Be Careful

When I was a kid, I remember my grandmothers having plastic covers on their furniture and a plastic runner or two on the floor. They wanted to protect their nice chairs, couches, floors, and stairs. Frankly, I suspect that they only pulled that plastic protection out when they knew my cousins and I were coming over to destroy their homes. Most of the time, the home was probably plastic-free.

I always thought the plastic was a crazy decorative statement. Don't you own things so you can use and enjoy them? If a chair is so uncomfortable that you don't like sitting on it, isn't it not providing the utility for which you own it? What about the noise? Have you ever heard the noises that result when it's summertime and a leg tries to slide on a plastic-covered chair? It's like the sound of a sea star being pulled off a windshield. It is not pretty to see or to hear, and is certainly not comfortable.

So, why do I bring this up? With our kitchen renovation finishing up, I have a new-found respect for the protective quality of plastic. I want to coat our entire new floor in plastic (The Wife joked about it, but I think it's a great idea.) I want to put plastic/rubber feet on everything that comes within a foot of our counters. For a while, every rub, scrape, and ding will drive me nuts. No shoes. No glass. No porcelain. No long nails (finger or toe.)

Does anyone know where I can find big, clear plastic runners? I'm sure this paranoia will pass, but for now I need all the help I can get.

The Renovation
Week 5 is underway. The granite guy came, so the dishwasher is properly affixed to the counter now. The big (and loud) event was the floor. Working in the basement while they installed wood flooring in the kitchen and family room (four feet above my head) was a challenge at times, but I put on the most minimalist, repetitive music I could find and muddled through.

Tomorrow: The last upper cabinet? The last drawers? Gas stove hookup? We'll see.

The Day

• Workout: crunches and push-ups
  
• Music: Jean-Michel Jarre, Philip Glass, The Polyphonic Spree