Utility Room Not User Friendly

I started on the utility room yesterday. I immediately made a mistake. I was peeling off the vinyl backsplash so that I could paint instead. The plan was to paint the side walls and just tile the back wall to save on costs. Come to find out, not only can you tile over the vinyl, but the backsplash is attached all the way down behind the counter. So, right at the edge, pieces of vinyl are sticking up that can't be removed without removing the cabinet. Looks like I will be tiling the side walls after all.

Also, I started taping off the trim and cabinets to paint. I went to tape off the ceiling, grabbed my trusty ladder and drug it in the house. When I tried to stand it up, it wouldn't fit! The ladder is taller than my ceiling! And the step ladder is way too short. I need to either grow a couple of feet or get a ladder that fits my house.

Lesson #8- Have the right tools for the job before taking it on.