I am sooooo stoned.

I am off today...YEAH! It is, at times, beneficial to work for a manufacturing company. I get to wear jeans to work and I get a few holiday-type days off. I used to work in Banking...that really stunk as far as wardrobe and days off. As is often the case on *days off*, H is working so he not only still let me get up first to let the dogs out, start the coffee, and get the paper, he then said, "Are you REALLY busy today?" What am I going to say,..."Yes, I will be terribly busy! I was thinking of going to the barn for my riding lesson and then spending the afternoon watching a few chick flick videos and drinking wine while sprawled on the sofa." Shamefully, that really is what I had planned. Until this morning when I got *The Question*. So, I cheerfully (fake, oh so fake!) said I wasn't too booked and what did he need me to do? His answer, unfortunately, was not to ride, watch videos, and drink wine. Ya, go figure. He wanted me to go to this stone place to look at different stone colors and styles and shapes for the fireplace, the outside of the house, and for this little column-thingie we are having inside the house. As mentioned in earlier posts, I am really not a decision-maker, especially when it involves long-term relationships with color, shape, and texture. You would understand if you had seen my hair the past few years.

Sans videos, wine, and general relaxation (no skipping the riding lesson!) I went to the stone place. ok, let's make a list: 1) The place was huge 2) The salesguy handed me this zillion page brochure showing these fabulous homes...AS IF my house will even remotely look like those pictured...with examples of the fine stonework possibilities 3) You are supposed-to choose, again the committment issue, the stone you will be looking at for the next 30 years (I figure by then I'll be packing up for the nursing home), by looking at a 12" square sample. What is with that?

I wandered here and there, hither and yon, thru the showroom. Shall I select fieldstone, cobblestone, drift stone, pourous stone, ye-old-brick stone, stone with morter, stone with no morter, what type of hearth?...it was a plethera of stone! I hate to say this, but it was almost a relief to get back home to the generic safety of the Motel 6. I did lug the catalog home so H & I can peruse the carolina stone, the river rock, the limestone, the water wash stone, the coral stone, the split-face stone, and the Pro-Fit Ledgestone. Anyone up for wine and videos???