The Saga of the Shelves

Our apartment was seriously lacking in space and normality. The largest obstacle in the way of having a nice looking apartment was our hideous metal bookcase that really should have been garage shelving.

After much convincing, my husband got on the bandwagon to replace our bookcase with shelves. We left our apartment with great expectations for the outcome of such an undertaking and headed to the Habitat for Humanity Restore to find some shelves.

Little did I know that our idea for the projects outcome would be so different... Zeph, in his engineering/large family mindset, wanted indestructible shelving. I wanted something cute (after all, what other reason is there?).

When we got to the restore we were so lucky to find a lack shelf and two corner shelves. Zeph, however, did not feel the same about the lack shelf (if all men are like Zeph I have no idea how Ikea sells any of these!).

While Zeph was calculating the inevitable doom of our books, I was already thinking of how many awesome things could go on that shelf.

Needless to say I convinced him in the end, although I think he still had plans to add reinforcements. We got home and began working furiously for what seemed like a lot of hours on painting the shelves, taking down our old shelves and prepping a corner of our living room.

After getting the shelves painted and ready go on to the wall I started feeling like it was time to wrap-up for the night. But when I started hinting at such I noticed that Zeph was now really into the project. He was now determined to finish the whole project that night and I was going to stay up and help him.

After trying to hold up a shelf for him for a little while, I gave up and collapsed on the couch. Zeph kept working which made me grumpier by the minute. When I reach either a point of great hunger or tiredness there usually is no going back from an explosion of emotions and great despair about life in general. I begin to fill Zeph's ears with complaints that we are doing nothing with our lives and it is all so meaningless, etc.

Zeph hears the key word. Meaningless. Suddenly aware that the situation is about to get messy, he looks at me.

After assessing my overall body language he decides that tonight is not a good time to finish the project.

I process.

And the wiser Zeph and less tired Lindsay finished a stylish (and earthquake proof) set of bookshelves another day.