No, this isn’t about anatomy. I didn’t break anything. It’s about one itty bitty change that created a lot of work.
We don’t watch a lot of TV except during the long winter and sports seasons. The beloved husband loves professional baseball and football but not me. I am fascinated with ice skating competitions and Gray’s Anatomy. He has a limited attention span for salchows, lutzes and axels and none at all for medical shows.
There is more than one TV in this house (don’t judge!) but the most comfortable viewing spot is from the family room recliners. After he spent years watching baseball from a desk chair in the office, I felt some sympathy for the beloved husband. (Yeah, I was surprised too. At first I thought it heartburn!)
I planted a seed in his ear (not literally) about getting a comfy chair for our office (which is very small). I had something in mind that I thought he would love and he did. Now he was excited about it. (Getting the beloved husband excited is like watching a racing horse at the start gate! He is raring to go. Full steam ahead and all that.)
However…and there always is one…it wouldn’t fit unless we changed the location of the TV and took out a built-in corner cabinet. There was no carpet under that cabinet but we found a 13 year-old scrap that fits. Perhaps you won’t see the color difference. Or the seam.
The cabinet was attached by screws so there are holes in the wall. Yes, we’re hoping the 13 year-old paint matches too.
Now we’re focusing on the other cabinet in the new TV location. It has to be altered to accommodate a TV. The rewiring isn’t bad as our modem is located there but there are unwieldy doors and other changes are needed. A lot of stuff is stored there.
We lost storage in the corner cabinet too so we had to clean out and go through everything — books, supplies, etc. Why does a couple need 5 large packs of staples? Or 20 post-it packs. Maybe there was a sale.
We threw out more books. Long time readers may remember (if they don’t have a life and more important things to remember) that we donated over 500 books about two years ago. The books in the office were recycled rather than donated. Most were “how to” books for computers and programs, many long gone. No need for Widows 95 anymore. A lot of dummy books went. I agonized over the dictionary and thesaurus. I haven’t used either in eons. I always use the internet. Still…paper…old habits…the thesaurus went but the dictionary is stored until the next big clean out. Or the move to the nursing home.
We are in the middle of this project so we don’t know if the carpet will work or we will need to re-carpet. Same for the paint. The TV cabinet is still in discussion and design but I’m hoping the new chair will be in the room next week even if only temporarily.
Next time I feel sympathy, I will take some antacid and see if it goes away!
I totally get your aversion to throwing away books – of any kind. Who knows? Maybe at some point in the future you will really need that Windows 95 book . . . Just today I went in search of my own 1980s “MS DOS for Beginners” book (seriously! – no lie!) because I want to give it to a student of mine.
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I so rarely use a reference book. I always use the internet. It’s easier. Yet….
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Impromptu surprise room renovation! I’m looking forward to hearing how it goes! Just think of all the blog-fodder 🙂
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There were surprises and a little blip but overall it looks ok. We still have some work to do. Fingers crossed.
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Sounds like you’re getting a head start on spring cleaning. If you need a different project that doesn’t involve heartburn you can certainly come organize my office/studio. 😊
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My next project is getting the margarita machine up and running! 🙂
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I like your priorities!
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I think at heart some of us just love to change things up a bit from time to time. I like a good project that doesn’t involve major renovations, but is more about shifting things around. This sounds delightful. We just recently switched form cable to satellite and that made it possible for me to move the furniture around. Nothing else really, but you’d have thought someone offered me a vacation. At heart I think I’m a very simple person. Hope the carpeting issue resolves easily. And I guess I should also note that I hope the cats approve!
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Every year around this time (I’ll blame the boring winter) we do something. Sometimes it’s just change out some furniture or paint a room. This one is requiring some work. The old paint has worked but you can see the seam where the carpet was pieced together (it’s berber). However, the new chair is over the seam so it’s not noticeable unless you look for it. The jury is still out with the cats. The boxes are gone and that didn’t make them happy. We still have a hassock so they can look out the window. That will have to stay.
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Oh Kate, I feel your pain. You pull one thread, and 16 more begin to unravel! But for the record, I’d happily join you for the Winter Olympics ice skating, followed by some Grey’s Anatomy! And I’d sit on the floor! ~ Lynn
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Chair is in place and looks good. Still some other work to be done. Olympics here we come!
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I’m smiling because this is so typical of any project we have ever undertaken. NO change is ever simple. EVER.
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I know! Everyday there are new challenges just as we think we have overcome others. Hopefully by the end of the week, we’ll be done with it all! Only then will we know if the chair works in the corner.
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Be confident! The chair will be amazing! 🙂
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I know, this is so true, and your post is so funny, you made me smile, thank you.
