Got the quote back from the pros on painting our house.

Yikes.

Thank you very much, but I'll go ahead an take my family on a pretty nice vacation for that price - and that's exactly what we're going to do.

However, the house still needs painted..so, lucky me, huh. But really, my house is small to begin with, it's half-stucco and half-brick..so that's like half a house to paint. I even painted one side last year, and painted quite a few windows this year, so that's even less. So I'm wondering if the pros just priced me way out of line, because it is a small job - not sure -

So far so good - I've finished one side, and even managed to get around the shutters without taking them off. I'm a guy. There's no need for that silliness..just paint around 'em..and have a wet rag ready to wipe off when you drip/droop/splat/flick - and you should be good.

Unless you're me.

I swear, I wipe the tiniest of drops on the shutters, and it stays on the rag FOREVER..and you end up wiping, and wiping, because each time there still a bit of paint on the rag, and you end up wiping more that you paint...so you go down the ladder, wash it out with the hose, back up and go back at it.

But it does feel good to know I've painted over half my house..and no, it's not professional (what does that mean, anyway?) but if I get a great vacation out of a couple weeks worth of painting, I'm completely good with that.

And the best part: no drop cloths - a little paint in the bushes, on the mulch next to the house, on the plants...who cares? I love that part...makes clean-up a cinch:)

Just a few clips to make you feel really good about yourself...