I don't hire other people to paint for me, and occasionally attempt to beg Pete and Jilli to let me paint their place, please please please.

I fully support this plan. You just have to brainwash Pete.

For the record, I was not a vile beast as a pre-adolescent and not all girls are (Abby being another notable exception). Boys can be cruel in their ways, too.

Yeah, likewise, and I always found the boys to be just as bad as the girls and more likely to harass sexually. If only I knew the moves (and the words to back them up) that I know now.

Boys can be cruel in their ways, too.

I just said! Didn't I say?

Adolescence is just a poisonous time, in many unpleasant ways.

I love to paint, and I'm good at it. I will come paint everyone's house, and get to see you all in the process!

::glares at nasty girls who pick on Abby::

Do NOT like.

In my experience, when a vile beast chooses to take a human form, the worst of them have taken the shape of pre-adolescent girls. I did not mean all girls everywhere for the entire history of time.

In my experience, while boys can be cruel, girls tend to take it to the nth degree when choosing to be or act evil.

I use TSP [link] for cleaning before painting. Just mix it with warm water, get a big sponge and start at the top, then rinse. It's slightly caustic, so rubber gloves are probably a good idea. That's only before painting, though, because it takes the gloss off of paint. Other people may like to use something less intense, but I prefer using strong stuff and scrubbing less. Also, it doesn't particularly smell.

TSP is at most hardware stores and some big box stores.

Emily, TSP-Substitute. Useful cleaner, directions on the package, should be available in any hardware store, paint store, home center, or the like.

I adore painting but I may have to give it up: I get bored prepping and start thinking that I can cut corners on it, which no. The pleasure of doing the painting itself is not worth years of looking at that brown splotch on the ceiling right above my reading corner where I thought I could get away with not taping if I was reeeeally careful because I didn't want to go out and get a whole new roll of tape for just that spot.

I'm sorry Abby's having a hard time. For the record, I was not a vile beast as a pre-adolescent and not all girls are (Abby being another notable exception). Boys can be cruel in their ways, too.

Yeah, I wasn't either. I was actually very much like Abby, except not as pretty, which I suspect is behind a lot of the teasing.

And poor Nate's been having to deal a bit too-- he can get along with the kid across the street just fine, until the kid's eighth grade friend comes over, who then starts teasing Nate mercilessly.

I've been schooling Nate in the whatever technique-- but I couldn't resist and told him that the next time this kid called him the biggest geek in school, I told him to say, "Yeah, well, the geeks shall be inheriting the earth while your kind are still saying 'you want fries with that?'"

Mountains of ~ma for Lucy as she enters her tripod life. We know 6 tri's in this neighborhood alone and it is amazing to see how quickly and completely they adapt.

Quick healing and calm vibes to both of you brenda. Bless you!