Everything I Needed to Know About Scraping a House, I Learned at the Nail Salon

I have never scraped a house, but I didn't think I was going to like it. I was in charge of scraping 50 years of old paint from the cedar shake siding and cement blocks from our two bedroom bungalow with a walk-out basement. At first, I figured this job would probably be a demoralizing waste of several weekends.

Then I thought, it could also be an opportunity to offer my work as a gift to my creator much like the ceaseless prayer of the ancient monks. I set my intention to infuse each scrape with all the love that I could muster. I gave myself over to the scraping.

Turns out, I am a natural. I was able to penetrate through the decades right down to the bare brick.

As I scraped in silence, I asked myself, How is it that I intuitively know how to scrape like a pro? Was I a painter in a past life?

No. Well, maybe, but I don't remember.

I mindfully observed myself expertly shimmy my scraper into a subtle crevice - with the same delicate aggression that the nail technician applies to a beautiful hand.

At once I knew the truth, I have been trained by the nation's most gifted scrapers.

I have sat before the hands of the masters all over these United States. These capable women have stripped the old, dead acrylic from my fingertips and returned to me ten gleaming jewels.

I have sat in awe as chips of red acrylic flew through the air with each fearless flick of a virtuoso's wrist. They each had a sixth sense as to where the acrylic was not adhered to the my own nail, attacking the weakness as if in trance. One tech worked in such ecstasy that she didn't even realize that one of the nail bits had caught on her lower lip.

And so it was with me. I scraped for 14 hours over the first weekend. I never got tired. I never got bored. I never complained. It was as if I was scraping on the wings of the angels.

As a mother, I almost never get to focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking is a serenity buster. Thus, moms never get to enjoy a sense of accomplishment. We're always on to the next project. With my kid at grandma's, I made significant progress on a major goal.

I no longer have those perfect acrylic nails. They gladly went bye-bye in favor of organic baby food and diapers.

I admit, I have felt embarrassed that I spent at least a couple grand over the years that ended up on the floor of the salon, like spent peanut shells after the baseball game. However, I now understand that I was investing in my education, to prepare for my future home.