The Tale of the Paint

The first job on the list for the morning after we moved was a trip to B&Q to get all the paint, brushes, etc required for us to get on with decorating. Our car was still pretty full of stuff from the move but we didn't really have anywhere to put it in the house and, as the bulk of it was my stash, I wasn't putting it in the garage (there's A LOT of spiders in there and I'm not risking one jumping out and attacking me the next time I go on a floss hunt...)

Anyway we bought all our stuff and as we came out of B&Q DH saw the icecream van that was stationed at the exit to attract all the bored and whiney kids who had endured DIY shop hell with their parents. Cue much searching of pockets for enough change to buy and icecream for my slightly less bored and whiney husband.

I purchased the icecreams while he packed the stuff in the car (hey, I was bored and whiney too).

Anyway, the route home involved, unsurprisingly, turning a few corners and whilst turning the fourth corner there was an ominous thump from the back of the car. DH yelled at me to stop the car but in order to do this safely (it's lucky I'm not a nervous driver) I had to turn two more corners.

We opened the boot to discover that the tubs of paint that DH had carefully stacked in the back of the car had fallen over and the top one had hit the side of our newly purchase mop bucket, opened and dumped a large amount of it's contents around the back of the car.

So we're stuck with paint dripping everywhere, nothing useful to use to clear it up and me having a minor fit regarding the close proximity of paint and stash. Oh and I hadn't finished my icecream either.

We mopped up as best we could and headed home (which was just around the corner) with DH muttering about how he shouldn't have stacked the tubs, how he shouldn't have shopped with the car full of stuff, how the whole world was against him, etc etc etc, and me resisting the urge to say 'but there was more than enough room to put the tubs side by side' (which there was)

In the end the damage was minimal - a couple of unrescuable garden rubbish sacks, the mop bucket (which did a super job of catching the bulk of the paint and ensuring it wasn't a lot worse) and one of my framed cross stitchings.

Swirly Sampler to be precise. DH cleaned it up as best he could but I'm not sure that it is going to be okay. It's a bit damp round the edges and it's difficult to get to all the paint without risking more damp. I've been way too occupied with other things to spend time trying to clean it up properly but thankfully, whilst I did spend time stitching it, it wasn't hours and hours of work.

Yes I am taking it quite calmly but there's nothing I can do. If I'd gone on a total rant we'd have had a huge row (in front of Lia and my parents) and nothing constructive will have been achieved. I've chalked it up to 'accidents happen' but I have learned that golden rule - never let your husband load paint in the car whilst distracted by the thought of an icecream...