Where do I begin?  I needed to paint my garage door.   It’s been several years since I last painted it, and it was beginning to appear more and more weathered.  I kicked around a few ideas in my head until I thought of the perfect idea!  Those that know me know that I am a huge Cavs fan.  My computer room is wine and gold, and the walls are covered in posters, event tickets, newspaper clippings, portraits etc.  Why not continue the theme on my garage door?

     I could have painted it wine and gold like my computer room, or I could have went with the retro theme and painted it blue and orange.  I wanted to express the level of “fanhood “ that I have, and that’s when it hit me.  We as Cavs fans all have one thing in common: we’ve experienced both highs and lows with our beloved team.  From 17 win debacles, to our record breaking 66 wins last season, we’ve seen a lot.  Over the last 6 years especially, we’ve been lucky enough to WITNESS the growth of both a superstar and our team.  Now in his 7th year in the league, Lebron is poised to lead what could be the strongest team in franchise history.   This season I can’t wait to WITNESS Lebron, Shaq and the rest of the squad challenge the other elite teams in the NBA for the Championship. 

     If you haven’t guessed by now I decided to paint the famous WITNESS logo on my garage door.  To me, the logo is iconic.  It’s more than just being a WITNESS to Lebron.  It’s being a WITNESS to the changes our city has gone through over the past 6 years.  It’s being a WITNESS to the growth of a fan base, both here and abroad.  It’s being a WITNESS to the rise of a franchise to elite status.  In one word, it sums up what it means to be a Cleveland Cavaliers fan.

    I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but of course I couldn’t do this by myself (DUH)!  Do I go ahead and use paint?  Do I use a decal?  I wasn’t sure which would produce the best results.  After discussing it with Juice (who works at a print shop), he consulted his co-workers on the alternatives.   While his co-workers recommended a decal, we thought painting would be more appealing and durable.  Prior to making the final decision, I had already begun the tedious task of preparing the garage door: prying off the existing decorative wood pieces, sanding and filling the holes with putty and applying a few coats of primer (with the paint rollers and everything Juice gave me since mine disappeared on me).  This took longer than expected, due to the sporadic changes in our weather.  Once this was completed out came the black paint, and after 2 coats we were ready to execute the final process.
   
    We decided to use a paint mask to create the WITNESS text and Nike Swoosh.  Juice’s boss was kind enough to let him cut the various masks and decals needed to make this a reality.  After Juice’s many measurements, we applied the mask to the black door and started painting it white.  While the first coat was drying, Juice applied the gold “L23” decals to the top corners of the garage, milkchute, and white decals on my car bumper.  After applying a second coat of white, we had to wait until nightfall when the paint was dry to remove the paint mask and see the results.  (When in reality, I made Juice and Debi take it all off so I could take pictures…Thanks guys). 

    As they were taking off the vinyl, I was getting more anxious as the letters were slowly revealed.  Despite being attacked by mosquitoes (who were attracted to the paint and Juice’s headlights on the door) the final results were much better than we anticipated. Not 30 seconds after the first admirer stopped in front of my house saying how I have “the coolest garage in Parma, if not in the entire city of Cleveland.” 

     One month, 6 gallons of paint, 8 sandpaper discs, 6 paint rollers, 3 paint brushes, several yards of vinyl and numerous articles of clothing later, I give you our collaborative creation.  WE ARE ALL WITNESSES!