The Advantage of Incompetence

Wednesday 01.27.10
So last night I attempted my first ever peel and stick flooring.  They make it look SOOOOO easy on TV.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love/hate HGTV?  I believe that the length of time since I took a geometry class is the fatal flaw.  I'm having a real difficulty understanding negative space, area measurements, and probably the pythagorean theory.  Luckily, the tiles only cost about $0.88 per square, because I killed the first four I tried to measure and cut to fit. 

Remember how I said we were going to break all the rules on the directions provided?  We thought we were being brilliant in not starting at the center of the room as they suggested.  You see, I measured to the center and then began dry-fitting it all and realized I was going to have to make a ton of minute (less than 3 inch strip) cuts all around the borders since the room is only about 4.5' x 4.5'.  Instead, we determined to start at the doorway and move back to the back wall and make all the cuts fall behind/under the toilet and sink vanity.  Brilliant right?  Well yes, but...no.  The reason they want you to start from the middle with full tiles is so the bulk of the floor is done BEFORE you start making any cuts.  But since we wanted to start from the doorjamb, the first row was going to require some cutting to get it in.  The door jamb opening would be full size tiles, but the adjacent tiles would require some cutting to accommodate the kick moulding.  (Make sense?  I know it is a visual thing, and I was too pissed off last night to take pictures and too lazy today.)  Trust me though....I just wasn't up to the task.

When Kip arrived home expecting the floor to be mostly complete and found me hiding under a blanket, watching TV and answering questions with grunts or monosyllabic words at best, he deduced we had an issue.  To my credit, it is the first time in this process I've shown distress or temper.  On the other hand, it's only the first project and only about 3 weeks into this year-long program, so it could be a long and bumpy ride.

So, what, you say, is the advantage to my demonstrated incompetence in measuring and cutting tiles?  While I'm working a little late at the office tonight, Kip is working on the floor.  I struggled with letting it go this way, because you see, this is supposed to be my project and if you know me, you know, while I'm a generous person, still....it's all about me.  ;-)  In this case, that means I want to be the one accomplishing the tasks and reaping the benefits.  I want to stand in this room when it is done (or sit as the function of the room is primarily about that) and say, "Damn girl....nice job."

But sometimes, you just have to say Uncle.  And let it go.

I'm headed home now, and we'll see how my much more competent and loving husband has done on my night off.