Going the Distance

You guys are still wondering about the fence and the futon stories right?

Okay, I did promise to tell you.  And I like to always keep my promise.

First off, there are a few things you need to know about the Captain and  his projects.

          1.  He always finishes what he starts.  (Good news for me)
          2.  He is a tad obsessive about it being right.  (Can you say Mr. Perfect?)

About two years after we built our house I decided I wanted to put a tile backs plash behind the stove.  It was just drywall and the grease was getting more and more difficult to remove.  I did my research.  Picked my tiles, got the supplies and set up ready to start my project. 

You should know that when I first started he was in the garage working on something else.  But before long curiosity got the best of him.  (Calling him curious is my way of being nice here.  Just so you know.) 

I moved the stove out, set down my drop cloth, marked my pattern and mixed the compound to adhere the tiles to the wall.  I had only placed the first tile.  The first one.  When he came in and started to explain to me what I was doing wrong.  Honestly, he just can't help himself.  He looks at a project as another chance at perfection and for me I just see something creative I did myself.  If it isn't perfect, I can live with that.  I like the marks of a weekend warrior being visible in my house.  It's what makes it mine.

But I had been married for just about ten years at this point and had already learned that it wasn't worth the fight we were sure to have if I dug in my  heels.  So I surrendered my trowel and relinquished my spot behind the stove and he eagerly moved in and took over.  As he spent the next hour explaining to me the proper way to indeed install the tiles and give it an artistic flair I sat on one of the kitchen stools reading a magazine.  I was a good wife and hm-um'ed every once in a while. 

When he was done it did look good and I will admit I would have been frustrated with the problems he had with the grouting process.  But overall he did it better than I would have and worked harder on the tile placement. 

Almost as if I had planned it that way, right?  Nope.  I really did want to do that project.  So when I decided to carry the theme of tiles behind the sink I made sure he wasn't around when I did that one and didn't even mention that I was planning on doing it until it was a done deal.  Of course he had to come home and re-work the grout for me-there were some imperfections that only he could see-which was truly appreciated.  (Insert eye roll here.)

Overall, we do work well together, but in marriage there is give and take and for whatever reason he likes to be in charge of household projects.  I'm okay with letting him have that.  His heart is in the right place and like I said earlier, he is a perfectionist.

I really am a lucky girl.