The Color of Love

A while ago my insurance company approved us for a new kitchen floor, since the old floor had buckled from the dishwasher leak.

Even though they approved $15,000 worth of work, I was only allowed to spend $1.50 per square foot on the flooring.

And the flooring had to be vinyl tile, nothing else, since that was what the previous flooring was.

If I was going to upgrade, it would have been a big deal. And I have not been in the mood for a big deal. And our household budget wasn't in the mood for a big deal.

So, my husband and I went looking for flooring at $1.50 per square foot in our area. By area I mean the 50 mile radius around the one traffic light town in the boondocks where we live. In other words, Home Depot....the only place around these parts.

It was impossible to find anything, so I called the restoration company and asked them if they had any ideas. They sent me to a flooring warehouse in Milford, CT. And one Wednesday afternoon, I took the long drive there alone. The gentleman that I had an appointment with was shocked to find out that I traveled such a long way to pick out such a low cost tile. I told him that I was from New York.

That satisfied his curiosity.

He showed me a few samples and I quickly picked out an ugly one that wouldn't clash with the oak floors that surround the kitchen and left. You see, even though I am a woman, I am a tad bit color blind. Just a tad. I can't distinguish between pastel colors, purple and blue look the same to me. I've mistakenly worn one black/blue shoe and one brown shoe/boot/sandal to work too many times to remember.

Later that night Capt and I had open house at Pookie's middle school. There, right under our feet was the same tile I had just chosen for our kitchen. Uggh. "You see this right here?", I point out to him, "This is our new kitchen tile." He didn't comment. But he did roll his eyes.

The restoration company came on Tuesday for a projected three-day job of removing the granite counter tops, cabinets, flooring, etc. and laying the new floor.

State Farm told me to go out and eat at any restaurant with my family during the renovation and they will reimburse us. So for the first night we decided to go to the kid's favorite place, Boston Market. But the second night was going to be a real fancy place.

When we got home from Boston Market, the kitchen was finished. Rats!!!! No more free meals.

But I believe a miracle happened.

The flooring brightens up the kitchen and I'm loving it.

I wish I could show you some pictures, but I'm having great difficulty.

My husband says that now, whenever I want to upload the pictures from my camera, I have to use the Dazzle and they automatically go onto the F drive which can be found by......and all I start to hear is "Blah, blah, la, la....., something important, something important...configures...blah, blah...." and then I see something shiny in the distance and I'm totally gone.

So, I don't have a clue what I'm doing with my pictures.

There is some more good news though, the restoration company broke the granite counter top. That was expected. So now, I have to pick out new granite and if I can't match the old granite (there is black granite on all sides of the kitchen) to the granite that is still intact, then I get to pick out new granite.

So this morning I was in the master bathroom with Capt, attempting to tame my unruly hair as we were discussing the kitchen granite situation and he began to brush his teeth with my green toothbrush. (We bought new toothbrushes last month.)

"Hey, that's my toothbrush, ewwww.", I say.

"Ewww, no, Babe, this is my toothbrush, see, it's green, don't tell me you've been using my toothbrush this whole time!!!!", he says.

"Yes I have because yours is the red one in the holder and green is my favorite color", I say.

"Look carefully at the red one, Babe, IT'S PINK, do you think I'd be using a PINK toothbrush?", he said.

"Oh Darn, I did it again, that's just gross".