Ain't got time to fix the shingles

Cough!... Splutter!... Cough!... Wheeeeeeze!

Some weeks ago, we had our house alarm changed. In the process, at Mr. Alarm Fitter's suggestion, we had the location of the alarm keypad changed.

Of course, I hadn't figured on the large, wallpaper-less patch of wall where the panel once was. Or the many gaping holes it would require to neatly route the necessary wiring across the hall to the new panel location. It looks like a 1920's Chicago gangster conveyed his displeasure with the original decor through the medium of the Tommy Gun.

Natually, the close personal friend was simply delighted by all this. No... actually, she was. It meant the hall, stairs and landing, which had been on an infeasibly long finger, instantly shot to the top of our "To Decorate" list. I'm still not entirely convinced she wasn't in cahoots with Mr. Alarm Fitter concerning the keypad move! In fact, I don't even recall actually having a "To Decorate" list.

With the paper stripped and floors covered in old bedsheets, the plan for the weekend was to fill the walls and sand them down in preparation for painting - everything from tiny imperfections to huge craters would vanish from sight.

On Saturday we sanded the walls, whipped up a batch of filler in an old lunch box and set about the walls armed with filling knives and a naive enthusiasm. Once we were done most imperfections would have been smoothed out. Sure we might miss the odd spot here and there - but anything we missed would be too small to see. Wouldn't it?

Apparently not, at least as far as my superhero like power of sight was concerned. I mixed 3 further smaller batches of filler on Sunday. The last in a shot glass to fix a tiny blemish I noticed on the way to bed.

I have become obsessed with smoothness. I am unable to walk down the stairs without rubbing my hands along the wall as I go. We will have the smoothest walls in all of Christendom.

I need a holiday!

(On the plus side, I had so much dust in my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes by Saturday afternoon, I know I will look somewhat foxy and decidedly distinguised when my hair turns grey)