SOL3...Hanging up a Painting

Hanging up a Painting

     As I walked in the room, I scanned each wall, visualizing what the room could look like with the addition of each painting. I had four sitting in storage to hang up still, but tonight I was only focusing on one. I looked at the wall behind the tall dresser, that one would be a good wall. I looked across the room by the bookshelf, that wall was already pretty cluttered and probably not the best place for it. The next wall included a large window so that one didn't work, and the next wall had a large mirror. So really, there was only the one wall.

     The painting in question was done on a large canvas. It included a large elephant staring off to the side. The elephant was painted bright, colorful colors including blue, green, yellow, red, and orange. It was made up of tons of leaves and tree branches, every inch of its body covered. I loved it. 

     I love elephants and I love color, so I was excited to find this canvas (at none other than Meijer if you can believe it!) and be able to hang it up. I again looked up at the walls questioning where it would fit in best, where it would look the best. The tall dresser was the right size to match the painting, and with it above that dresser it would easily be viewable whenever someone entered the room. 

     I turned to leave the room in search of tools only to pause mid step. In order to hang it above that dresser, I would actually have to be able to reach that high. I have lived in this apartment for three years, but still not managed to buy a step ladder or anything resembling one. I didn't have a dining room set, so I didn't have any sturdy chairs I could stand on either. Anytime I've had to reach high, I've stood on a cooler I keep in the shed for camping. As I stood there, I scanned through my list of options.... I could grab the cooler like usual, but it wouldn't get me nearly high enough. I could scoot the bed over, but the bed was big and heavy and not made for scooting around rooms. I could attempt to climb on top of the dresser and do it from there.

     Climbing on top of the dresser seemed like my best option. The best option however wasn't always the easiest one. Before I could climb on top of the dresser, I needed to clean it off. And of course once I took everything off the dresser, I realized the dresser itself needed to be dusted. This wasn't such as quick a process as I was hoping. Eventually however, the dresser was cleared and cleaned. Now, I needed to figure out how to climb on top of it. Yet again, my head scanned through all my options....I obviously couldn't just jump on top of it, it was too high. I could grab the cooler, which would give me a little more height, but still not enough to jump on top. However, maybe on top of the cooler I could then open one of the drawers for a little more leverage, that seemed doable.

     I quickly grabbed the cooler and set it up in front of the dresser. I stepped onto the cooler and opened the third drawer, one just low enough I could lift my foot onto and high enough to allow me to jump onto the top. I raised my foot onto the dresser drawer and gave a few half hearted jumps up, testing my weight on the drawer. It had just occurred to me the dresser might not be sturdy enough to pull me up. As I was halfway through another test jump, I heard laugher burst out behind me.

"What on earth are you doing?!?!"

      I watched as he continued laughing, holding the door frame for support. When he finally seemed to be calming down, I responded, "I need to hang up the painting."

He started laughing again. I turned away and put my foot back up on the drawer for support, getting ready to climb up.

He walked over and grabbed my leg, "Stop. Stop. Stop. I'll do it. Get down." I stood there for a second longer looking at him. I'd gone through all the trouble of cleaning off the dresser and pumping myself up for it, I almost wanted to see it through now.

"Get down, I'll do it." He repeated again. I stuck out my tongue childishly and climbed down off the cooler, "Fine, be that way." His laugher followed me out the door as I made my way to the kitchen. 

SaveSave