The smell of character

Our still-being-renovated-but-almost-finished family room finally has a floor. The floor is faintly reminiscent of an old barn, mainly because it IS an old barn, or at least wood from one. It has what is known as "character," consisting of numerous knots, saw marks, stains, cow hoof imprints, etc. Okay, no cow hooves. 


Whenever we inquire about some perceived imperfection in the floor, the contractor informs us that this is part of its "character." Occasionally he asks if we want him to add even more character, such as intentionally missing an occasional nail and hitting the wood instead. We have declined such offers of intentional character, figuring that in the course of future regular usage by two people who are not all that careful, the floor will continue to acquire all the character it needs.


Joe's mom remarked that if it were her floor, she would constantly be going downstairs to look at it and admire it. 


"Did you tell her that's pretty much what we do?" I said.


Since the first night after the floor was laid we stand gazing lovingly at it, like new parents, only we have waited a lot longer than nine months for all this to be done.  


We make up excuses to go downstairs so we can look at the floor: "Uh, I better check on the laundry."


"There's nothing in the laundry."

"Well, I still better check."


Or: "I think I left something downstairs. I'd better go look."


"There is nothing downstairs. The room is bare."


"Well, you never know. It might be there somewhere."


"If it is, it's under the floor."


We have stopped short of actually sleeping on the new floor, but only because it is not yet fully dry.


The new floor unfortunately makes the whole house smell like some sort of toxic dump. A neighbor remarked that she could smell lighter fluid outside.


"That's our house," I said, sighing.


But the Hero refuses to be put out of the house and seek refuge in a place that smells better, such as a garbage heap. From past experience we know that the smell will eventually go away, like in a year, and in the meantime we continue to gaze at our beloved new floor, even if we have to wear masks to do so.


Come to think of it, it really is like being new parents, smell and all.