Some people have actual adventures

We just buy paint.  It's about all we're up to.

This is a long story, and not a very good one.  You've been warned.

It all started a few weeks ago at the Provo Home Depot where Emma and I picked up handfuls of paint chips.  We taped them to the wall with Washi tape and Emma eliminated the ones she didn't like.  She lived with a few colors for awhile and then made her choice.  Millers Cove.

Last week I went to Home Depot and said I wanted a quart of it (Emma's room is small and one wall is bead board and we weren't painting it.  Although the paint chip was for Glidden paint, I said I wanted Olympic One.  (Olympic One is hands down the best paint I've ever used.)  The guy gave me a blank look.  "Can you do that?" I asked, "Color match it?"

"We don't sell Olympic One paint here," he said.

Ohhhhhh.  I must have bought the previous Olympic One at Lowe's.  But I was at Home Depot already and Glidden must be fine paint, right?

Wrong.

If I could go back in time I would take myself by the hand at that moment and lead myself away from the paint counter at Home Depot.

Friday we got the room all prepped to paint--which is the hardest part.  We moved all the furniture and taped and remove outlet covers.  Emma and I decided to paint Saturday morning when it was cool.  She slept in Braeden's room because her room was all taken apart.

Saturday morning, I ventured into the lion's den to awaken Emma and she begged for more sleep.  "OK," I said, "I'll get started."  And I really didn't mind because I like to paint and the worst part (prepping) was done anyway.

Adam had gone to help someone move but it was super fast so he came home to help me.  As I was rolling the paint onto the walls, I realized what a mistake I'd made.  The coverage was abysmal and even though I'd stirred it, there were glops (probably a technical paint term) of weird yellowish brownish dye in the paint.  Also, a quart wasn't enough--especially considering how terrible the paint was.

We left Sleeping Beauty a note and headed to the store.  We needed to go to Home Depot first to find the paint chip.  The guy at Home Depot hadn't given it back to me which I only realized later.  Home Depot and Lowe's are close by each other in Lehi, so we went there.  The Home Depot had a teeny tiny Glidden paint display.  No Millers Cove.

The only thing to do was head to Provo.  As we were getting on the freeway to head south, I googled Glidden paint and realized they sell it at Walmart too.  There is a Walmart next door to Home Depot.   We crossed the freeway and made a huge circle and ended up right where we started.

Sigh.

Walmart also didn't have Millers Cove.  Who knew it was such an exclusive color?  Also, I almost lost my life in a near collision with a generously proportioned Walmart employee who was pretty sure I would swerve first.

She was right.

We went back to the freeway, this time headed for Provo.

In an exciting turn of events, they had Millers Cove at that Home Depot!  Emma had called somewhere along the way and was following along with us via text.  The highs and lows.  The harrowing adventure....

Then we had lunch.  Because I do better when I'm not hungry and I needed all the strength I could get to complete this quest.

Adam and I surveyed the Olympic paint chips and found Balsam to be very near to Millers Cove.  (I try to avoid color matching if possible.)  We texted Emma for approval...

 ...and she gave us the green light.  Was it possible we were almost done?!?

The paint counter on a Saturday is a busy place.  There were three employees working.  I gave my order to a man, he carefully wrote down all the information and started the order.  He noticed I was holding some paint rollers.  "While I'm waiting my turn for the machine, can I show you better rollers?" he asked.

"Sure."  Because who doesn't like better rollers?

He selected some rollers and then told me all about why they were better.  OK, I thought, I'll get your rollers.

Then he brought me to the brush display.  "Can I show you the best brush?"

"I like Wooster," I said.

He tsked and pulled up a Purdy brush and rhapsodized its virtues to me.  He took it out of the package and had me feel the bristles.  He took a Wooster brush out of its package and had me feel the bristles.  He showed me the little sticker on each Purdy brush that indicates who made the brush.  They take that much pride in their brushes over at Purdy.

You've never seen anyone so excited about paintbrushes.

Then he started advising me on how to cut in, how to tape, which tape to use, how to remove the tape, how to clean the brushes and how to store the brushes.  Adam had wandered off to look for something else while I was getting the paint.  He approached us with a look of wonder.

I never, not ever, ask store employees for advice because I don't like a) people or b) talking to them.  Adam gave me a what is happening sort of look then he fell in line to learn from our enthusiastic tutor.

Next we received instruction on rollers.  He demonstrated with a roller that he told us definitely not to buy.  At one point he was saying something about beginners (and then he gestured at me) and I think maybe Adam took umbrage with the designation.  When Mr. Helpful Paint Guy told me how to store the brushes in a Ziploc bag if I was taking a break from painting, Adam said defensively, "She already does that."

We were finally able to extricate ourselves from the painting maestro.  We bought our paint (and superior rollers and brush).  I texted Emma that miracles really do happen and we were on our way home.

When we painted (in the afternoon when it was decidedly not cool), I used the cutting in method I learned from my new friend and I've got to say, it worked well.

I'll show you pictures tomorrow.  This post has already gone on long enough.

If you've learned nothing else, please keep this engraved on your heart:  Olympic One is at Lowe's.