right now: remember, you asked me if you could read my site.)
Dr. Judy switched me to Lexapro, which doesn’t have me feeling muffled, just sleepy all the time. I figure I can alleviate that by taking it at night before bed. I won’t know more about how it does until it really gets into my system. Through my own stupidity, I managed to cut the Lexapro dosage to 1/4 the Paxil dosage, and found out in a couple of days that it wasn’t enough. Now I’m doing 1/2 the dosage I was taking of Paxil, and time will tell if it works or not.
Lesson learned: when they ask you what size pills you’re taking, don’t tell them a number that’s in your head. Check the bottle.
Lesson learned, part two: don’t then cut the new pills in half because you’ve decided you’re only a little bit crazy.
But enough about the pills, because pill talk is fucking boring.
It all started with the rotting window in the study upstairs. We had it replaced, along with the sill. The new sill was unpainted, and when the fix-it guy pulled off the duct tape I’d put round the rot to keep the ants out, paint on the sheetrock came off with it. No more rot and no more ants, but a big ugly place in the room.
“I should just paint the whole room,” I told Robyn. “It’ll give me something to do. Maybe a different color, because the whole house is the same old bone white.”
She agreed, and that weekend found me at Lowe’s, looking over paint chips. I picked a shade of blue, bought a gallon, and brought it home. I spent the Saturday repainting the study, sort of winging it since I’d never painted a room before. As it turns out, painting a room is pretty simple, and I was impressed with the job I’d done.
So I kept painting, a room each weekend, and so far I’ve done five rooms in the house. I guess I’ll keep going since the iron is still hot. There’s something to be said for painting a room. It’s so mindless you can think about anything you want. It reminds me of hiking, without the sweat.
I’ve gotten to the point where I can do a whole room, from taping to completion, in about four hours. If I knew it was this easy, I’d have done it a long time ago. I’m practically friends with all the people in the paint department at Lowe’s, and I can’t say enough good things about their Signature line of paint. It’s the top-end stuff, and only takes one coat to do a good job. If it’s easy enough for me, anyone should be able to do it.
For you, pictures of my handiwork:
The study, before I’d done the trim. You can see the bare wood on the windowsill.
The cat room. There’s a comforter under the blue one that better matches the paint.
The blue is there for the kitties to lay on.
The library / dining room, where I got all fancy with two colors.
The bottom color, despite looking black in the picture, is a very deep green.
The spud’s room (she chose the color, though it turned out to be the
same one I’d chosen without telling her), in a rare state of looking clean.
The master bedroom, in a color chosen by Robyn (which was also the one I’d
picked without telling her). I’m sure you’re surprised to find it’s yellow.
Who knew I’d have an eye for colors? I guess we can add “interior design” to the list of things that makes Fred look less than heterosexual.
PS: Christians, listen up. There’s no war on Christmas. Please take a pill and calm down. I recommend Xanax, as it works wonders.
Are you hiring yourself out? Because I have some damn fugly wallpaper in my kitchen that needs to come down before someone (you?) paints the walls.
Don’t be surprised if you wake up in the morning clenching your teeth. Lexapro did that to me. I’m now on my second week of Effexor, but it’s still too early to tell what effect it’s having on me.
Oh yeah - GREAT JOB on the walls! They’re downright professional looking!
Hey don’t tell him about the side effects. . . You’ll predisposition him to them!! Ha ha! I have the teeth clenching problem, but my dentist said that most of the drugs in that class cause it. I was already clenching my teeth - now it’s just 1000% worse. $575 night mouth guard later ($350 of which my ins co. said they’d by 80%), I’m happy and sleep like a baby (and Robyn should be happier too
). Maybe that’ll help you sleep longer at night. 4 or 5 hours is just not enough - too freaky for me.
I’ve been on Lexapro for about 8 months now. I take it at night and have mostly gotten over or used to the sleepy side-effects. It has really helped me (I take 10 mg. a day) and I haven’t noticed any other side effects — I hope it works for you!
P.S. My boyfriend has problems with Effexor — sexual side-effects… so… and, I don’t wake up clenching my teeth.
I am a Christian and I know nothing of a war declared on Christianity….What am I missing???
Great job painting! Maybe you can do this as a side job?? LOL!
Debby,
That war is on Christmas, not Christianity. Go to news.google.com and type “war on Christmas”. You should get a feel for what I’m talking about.
Fred,I know how much you detest ADVICE,but if you don’t follow the “switchover protocol” whilst changing anti-depressants,you can have seizures.The seizures are life-threatening.
That also goes for whomever decides to fly solo and just up and quit the meds. Your macho/macha-ness can kill ya.
Happy Christmas all!
P.S. BLOODY GOOD job with the painting,Fred!
I hear ya about being bummed about not hiking… it’s been cold here too, and rainy and I’ve been working all weekend for the past couple months- I’m dying to hit the trail!
Good idea about the painting though- a fun indoor project for the cold months. Painting rooms is fun and suprisingly easy. I used to paint galleries at my last job- I look forward to when I own a house and can decorate my own digs. Good job with the colors- like that dark green!
I spend this whole summer painting my house and I hated it. Where were you when I needed you? lol
Oh! You mean the whole PC Merry Christmas no Nativity on public property because church and government CANNOT touch or it all will be TAINTED noise I have tuned out as I get a headache if I listen. We just had a big mess here because the tree and Mennorah is displayed and not the nativity. Well the nativity (donated by one of the counsel member’s wife SNORT) is up and there is a law suit pending to get it kicked off the town square. Isn’t a mennorah a religious symbol?? *SIGH* Why can’t we just respect each other’s opinions and be nice?? Merry Christmas, Happy Holdays or Happy whatever y’all celebrate and may the future bring everybody health, prosperity, happiness and lots of tolerence for fellow man. =)
Okay a few words from the peanut gallary here in Memphis:
cough cough homosexual cough cough..wow Fred great color choices!!! LOL
Secondly, the side sexual side effects, I suppose I can go to Robyns site and read it, maybe not, but are you referring to it makes acheiving an erection more difficult? Of that you can get a boner but cant reach the “glory place”? I only ask out of curiosity, I had problems getting wood when I was all Fat before but now I have zero problems and wake up with several “kick stands” LOL, just wondering?
Finally, arent those rotten windows a pain in the ass!!!! I bought a new house about the time you guys got into that one and made the mistake of having Pella come out and quote me for 5 windows I wanted totally replaced…$1800 PER WINDOW! Went to Lowes and they installed 5 windows that are made by pella for $1964.00 for all 5 windows!!
Rant and questions over!
Dave - Standing for the flag is easy, but saluting it at the end of the anthem is difficult.
Oh, I also painted my bedroom this weekend.
Sorry to give you the news, but Lexapro also has sexual side effects. My husband takes it for leg pain (and it’s the only thing that’s helped, so far, that’s not addictive)and has had problems with it, if you know what I mean.