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Home projects always grow.
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What just happened? I’m reading this laughing at the fact that I am not alone … lol! Part of me would want to just shove the chair into the room and call it a day, while the other part whispers “you’ll never be happy with that decision.” Enjoy the transformation and please keep us posted.
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So far the old paint worked well enough but the carpet not so much. Still some way to go before it’s done. I know that shove it in and call it a day attitude. It gets easier as you get older.
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Haha. I’ll have to remember to try that antacid thing next time I feel sympathy. Hey, it’s worth a try before I get myself into something I might regret. Hehe. Good luck with the new arrangement.
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It’s either that or take an aspirin and a nap!
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Your summary was hilarious, and I’m still laughing.
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It’s on-going. There maybe more to come.
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Keep it coming! I’m always ready to laugh.
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TV placement does seem to have too much control over the other furniture in a room. My mother banned the TV from the living room once the den was designed, but even in that small room they had problems where everything could go because of that TV. Honestly, if I could give up watching I would. But I know that’ll never happen. – Marty
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I’d like it to drop out of the ceiling when I want to watch, then go back up but that’s not going to happen!
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A good idea, though!
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I enjoyed your comments in this post, thanks for making me smile. Hope the room works out. 🙂
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It will, one way or another!
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I love your determination. 🙂
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But don’t you feel lighter for having cleared out some stuff? I love that feeling of clearing and organizing. Or rather I love the feeling when it’s done. The ACTUAL DOING… Not so much.
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It had to be done. If we ever move, we will never get that much storage in an office. There was a lot of really old stuff. We still have files to clean out too.
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I got my husband this really awesome recliner that looks like an old wingback/ smoking chair. It has the perfect angle to view TV.
I will be stealing it to watch the Olympics because ICE SKATING!
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Can’t wait for Olympics! I never could ice skate so I am fascinated by people who can walk on ice on a skinny piece of metal.
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I can skate forwards, but I always wanted to learn to skate backwards. Don’t need to jump. Just skate backwards.
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They make everything look so effortless. My few attempts resulted in collapsing ankles and cold feet (and a whiny person!). Now I’m lucky if I don’t fall on flat dry pavement.
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Comfort and ease over perfection at our age Kate! I know you’ll make it work 💛
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It’s very comfortable. Ergonomic too!
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Yikes! Typical project… start small – end big! I’m sure it will all work out but, in the meantime, take a lot of deep breaths (as long as you aren’t painting).
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Nothing is easy, not even buying a new piece of furniture!
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Its amazing how one itsy-bitsy change can lead to so much work. Richard wanted more room on our bookshelf so I recently brought in two large grocery bags of MY books to the used book store. Funny, Richard is the one who wanted more room……
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That’s how it goes! This time my husband got rid of more books than I did but I did a huge cleaning out last time.
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Ha! One change always leads to other changes and that leads to cleanouts and usually trouble. My next fearsome project is to move everything out from under our bed! I think there are derelict computers under there……
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Ewww! I found an old laptop battery (dead and not rechargeable) in the cabinet I cleaned out. I am going on a search of other old computer equipment than taking them all to Staples to recycle.
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A change is always nice. Gives you a fresh, almost new feeling!
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It is and for some reason, this is the time of the year that I get the urge to change things up.
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Moving furniture and other household items around the house makes it seem like you bought new stuff. Don’t hurt your back!
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Yes except you have to make it fit which involves more moves and changes. In the end it’s all wonderful (I hope!).
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And I thought it was just me…we are preparing to do an extension to the house, and the 18 year old paint, carpet scraps and spare tiles (which did come in useful) are coming out of storage…..and going into the skip…jx
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We cleaned out the paint cans last year (amazing how they pile up!). We are pretty good about marking on the cans where we used them but we should also put the year on it. Some rooms were redone and we still had the old paint.
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My commiserations. Redecorating is the pits, even if the end result is worth it. Send the post-its my direction–never can have too many post-its. Send the extra staples to the Amazon HQ2–you’ve got enough to equip the whole place! 🙂
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But this wasn’t a redecoration. It was just JUST! adding a chair and taking away a cabinet. Nothing is easy but hopefully the end will be great. Post-its, any special color? I have them all (That’s how I think I got so many. You can’t let me alone in a stationery store.)
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I want to see a photo of your vision . . . once it’s manifested! 😀
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Will do. This is one of the very few times I blogged before a project was done. It’s interesting because there are hourly swings on which way it’s going! BH loves the chair and that’s what counts.
