The Saloon Is Open For Business!!

Okay, who wants their house to resemble a saloon?   ME ... ME!!!  as Nancy raises her hand.  You know me, I like anything old west looking, floors included.  I don't have a picture of the Chance house to show you yet, but it looks amazing.  I think Pat said it perfectly ... looks like a saloon in here.  Not really, but it sure looks like beautiful old wood floors.

I knew when I first saw the laminate that I loved it.  Thanks to reader Bill Richards who came to lunch with his lovely wife Patsy and said he thought it would be better, I gave it another look.  After the Accountant checked out all the prices, it appeared it would cost the same as carpet.  I pulled up the old nasty full-of-sand bedroom carpet to find pristine floors.  Yahoo!!  Let's do it!!

After visiting the Missions on Saturday, I made the very long drive to Lumber Liquidators for the best priced flooring.  With my Jeep loaded to the gills, I drove home, mighty comfortably I might add, due to the extra weight.

With luck on my side since one job got delayed, the guy started Monday!  That's when I got THE PHONE CALL.  In between the stringers, the floors are a tad too saggy and leveling material is needed.  RATS ... another $200, not to mention the $200 for molding around the edges which I had not figured in.

Oh well ... it's only money and too late to stop now!!  Jesus (that's Hey-sous) started work by cleaning out all the old carpet and dirt.  As the floor went down in the bedroom, I was ecstatic.  I LOVE it!!  I figured two days at the most.  It took three because he was so neat and careful with the installation.

Do you know what it's like to sit and do absolutely NOTHING for three days?  I spent most of the time trying to console the dogs who were locked up in bathroom jail.  I played ever game on my phone at least twelve times ....... an HOUR.  I tried very hard not to eat, but my self control totally fell apart.  

I finally let Cooper out for thirty minutes to play the ball game down the hallway.  That's when I hit Jesus in the head with the ball.  My throwing arm isn't the least bit accurate.  I apologized profusely, and luckily he just laughed. 

Well he did until Cooper ran into the sewing room right through the newly laid leveling material, leaving huge puppy prints everywhere.  I grabbed him and made a beeline for the kitchen sink to wash the stuff off, but not before he tracked it all over my kitchen.  Back to Jail!!

Jesus finally completed the work yesterday in the pouring down rain and hail.  It looks fabulous ... just like a saloon should!!!  Here's the sewing room all complete.  He did an GREAT job.

With my machine set back up and me starving for something to do, I sewed the remaining squares of this quilt together and got it back up on my wall.  I don't know how the Chance household did it for eight days, having their house torn up and not able to do normal tasks.  

In the end, it DID cost more than replacing the carpet with carpet ... about $400 more, but that's okay since I'm in love with the final results.  I sat down in my bungee sewing chair and flew across the room like a rocket.  I'll have to be careful on that slick laminate floor.

Back to my to-do list .... except somehow it got lost in the shuffle.  Oh well ... I think I better quit while I'm ahead.