Floored

Yesterday I awoke from my afternoon nap with a cold sore right below my philtrum. I have been slathering on the Abreva to keep it from turning into an angry lesion. My current hypothesis for the outbreak centers on my flu shot earlier in the week but I must say it is a weak hypothesis. I haven't had a fever or a sunburn but I have had a few stressors this week. Susan is busy replacing the floor in the living room so I have been living in cramped conditions.

After the loss of our beloved Emily, Susan wanted new carpeting. She put down some offwhite textured wall to wall downstairs. Well, Mr. B came along and his muddy feet turned the carpeting to a darker shade. After a few DIY attempts and a Stanley Steamer visit, she decided that the carpeting was going to remain dingy. So she decided on hardwood flooring. We began in Basil's room. It does look beautiful and it is warming to hear his nails clicker-clack on it while he pads through the room.

Well this week was the time to do the great room. Joe ripped up the carpeting for us exposing warped particle board damaged from a leaky roof way back in the mid 90's when Hurricane Opal roared through town. Joe spent two afternoons with a crowbar ripping out the particle board. Ritchey came in and put in new plywood and then the hardwood. It looks better but he does still needs to finish the patch in front of the sliding glass doors. I never realized it was such a tricky task. You've got to cut the boards to different lengths for a staggered look and you got to randomize the different colored boards to prevent anyone spot becoming a sore thumb.

All that hammering eliminated my typical nap times on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. I was a yawny, cranky mess this week. Plus I am also in TIVO withdrawals. I have missed the first two episodes of my favorite shows and this sitting through commercials is getting old. Susan moved her TV down into Basil's room and her TIVO works but she only records HGTV and Food network. She complains that my TV is blowing her ears out. I offered to close the door but she said she wanted to be close. I bought a pair of wireless headphones for the TV so my deaf ears can hear the TV and not deafen Susan.