A work related PS

Spent Monday in Flint/Clio on the set of the two day gig, and what a train wreck.

Because I need to get moving in order to return to the scene of this "crime", I will have to fill you in tomorrow. Suffice to say, on a production day (a 12 hour day), you are to be fed two meals, the first being at 6 hours in! Six!!! The director/producer decided he would get work done (because of his incompetence to manage the shoot), and that we wouldn't eat until the first scene was shot and he had SOMEthing on film!

I can't tell you how wrong that is, for many reasons.

The first meal should have been at two in the afternoon, but he decided to forgo it, since nobody was picking at the crafty crap (LOTS of donuts and cookies). His reasoning: "nobody was hungry, so why feed them...we'll wait."

Uh - NO!

We did not get a meal until 6:30PM, 10+ hours in! And then, when I told him we were over on lunch time, he dawdled getting started again, and he worked the group until 2:45AM, without another meal. Also, he ran out of beverages and thought nothing of it at all.

Today, I am walking at twelve hours, and if that means I never get to work with him again, oh well. I guess that is something I can live with. Happily.

For now, I have to leave, because we have a noon call time back in Clio - even though we didn't get 12 hours in between - another broken rule. SAG production or not, you never turn around in less than 12 hours!

More on this another time. Time to hit the road.

Karl update

Thank you for all of your prayers and good thoughts.

Karl came home Sunday early in the afternoon - and was so relieved...and tired. His first order of business was to take a shower; for even though he had a private room with a really nice bathroom (including shower), he still could not bring himself to use it. It has been this way for most of his life. Luckily, the forces of nature override in many situations, and while I could not get him to shower, he did use the privy in another way. ;)

The Cardiologist was concerned over the EEG/EKG from Sunday morning, which showed a huge arrhythmia around 7:30 that morning. The cause was scrutinized, and the effects on his heart were discussed in a very serious manner. He was instructed to be very aware of his heart and how it feels - most particularly if/when it ever fluttered or felt as though it was missing a beat; if he ever felt light-headed or week. All of his chest discomfort and discussion and concern over his heart has given him an eye-opening scare.

He is currently on Colchicine, a gout medication they have found works wonders in eliminating the fluid in the sac around the heart. Karl's problem is that the sac itself was also infected, as was the muscle under this sac (around the heart), and that the heart also was injured with the viral infection he had had just 2 days before this all began.

The subsequent pain and pressure, and difficulty breathing was a normal condition of Mio-pericarditis. The doctors were very curious, and concerned, that a boy of 21 would have something so serious without a family history of early onset heart conditions. They are still curious - and at a loss - about it. So, Karl is a curiosity and on a watch.

The Colchicine should make it tough for this to happen again, versus the routine treatment of steroids and antibiotics. They have recently found the Colchicine treatment wards off recurrence of the problem down the road.

The one huge side effect of the med is the subsequent diarrhea, and the time lost in letting that abate and then restarting the med at a lower dose to find a good level of treatment. He will be on the Colchicine for 2 months.

So there you have it, Karl's ailment in a nutshell. Thanks, again, for your love and prayers - they meant the world to us both.

UPDATE: More news about Karl

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Karl will be leaving the hospital tomorrow for home!

After speaking to Grandma and then Brian on the phone, he dropped off faster than a stone down a well. It was good to see him eat, and excellent to see the pain abate, and so now he will sleep for as much of the night as the medical staff will allow without interruption.

So, good night for now, and I will let you know the details tomorrow, when I am not too tired to type. Thanks, again, for all of the prayers and good thoughts.

UPDATE: News regarding Karl

So, he was finally shuttled to Sonography for an echo cardiogram - the test he's been hoping and waiting for for more than 8 hours.

We knew when we arrived at St. Joe in Pontiac, that his wait would be at least four to five hours , as there were probably several other names on the list before his, and the sonographer doesn't begin their day until after 7AM. He had been in the ER of a small clinic in Clarkston from about 8:30PM to around 2:45AM, when he was packed off in an ambulance to the hospital for observation, testing and treatment.

Being uncomfortable and not knowing what was going on, and having it be your heart and affecting your breathing was all hard to live with after a day of frustration and being sick.

