When we bought our house 12 years ago, it had wall to wall beige carpet. We, of course, have dogs, and we live in an area famous for its red clay. Somehow, the dogs also manage to spill a lot of red wine, grape juice, and printer ink, all of which is not beige.

Beige carpet does not age or stain uniformly, so from about the 3rd week of our living here, our carpet has looked like crap. Finally, we had had enough and we decided to refloor much of the house with laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring is a lot like laying down tile. It is easier, but still a lot of work. I remembered when I visited my brother Steve and he worked me like a mule laying tile in his house. I needed someone I could trap here, miles away from home, then guilt into working horrendous hours for no pay. My buddy Larry came to mind almost immediately.