Today the work began. The carpets have been ripped up, tile chipped away and the old linoleum is history. It's been 25 years of wishing for wood floors and now it is happening. The men struggled with the tile. They ended up having to buy a $200 machine to help them get the tile chiseled out. It had been laid to stay. I loved that Italian tile but I succumbed to my youngest son's pleas to remove it as it was "outdated". Story of my life lately. Maybe that means that I am "outdated" too. Probably so. Oh well....
I am sipping on ice tea right now trying to swallow the dust that is swirling through my home. My husband has a deer head mounted on our family room (I remind him frequently how fortunate he is to be married to a woman who would tolerate that) and the workmen have wrapped it totally in plastic. I must remember to get a picture. I have a feeling ye ol' deer is insulted.
The living room, entry way, family room, breakfast nook and kitchen will all have wood floors by tomorrow afternoon. Amazing.
As I type I hear the linoleum that I have walked on for 25 years being ripped up. "Good-bye, faithful flooring. My sons have all grown up walking barefooted on you. They've worn their basketball shoes, golf shoes (hence a few small holes), dress shoes for proms and regular dirty school shoes across you. People I have loved and lost such as parents tread on you and dearly loved family and friends as well. Thank you for holding up as best you could and going beyond your duty."
(I think I hear Taps in the distance... )
