Popcorn

It's not fair...really, really not fair.


How can I get so sick during my summer?  I am not even around sweet little children and their germies that they love to share so much.  But there I was, bedridden with some sort of cold/flu and left to either stare at the television or the ceiling.  


The ceiling.  I hate my ceiling.  Actually the feeling is a bit stronger than hate.  


It's a popcorn ceiling...or cottage cheese ceiling.  


I hate cottage cheese.  Yuck.  


Now when I think of popcorn, I conjure up visions of a yummy, crunchy, buttery snack.  Often, for me, enjoyed while watching tv, or better yet, at the movie theater. Popcorn means fun and happy memories.  Why, even in my classroom, we sing a song about it.  When we are finished, we usually all end up on the floor, laughing our little hearts out.  I love popcorn.


My ceiling is not the kind of popcorn I love.  The person who thought of popcorn ceilings should be ashamed of creating such wretched stuff.  I mean, they are dirty and dusty.  Ewww.


Sadly, there is nothing I can do to get rid of the popcorn ceilings.  Yes, there is something that can be done, but it I'm not entirely convinced it is worth the effort.


My house was built in 1969.  Not very old for most houses in the country but for Southern California, its ancient.  It seems like there was a little additive that was added to many building products before the 1970s.  It is called asbestos.  Lovely stuff...not really.


There is a strong possibility that there is asbestos in the popcorn ceiling.  I have found that to remove the popcorn ceiling, I would basically have to move completely out of my house.  
Everything!
Then people come to the house in little yellow suits to remove the stuff.  Then when the EPA gives the all-clear, we can move back in.  Sounds exciting and super expensive!  


Or, I can leave it alone.  No asbestos can be released if I leave it alone.  So, here I sit under an ugly dirty, dusty popcorn ceiling that I can do nothing about while I dream of beautiful coffered ceilings.

So imagine my horrified look as I walk into the dining room and see this disaster!

Yes, that is a huge water stain!!!!  Our swampie (swamp cooler) broke a little line in the attic and the water left a stain on the ceiling.  

AHHH!  

So now what?  I have to live with an ugly stain now too?
The hubsters heard my shriek of terror and immediately fixed the leak and stopped the stain from spreading.  


So I did the only thing I could do...I had to get all ghetto on it!  I used a spray bottle full bleach.  

Altogether it took 5 applications of the bleach to make the stain just barely noticeable.

Crisis adverted and now I can scheme of getting that elusive coffered ceiling.  The hubster better get ready!