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That is so true, Kate. Maybe if the carpet doesn’t match you can cut up some other sections too and then make a patchwork effect with other rug remnants. Same with the paint on the wall, do a mural. Get crazy. After all, it is the office, right so no one has to see but you!
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No, if the carpet doesn’t work, we’ll get it redone with a new one. There are wear marks in it at the threshold. It’s just that I love it and it’s no longer available. The room is kind of small for crazy. It will just be busy.
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I am wishing you good luck but I know you will make it all work and it will be perfect!
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Well, so far we opened the paint can this morning and it was hard as a rock. So…can we match it (unlikely) or will we repaint (likely). The saga continues.
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CH and I can not paint together. It gets ugly.
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Oh, I get that. I am the wallpaperer. I don’t want any help unless it’s cleaning up. If it’s a big room we have to have a clear division of labor. Either I do the borders and he does the rolling or the other way. In a small room either he does it or I do it. I did the upstairs bathroom about a year ago. We would have killed each other literally in that tiny room.
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Our last paint project, I vowed to never paint a room in a house again. There is not one thing I enjoy about painting but I love it when someBODY else does it. Hope you have plenty of Starbucks in reserve.
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Starbucks is on autodrive!
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I did not want to put a like on the hard as rock paint… have no idea how it got there. Took that off!
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It’s ok. The hard as a rock paint was resurrected by the paint store. Under a hard top there was a pint of good stuff which was enough.
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love the last sentence and I will make it to my motto… but nevertheless you gave me a good idea… who needs windows 95?…eggs-cept it is hand signed by Billy Gates…I will grab a big trash bag tomorrow and then I clean out the office cabinets…ha!
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I always have a nice glass of wine or coffee (depending on the time of day) when I get these brainstorms. That’s less work.
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That sounds like work–I hope it gets you what you want. I actually use an older Windows, Windows 7, which seems to make certain sites get confused, but I’m not upgrading to the systems that I don’t understand at all. I wish I had some of the old games we used have on Windows–those were so fun to me. A slow speed to go at is a good speed for me sometimes!
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Sometimes you have no choice. The only maintain the last two versions and eventually nothing works with what you have. I hated giving up Windows 95 but I had no choice. Also, as you buy a new computer you can only get it with the new stuff. Somehow I seem to fry mine every so many years.
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I know. I don’t get new computers but keep using the older laptops we have here. There seem to be old ones around that folks discarded when they upgraded, so I am happy to stick with those, except sometimes things like wordpress doesn’t always run well on them…boo.
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You are lucky. Mine seem to break down after 5 to 6 years of constant use. I must be too hard on them. 🙂 As for WordPress, sometimes it gets stuck with the new stuff too.
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I think everyone just tries their best. WordPress no longer shows me follow buttons, and so I can’t follow any new or unfollow any that I have on my list. I keep hoping it’ll work out. I report it as a bug on my security and in Forefox and to wordpress, and no one figured it out yet.
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Maybe I can help. WP did away with the follow button (I know, makes no sense) but if you are on a site and scroll up, it pops up on the bottom right. I think it only does it on WP blogs.
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My husband asks that I leave a note on the door if I have moved furniture around again, so he doesn’t end up on the floor! We just got a new television and I can’t figure out what to do with the old one so I just put the new one in front of it for now.
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Fortunately (so far) we didn’t have to get a new TV. We had an old one in the office. Somehow you will come up with a good idea. We gave the last one to my brother during an upgrade.
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Well, you know I’m always onboard with any home redecorating project. That’s my hobby. Thus I say good for you! Keep going until you get your house exactly like you want it. Move things around and reconfigure at will!
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Yes but my poor husband is doing most of the work. I did find the perfect chair though! 🙂
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Focus on the Win! All the rest will fall into place.
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That’s my motto. So far today the old paint was hard as a rock. Bad omen.
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Oops!
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Good news! He went to the paint shop (with specific instructions because if we had to repaint I want to revisit the color) and they were able to save a pint of paint under the hard top shell. It’s a family owned business and they only charged for a new empty can to put it in. Home Depot doesn’t do that.
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Hallelujah! That’s a big problem solved in the simplest of ways. Good job family-owned paint store. 😉
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Hubby always cringes when I say the words ‘Trust Me’ when it comes to furniture. In our one bedroom house (1990 -1996) we purchased a corner suite. The guys who delivered it were laughing their socks off as they said it wouldn’t fit in my lounge. Hubby was equally sceptical, so I muttered those immortal two words, and suddenly I was on my own.
OK, I had to move the bookcase. And the folding table. And reorganise some shelves, but I got it in. And it looked just as brilliant as I’d imagined it.
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Yes! We have a vision no one can see!
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🙂
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