Over the last few days, I have been up at my "project house," the dilapidated tax sale home I have been trying to slowly renovate over the last couple of years. My poor daughter gets to spend time helping me with it every Spring Break and Summer Vacation since I bought it. I think it is one of her less favorite things about our living situation in recent years, however, it is something we are doing together as a family and she will remember for the rest of her life how our whole family came together to work on this. (Yes, my parents and two siblings have also been dragged into this.)
Honestly, I wish Anne's dad were here to participate in our project. It would give her an opportunity to find something truly admirable in him. My ex-hero absolutely shines with a project like this at hand. The word "quit" does not even enter his vocabulary. Working on an "impossible" task of this magnitude is one of those rare times when my now super villain is at his very best. It is really a pity our daughter does not get to see him the way I did when he fixed up our first house together.
Anne and I went up on Monday, drove back on Wednesday and spent most of Tuesday working in the house. My parents came up on Tuesday and drove back Wednesday. Our projects this time were:
1. Plant my bulbs and 4 azalea bushes in the back yard (all pink flowers), and
2. Talk to a couple of general contractors about raising the porch and doing some work inside the house.
The first thing I always do when I get to the house after a while away is turn on the water and light the water heater. So we had just gotten in to the house when I was in the basement, heading to light the pilot for the water heater when I heard my neighbor's voice calling down the stairs. (It is good to know someone is watching the place for intruders.)
"Hello! Anybody in here?"
Recognizing my car, Mike had brought his grandchildren with him. He came into the basement to say hi, then left! I was still lighting the pilot in the water heater when he took off, he left so quickly. I followed them out the door as soon as the pilot was going. (I did not want to seem inhospitable the guy who is watching my house for me.)
After Mike and his grandchildren were gone, I contacted a couple of contractors about coming to give me estimates on raising the front porch, then I went outside to figure out where to my azaleas. In the back yard, Mike's grandchildren saw me and came over to see what I was doing. They then asked if they could help. It was fine with me if they wanted to get their hands dirty planting my plants, so I said "sure."
As "we" planted two of my bushes, the oldest of the grandchildren innocently announced, "I like you. You're nice." [Funny how the neighbor's grandchildren think it is "nice" of me to "let" them help me plant bushes, but my own child (and formerly, my husband) seems to look on the exact same activity as an inconvenient imposition.] The other two bushes needed to wait to be planted because I had a contractor coming to the house and we needed to run out for dinner before he arrived. As it turns out, he arrived just as we got back from grabbing some tacos. Then he stayed until it was just about dark and I did not plant the other two bushes on Monday.
Later that night, Anne went to take a shower before bed. The water was still stone cold. I had forgotten to turn up the gas after lighting the pilot. I had to walk through a pitch black basement to turn the gas up on the water heater so she could wait half an hour in a towel to shower in lukewarm water. It's okay. We spent her half-hour wait watching part of an old episode of Doctor Who that she downloaded to her laptop before the trip.
It rained unceasingly on Tuesday from dawn until almost dusk and I was grateful to be inside, but I could have kicked myself for not planting my other two bushes on Monday. Mom and Dad arrived at the house just as the second contractor finished talking to me about work to be done on the house, and he had to go over the whole thing with them, separately. After he left, we got up the rest of the nails and staples sticking out of the floor, I helped Dad test some electric wires, and a new leak in the roof started dripping through the dining room ceiling. Then the rain finally let up and I scrambled outside as fast as I could to plant my remaining bushes. Whew! I am relieved that is done!
Day two ended with dinner for Anne and me in a little family restaurant beside the Bay. (Mom and Dad left to go stay with a couple of her friends, coincidentally, the pastor who married my husband to me.) As I gazed out a window at the waves lapping against the shoreline, I was reminded of my friend, Maricela, who accompanied me on the anniversary cruise meant for my 15th wedding anniversary with my husband. So when Anne got up to wash her hands, I pulled out my cell phone. Sadly, Maricela's number has been disconnected. Since she has moved and does not have an email address, I no longer have any contact information for her. My heart feels very heavy with this loss of contact.
Wednesday morning, Anne and I planted some flower bulbs after eating breakfast at McDonald's, my parents showed up with quick-drying, waterproof caulk to seal up the newest leak in my roof, then we were done. (Hurray!) They took off in their car. We took off in ours. About halfway home, Anne and I stopped for lunch with my nephew at his college. I got to be the "cool aunt" for taking him to an Asian buffet he has been unsuccessfully trying to get his friends to try. I also earned "cool" points for my bumper sticker and gave him one for his car -- but he agreed with Anne that I am not "famous." (Silly boy!)
