Blaze of Glory

Without my consent I was given a five-day break for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Everyone else at work was ecstatic, I on the other hand felt bullied into taking a holiday break. Wishing I could decline this vacation time and carry on with my usual daily activities, I joined the masses and high-fived a co-worker when our boss announced in the morning meeting that we would be out at noon that Wednesday before X-Giving (that's what I'm calling Thanksgiving these days).

The Wednesday before X-Giving I was home by 12:20...  what to do, what to do? What better time than now to paint my apartment! I grabbed my best friend Candice to head to the Ace Hardware with me (She used to work at a hardware store in Maine, and prides herself on navigating around those overwhelming confusing aisles)

I decided awhile back that I wanted a yellow kitchen, as we pulled out the color swatches, my eyes landed on "Firefly" yellow.  We gave the hardware guy my swatch and off he went to get my paint.  As the man in the hardware vest was in the back mixin' up the medicine' I was on the pavement thinkin' bout the government. I pulled out a vibrant red swatch and confessed "I've always wanted one single bright red wall in a house" with that information Candice admitted "ME TOO" as she began riffling through the rest of the color swatches.

Blaze of Glory was the name of the red Candice whipped out of the sea of colors. The name alone sold me, as I shouted "I'm gonna do it!" The man in the vest was back with a can of yellow paint, and a look on his face that knew his work in aisle 12 wasn't quite finished.  We sent him back (wherever it was he was mixing all this paint up) to work.

After the Ace Hardware adventure I drove Candice home and we talked about how liberating it will be to paint one single wall bright red. Coming to the conclusion there must be some psychological factor behind "the red wall theory" she wanted a full report on how it felt to finally paint that wall bright red.

Well I'm here to report it was an experience. I saved the best for last and after I was finished with the yellow kitchen I prepared the red wall with some Ani Difranco on the stereo speakers and broke out the designated paint roller. As the beige wall turned a bright red my speakers decided it wasn't Ani they needed after-all, it was Beth Orton, I obliged switching playlists.  Red symbolizing action, confidence, courage, and vitality, I began to paint one single wall with that emotionally intense color. After the first coat, I stood back and admired my new courageous wall, as my muscles began to ache with the thought of applying the second coat.  Maybe I should have saved the best for first?  Matter overtook mind, and after painting an entire kitchen, my muscles didn't care "how liberating" this experience was intended to be.  Pushing forward I finished the wall. Unable to bask in the vitality of my new living area, I hit the hay and this action seeking gal was out.... in a blaze of glory

And it was all yellow

                      Screen girl appears not to be phased by all this hype

I wonder if any of my neighbor's living rooms contain this much confidence?

Time will only tell