Heck! After two days of chest pain and constant nausea, he was pooped. Now all he knew was that he was scared and not home, and hurting and hungry! Compound all of that with the typical loud hallway noises, nighttime interruptions for BP checks and blood gathering, etc, etc, and you have one helpless boy.

Thanks be to God we were given a room with one bed and a vinyl chair that folded down into a pseudo-bed. The staff was very kind and handed me a pile of blankets and sheets on arrival, and made room for me, so that I could stay with him.

Just short of seven this morning his chest pain set in like gangbusters, more gripping than it had been over the last two days. He was writhing and pleading for something, anything, and I hot-footed it to the nurses station to let them know things were going the wrong way. He was given morphine - which did nothing to alleviate the discomfort.

It wasn't long after that the Cardiologist on duty arrived to discuss what was what, and let us know what to expect and what it was they were looking at and for. He ordered Toridol (sp) for the pain, which was given right away. More blood work, a urine sample and a host of other fun, and said he would be back, but to expect to meet the Chief Cardio dude later today.

All I know is, Karl was very happy to have the orderly arrive with a chair to get him to the echo...because lunch was right around the corner, and he was tired of waiting.

More later when there is something to report.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Karl - they are well received and very much appreciated.

Karl is not feeling well

I guess he hasn't been feeling 100% for the past couple of days now, but last night while I was sanding the floor, he took a turn for the worse. Here we are this morning, with him now nauseated to the point of throwing up (or feeling like it and running to the bathroom) - just since 3:00AM or so - his temp has dropped from 102*F to a more reasonable 99.6*F, but still as ache-y in his joints as late yesterday.

Beyond aches in his joints and muscles, his neck has become stiff and quite sore, and his headache has not abaited for any more than an hour after taking acetominaphin. In fact, the tightness in his chest (we usually ascribe to asthma) is not helped by a nebulizer treatment. Breathing in without expanding his chest first is painful...and he knows the difference between the asthma tightness and this new sensation. His pulse has been rapid, ranging from 120 to 132 and his BP......

Well, I can take it, but I don't know what a good average would be, so I have no idea if the resulting numbers are high or low.

Last night, and into the early morning hours, his upper lip was briefly blue, as were his nails. Brian came down to me about 2:30 saying Karl wanted more Tylenol so he could be comfortable, and [they] wanted to know if that was ok. Also, he added, Karl's lip was "grey" and he was generally pale overall, he thought.

Time seemed to pass very quickly from 3AM to 5:30AM, during which time, K was able to sleep for periods of time, drink some fluids, consume a banana and get up to the bathroom. He even requested jello for something to eat besides his favorite fruit.

Moments of improvement are short-lived, and he is still uncomfortable for the most part. I have been in touch with mom, who thinks we should go to the ER, but Karl wanted to sleep and stay home until the daylight hours. Can't say that I blame him, but I would love to know what is going on and if it needs treatment of some sort, or if it is something viral that will pass with time. Usually, this sort of "flu-like" set of ailments passes in a day or two, but Karl's are lingering and compounding oddly. Perhaps a trip to Crittenton Outpatient is what is called for. Brian's doc, here in town, has very limited (and strange) office hours, so the first thing is to get him seen and get this figured out.

Please say a prayer for Karl's health. Thank you.

Cute little visitor

One last note (two items) for the day.

As the day drew to a close, and the sun cast long shadows from the west, I chanced to look out the kitchen window to the backyard, and a movement on the ground caught my eye. A small, dark bird was fluttering helplessly in the tall grass, and I wasn't certain if it was a fledgling or an injured bird. After watching it for several minutes, I went out a back door with gloves on (some birds can really clamp down and make a mark) to see what was needed for this non-flying flyer.

The lovely little critter huddled against the trunk of the apple tree - trying for invisibility - was a Barn Swallow. Adorable and feisty, but spindly and shaking.

The second bit of news is nothing more than I am still waiting to hear from Brad, and waiting to receive the script.

More of everything tomorrow.

A correction - already

Regarding the two day production ("Cloud Nine"): The large email blast he sent out "in response to the hundreds of emails I received for crew work" stated the production dates are to be Sunday and Monday, August 29 and 30, but the recent ads he posted to find additional crew, list Monday and Tuesday as the production dates...so, your guess is as good as mine.

