The Helpful Hardware Place

Pre-mix Paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

You know the tagline for Ace Hardware, right? Ace, the Helpful Hardware Place. It's true. Today I went to Pastimes Ace Hardware in El Cerrito to have my paint mixed. I'd met this lovely woman, Chelsea, there about a week ago and she told me what I needed to do to get the paint mixed there. They don't computer-match, but if you let them know the type of paint they can get the proper formula and mix it with the old fashioned tint machine (all these big tubes on a wheel that measures out the tint). I called ahead and Chelsea had all the formulas ready to go when I got there. I got to watch her put the tint in, and we mixed up all of the paint for the house. While we did this we chatted about paint, and a few other things. She mentioned how much she liked to paint. I told her where the house was & told her if she wanted to see the colors up on the walls to come on by any time (she's particularly fond of the orange for the second bedroom). She showed up. And painted. For almost two hours after she got off work. On a Friday. How cool is that?