Tales from Turtle Woman Ceramic Studio: Awaiting more action

Next episode isn’t happening yet!


Early today, while I was still taking my morning swim, Arnold the Contractor returned my call from yesterday afternoon. Sleeping-in-George took the call and when I got home, I returned Arnold’s call. “No,” he said. “There must have been a misunderstanding. Who had told me that the cement crew would be coming this week?”

“You did,” I told him, in your note with the timetable on it.

“You don’t understand construction,” he told me. “Things don’t necessarily go like that.”

“Also, Greg the Builder informed me on Wednesday (when he was here removing the basement door jamb) that the mason would be coming either that very afternoon or Thursday.” Arnold the Contractor informed me that this could not be happening because the Digger’s Hotline People had not come to check out the site and give the go-ahead.

“I thought that’s what the little white ATT Flag from Monday was about,” I responded. Apparently not….

“Anyway,” he assured me, “they have now filed their report and we have permission to continue.” He said that the diggers had to come first and make the deep holes below the frost line for the pilings and foundation before the basement doorway could be bricked in. (Apparently the mason/cement people can’t possibly make two trips for the two separate tasks.) This event is now scheduled for next Wednesday, September 1. That is, weather permitting. So… in the meantime, the piece of plywood will remain blocking the outside basement entrance, with the cracks of light showing around the bottom and sides.

     I told him I was worried about mice and rats getting in, but I guess he doesn’t think that’s an issue. I do, though, because just in early July a mouse stashed some of Hildegaard’s dog food under the oven grate in our stove and I had a major oven fire that ruined the stove. I now have purchased a new stove that bakes well, that I went over budget (what budget?) to procure, and I don’t want to have another stove episode.

     The weekend is now upon us. There is plenty of work to do in the back yard which is an overgrown jungle, beloved of mosquitoes, dachshunds, and small grandchildren, but which I hope to make a bit more attractive since I will have windows overlooking it--before it's all snow-covered, I hope.