Let's face it, this is the original carpet in my townhouse. It was very tired, very off color, stained, God knows what else! It had seen a corporate tenant, a tenant family, and last but not least a couple (total whack jobs but great credit and the check came on time every single month!) They supposedly had more cats than any of my neighbors could count, and when I moved in I found clues alluding to the fact that they had kept rabbits for feed. Did I mention the check came on time every month???
It took a good year before I was able to STOP discovering strange things they had done...another blog. I also heard that he would play the bongos @2AM. sigh. So we've been here going on 3 years now - worked my ass off to get back in - and as most of you know working my cerebral ass off trying to get the mortgage lowered. Even though the market seems to be bouncing back a bit the comps are killing any realistic pricing for those of us that would like to sell without leaving our kidneys on the table.
Many know I have been working on personal debt for a long time and am finally seeing the exit sign and a credit score that has risen from the dead. I've got 3 solid months left of certain payments that I sat on my bedroom floor and designed for myself 5 years ago. There is now a frugality that will never leave my bones, I have reassessed alot; friendships& relationships. What things are worth both monetarily and emotionally. What I can live but more importantly what I can live without. And the whole time I've been navigating these things under the growing scrutiny and awareness of my children always with the thought of "How will this impact them? And what am I teaching them?" How does this relate to shot carpet?...
"Mom when are we going to pergo the stairs going to the basement?"
"Honey Mommy's trying to save $ so not for a while"
"Mom let's just be productive and rip it up...I bet I could porch paint them for $25, they would look nicer, be cleaner and you wouldn't spend that much I promise"
So with gloves on and a few hours of sweat the carpet came off, then the padding which crumbled like some toxic crap, then a million little staples. The staples took the longest, but we went at it with needle nose pliers he on the down case, I on the up...
There had been some glue and spackle and drippy paint so the first born pulls a hand sander out of the garage (I didn't even know we had one...)
Look at him...LOOK! I gave birth to that genius!!!
And in no time he porch painted an otherwise totally avoidable area.
And It came in at a cost of $23
Ask me why I love this kid who at such a young age is based in reality?
Children are the anchor that tether a mother to life - Namaste
