The manly arts

I have been living without a backsplash behind my stove and sink, I know, it’s not like the tar paper tore and now snow is blowing in on gramma but it did have a certain unfinished, backcountry, rusted-cars-in-the-front-yard feel to it so after dragging my feet on it (and discovering a box of tiles under the steps that I didn’t realize I had) I hired someone to come and tile. 

The first problem is that he didn’t show up. We’ll call it miscommunication. But I was prepped for it so I decided to do it all by myself. I know, this makes making bread look like a trip to the park but you cannot lose your fingertips making bread so we really cannot compare the two, even if i did. 

I don’t know how we accomplished anything when the google didn’t exist. I googled it, watched some YouTubes and headed off to Home Depot to rent a wet saw. This contraption is super-scary. It’s loud, it’s messy, it could cut my fingers off. 

I really only had to cut 4 tiles to accommodate the electrical outlets on the wall behind the stove. But unfortunately, I cut about 60 tiles incorrectly before I got the cuts right. The rest was a trip to the park. And I saved myself a little coin. Of course the cost in anxiety was a little high.

I felt so macho. I did it (triumphant handclap with someone or other) but not without a lot of high pitched whining, shrieking and wild (masculine) hand waving. But my fingers are in tact. And there’s a backsplash that I am not inviting anyone to look at too closely.