Reason #2:
I hate it when my husband cries.
You see, I was going to the bathroom (is that known as "TMI"?), when I noticed a tiny part of the wallpaper that was slightly lifted. Given that I despise the wallpaper, I wondered what would happen if I picked at it.
It was such a satisfying feeling! I wanted to see how much more would come off as easily as it did. So I made my way around the bathroom. It was just like peeling a banana! WOW!
About this time, my husband came barging in. Apparently - he'd thought I had fallen in and then heard disturbing sounds coming from the bathroom, so he was checking on me. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the bathroom, and it looked like his head was on a swivel. He looked at me, he looked at the wall. He looked at me, he looked at the wall. He looked at me.... ok - you get the picture. And then he left. But not before I heard him choking back sobs.
Awww... poor baby. Don't cry!
I did this once to my bathroom (in an apartment I rented). It took me a year and a half to fix it. The wallpaper took a bunch of the wall plaster with it so had to fix plaster, sand it and paint it. I loved the torn plaster wall a lot more than the wallpaper so it was definitely worth it. I also received the very same look from my husband (who was then my boyfriend). Wow I am so lucky he still wanted to marry me after that.
I love your Norman story!