Ready for Prime Time
Oct 25th, 2007 by Marilyn
Suddenly, the carpenters cleared out. Piles of sawdust disappeared, no nails rolled underfoot, and all the magically shaped saws were gone.
Men in white outfits began running in and out. Almost overnight, house parts were hermetically sealed; posts were wrapped, windows were taped, and long plastic swaths floated on hallway breezes, just in time for Halloween.
I walked in one morning and met a man who was covered in white powder, head to toe. A sheer haze coated his clothes, his shoes, his neck and skin and nails. It dusted his neat hair and beard, frosted his round glasses and caked a large watch to his white wrist. It was like some fastidious Batman villain was moonlighting as our painter. Mr. Paint Freeze.
Mr. Paint Freeze was actually the head paint guy, and with shocking speed and skill, his crew primed and readied the house for paint.
For the first time in months, we heard no classic rock (carpenter’s choice) as we walked up and down the stairs. We tripped over no cords and heard nothing but our own footsteps. Really, it was a little creepy. Creepy and boring, and feeling like the house was waiting – waiting for something big. This house is finally ready for prime time.
The priming turned up something else. When they taped off the rec room windows, they turned the third floor a beautiful modern art-worthy sight:
Perhaps it’s all part of Mr. Paint Freeze’s plan…but this vision held strange power over the three of us. We couldn’t stop looking at the light. So…should we keep them that way? If I can just get the MOMA interested, maybe this edgy installation will pay for the house!
Oh, Mr. Evil P.F. You are truly diabolical.