After dropping my nephew off (a little late, but full and happy) at his class, we were on our way home and finally finished with our mini-excursion. The End.
Honestly, I wish Anne's dad were here to participate in our project. It would give her an opportunity to find something truly admirable in him. My ex-hero absolutely shines with a project like this at hand. The word "quit" does not even enter his vocabulary. Working on an "impossible" task of this magnitude is one of those rare times when my now super villain is at his very best. It is really a pity our daughter does not get to see him the way I did when he fixed up our first house together.
Anne and I went up on Monday, drove back on Wednesday and spent most of Tuesday working in the house. My parents came up on Tuesday and drove back Wednesday. Our projects this time were:
 |
| Needs Flowers |
 |
| Sinking Porch |
The first thing I always do when I get to the house after a while away is turn on the water and light the water heater. So we had just gotten in to the house when I was in the basement, heading to light the pilot for the water heater when I heard my neighbor's voice calling down the stairs. (It is good to know someone is watching the place for intruders.)
"Hello! Anybody in here?"
Recognizing my car, Mike had brought his grandchildren with him. He came into the basement to say hi, then left! I was still lighting the pilot in the water heater when he took off, he left so quickly. I followed them out the door as soon as the pilot was going. (I did not want to seem inhospitable the guy who is watching my house for me.)
After Mike and his grandchildren were gone, I contacted a couple of contractors about coming to give me estimates on raising the front porch, then I went outside to figure out where to my azaleas. In the back yard, Mike's grandchildren saw me and came over to see what I was doing. They then asked if they could help. It was fine with me if they wanted to get their hands dirty planting my plants, so I said "sure."
As "we" planted two of my bushes, the oldest of the grandchildren innocently announced, "I like you. You're nice." [Funny how the neighbor's grandchildren think it is "nice" of me to "let" them help me plant bushes, but my own child (and formerly, my husband) seems to look on the exact same activity as an inconvenient imposition.] The other two bushes needed to wait to be planted because I had a contractor coming to the house and we needed to run out for dinner before he arrived. As it turns out, he arrived just as we got back from grabbing some tacos. Then he stayed until it was just about dark and I did not plant the other two bushes on Monday.
Later that night, Anne went to take a shower before bed. The water was still stone cold. I had forgotten to turn up the gas after lighting the pilot. I had to walk through a pitch black basement to turn the gas up on the water heater so she could wait half an hour in a towel to shower in lukewarm water. It's okay. We spent her half-hour wait watching part of an old episode of Doctor Who that she downloaded to her laptop before the trip.
It rained unceasingly on Tuesday from dawn until almost dusk and I was grateful to be inside, but I could have kicked myself for not planting my other two bushes on Monday. Mom and Dad arrived at the house just as the second contractor finished talking to me about work to be done on the house, and he had to go over the whole thing with them, separately. After he left, we got up the rest of the nails and staples sticking out of the floor, I helped Dad test some electric wires, and a new leak in the roof started dripping through the dining room ceiling. Then the rain finally let up and I scrambled outside as fast as I could to plant my remaining bushes. Whew! I am relieved that is done!
Day two ended with dinner for Anne and me in a little family restaurant beside the Bay. (Mom and Dad left to go stay with a couple of her friends, coincidentally, the pastor who married my husband to me.) As I gazed out a window at the waves lapping against the shoreline, I was reminded of my friend, Maricela, who accompanied me on the anniversary cruise meant for my 15th wedding anniversary with my husband. So when Anne got up to wash her hands, I pulled out my cell phone. Sadly, Maricela's number has been disconnected. Since she has moved and does not have an email address, I no longer have any contact information for her. My heart feels very heavy with this loss of contact.
Wednesday morning, Anne and I planted some flower bulbs after eating breakfast at McDonald's, my parents showed up with quick-drying, waterproof caulk to seal up the newest leak in my roof, then we were done. (Hurray!) They took off in their car. We took off in ours. About halfway home, Anne and I stopped for lunch with my nephew at his college. I got to be the "cool aunt" for taking him to an Asian buffet he has been unsuccessfully trying to get his friends to try. I also earned "cool" points for my bumper sticker and gave him one for his car -- but he agreed with Anne that I am not "famous." (Silly boy!)
After dropping my nephew off (a little late, but full and happy) at his class, we were on our way home and finally finished with our mini-excursion. The End.
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