Well, it’s official. I’m tired.
Not in a "Gee, I only got six hours of sleep last night" sort of way, but in a "Gee, I only got six hours of sleep last week" sort of way. We’ve been working on the house non-stop for two weeks, and while we’re making great progress, it’s taking a toll on my psyche and body.
I’m not a coffee drinker. Really. I never got into the groove of having a cup or two in the morning, or one with dessert. I have a cup now and again as the mood strikes me, but it’s not a habitual thing. I find that the amount of caffeine, especially in the crankcase oil they brew at work, makes my stomach go all wiggly, and it doesn’t so much wake me up as prop my eyes open like Alex in A Clockwork Orange while the rest of my body figures out a way to fake the appearance of being alert.
These days, I have a cup every morning at work to keep my stinging eyes open, and my slurred, tired speech from giving me away. Oh patron saint of caffeine, I beseech thee to wake me from my slumber and deliver me unto consciousness!
It’s finally starting to feel like Halloween. No, not fall, Halloween –- that is the official season as far as I’m concerned. More on this topic another time, as it’s deserving of a post all it’s own.
Had a nice chat with Steve last week. It’s always too long between calls, and we take such a long time to catch up. I got a few dirty looks from Lady for the time I spent not working on the house, but it was worth it.
HOUSE UPDATES
(if this doesn’t interest you, skip the rest of the post)
The work on the house is progressing nicely. Almost every surface that needs primer has been primed and all of the ceilings have been painted. One room actually has its final color on the walls. There is no longer any remnants of the old drop ceiling in the kitchen.
I’ve completed Wiring Phase 1: Power which includes removing every receptacle, the box in the wall it was mounted to, drilling up through the floor into the wall and pulling a ground wire from that spot to the power main, enlarging the hole in the wall for a new box and installing the new box and a new three pronged grounded receptacle. I also added two new power circuits, expanded a few existing ones and added the power and switches for a ceiling fan. We have an electrician coming out this week to give us an estimate on upgrading the fuse panels to breakers.
Wiring Phase 2: Communications commences this week, and that involves pulling phone, Ethernet and cable-tv to all the areas that need it. The problem here is that since the plumbers have finally filled in the Grand Canyon under the house, I have an inordinate amount of sand piled up under there. I mean, it’s touching the floor in some areas. They do that because the sand will eventually settle, and the wider/deeper the hole, the more sand it requires. Unfortunately, I now have to crawl through the wet dunes to run comm cables from the back corner of the house to everywhere else. Joy.
All told, we’re moderately on schedule and should wrap up all the necessities this week. Next week we start to trickle things in from storage, and the weekend of October 11th we’ll get a truck and do the big move from storage. All you folks that offered to help us move, be prepared for the sounding the horn that will signal a rallying of the troops right about that time. We may call upon a few Special Forces to help up do some trickling before then.
I’m in if I’m not working. All about helping people move. Get my cell # from Krazy or someone. Talk to ya’ll later!!
I enjoyed talking to you as well on the phone last week and yes, there is too much space between calls.
Harold and I spent lots of time talking about what it would look like to move to New Orleans again – where would we work (and I have no clue), where would I go to school (Tulane or Loyolla), where would we live (somewhere nice with a yard for the dog), how much it would all cost (no clue), etc…. and in the end we are still hesitant. Then today, a possible chance to go to work and school in Hawaii poped up – but I will post that on my blog tonight or tomorrow…..
I will not be coming for Halloween this year, we are probably going to sit on lawn chairs and hose down tricker treaters as no one here wants to throw a party with us – damn bumbs.
I can’t wait to see your house – I know the incredible work you must be doing to it!!! Well I have class in 25 minutes, so I need to jet – aloha!
you have my steel for the move!!!
Hawaii?!?! Wow, talk about a long commute every day just to go to work and school.
I stand by what I told you last week. I love you guys, and would really, really enjoy being able to hang out and hack around with you and Harold as often as we used to, but ultimately I wish only happiness and comfort for you both, or as much as you can beat out of this world — if anyone wishes you otherwise, you should pick over their motives with a magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers to find the sincerity amongst the personal agenda. If that means you stay in California, then by goodness, you guys stay, go to school and enjoy the relative comfort of just being a "person". Hell, if that means you move to Hawaii… aloha, get lei’d, and let me know if poi tastes as nasty as I’ve heard. Tell Don Ho I said "hi".
I’m sorry you guys won’t be able to make it in for Halloween. It would’ve been nice to see y’all, but that can happen anytime (although Halloween is a particularly special time of year for all of us). Let’s plan far enough ahead so that tickets can be procured for the best deal.
No party? No problem. Some of the best times I ever had we spent scaring the bezesus out of the neighborhood kids all by my lonesome. Here’s a good idea for you to try: Go to a thrift store and buy some old baggy "farmer" style clothes (plaid shirt, coveralls, etc) and cloth gloves. Buy a big plastic bowl, excelsior or raffia, an el-cheapo cheesy rubber mask (with reflective eye lenses preferably) and several bags of Halloween candy. Cut a hole in the bottom of the bowl big enough to get your hand and lower arm through. Don the clothes and mask and leave your right arm out of the right shirtsleeve and stuff the sleeve and right-hand glove with old newspaper and pin them together. Stuff some of the excelsior or raffia into every button seam, sleeve, pant leg and let it hang out a bit (think scarecrow). Attach the "arm" to the bowl and insert your right hand into the hole in the bottom. Cover your hand with candy.
Now, sit on your front porch holding the bowl with your head cocked a little to the side and be very still until some kids get up the nerve to approach you for some candy, not knowing if you’re a stuffed dummy or a guy in a mask… make them think you’re the dummy. Wait for the second or third kid to reach for candy and then push your hand through and grab theirs. I guarantee that you’ll have to hose the porch off at the end of the night to get rid of that acidic urine smell, but you’ll end up with a net profit in candy when they drop their bag and run screaming.
Just an old favorite of mine.
Krazy, somehow I expected you to say that. Those very words as a matter of fact, and it’s comforting to know that I can rely on you that much. Both you and Cuz will get the call, and thank you.