This guy is a flake, and a low-balling flake at that. I will keep you in the loop.

[thumb's up]

OK, paying job #2 is in the wings

Yes, I got it.

It isn't much...2 days at an un-Godly low rate that I had to bid (and sell myself short) - and I wasn't even his first choice, but I got it.

I will be a scripty for a few days on an ulta-low micro budget webisode project.

Received an email yesterday afternoon (after making other plans for another interview for a no-pay gig) telling me I had the spot (sort of) and that we needed to have a face-to-face to seal the deal.

Drove to Flint for the late pm interview and spent an hour with "Brad", who obviously had no clue what he was looking at as he glanced over my scripty notes. He never went past the 3 pages of script and their accompanying facing pages to review the reports, one liners, breakdowns....nothing. Does he not want (or expect) an editors log or daily summary, or any of the usual stuff?

Guess not.

In fact, as we wrapped the session, he couldn't even hand me a copy of the script(s) (yes, there are supposedly three versions of this trailer that will be shot in the coming couple of days), nor could he assure me I would get an email of it any sooner than "maybe by five tomorrow." Neither could he tell me the dates of the production, but I am assuming from his other three pleading ads online, that it will be Monday and Tuesday of next week.

We'll see.

That's ok, it's all good. I have a short-but-paying script supervisor job that I can call my own...and there WILL be MORE to follow. ;)

Morning smells

I woke up around 5:30 this morning, but I had help. Poor Flop was having hairballs issues, and that noise always gets me bolt upright from a sound sleep. Her coughing fits are so loud (when you compare them to her regular, quiet self) there's no way you can miss them.

Anyway, after that, I was up. I was very much aware that I had been awake and fitful most of the night. I heard Brian up and down until goodness knows what time exactly...in the kitchen...to the bathroom...in his room - me, rolling, pitching, wondering about the doorlocks, is Karl off his PC....

Not a great night of sleep. I do know that I fell asleep early, sometime around ten, maybe - but I seem to recall maybe seeing the weather? ? ? When I awoke the first time, I was aware Bud had gone back upstairs, the TV was off, but a candle was still burning. After that, everything's a snore until things became restless.

So here I am now, getting ready to feed the girls, listening to the early morning summer sounds and smelling somebody's drier sheets. The smell of it is wafting in the window, making me think about getting some of my own wash going. And for some odd reason, I am craving pancakes and bacon.

Hmmph.

See you on the flip side. ;)

Headed home today (again), for more than a day

Returned to Livonia for the weekend to pick up time for one of the other people who stay with Gram, but it put a crimp in my plans to finish the kitchen. Hopefully, I can get the floor sanded later this afternoon, and then stained/finished tomorrow - EARLY! My desire is to have the carpenter return Wednesday to finish the project lock, stock and barrel. After that, I can move forward.

However, after this entire last three weeks, I am beginning to wonder if "forward" is a direction in my repertoire. It sometimes feels as if that it is something I am incapable of. Is my forward movement under my control?

I do everything I can and still feel like I doggy-paddled the wrong way up a one way canal.

Classes for Karl begin at OCC on the second of September and sometime soon for CCS in Detroit, too, so shuttling him will be my job for a while. Brian is supposed to have signed up for a couple of courses, too. Still trying to get him to tell me when his classes are so hopefully we can carpool a bit. For the time being I am going to step away from the keyboard and get into he day. Perhaps I will write a bit more later.

Yes, again

Maybe not quite as early as five twenty-five, but early enough.

I awoke about forty minutes ago and rolled over, trying in vane to forget daylight would be here soon and that I had to pack the car and drive south again, but my little ploy didn't work. My brain was determined to keep sorting through the day and all of the necessary bits. Packing and rearranging the particulars into neat little piles, like rehearsing lines and running scenes before shooting.

Up I got and begrudgingly greeted my vertical position. Phooey!

The cats were eager to see if breakfast would be equally as early (for them) and they circled like fuzzy little sharks. Cute, but maniacal.

I checked email to see if I had received any answer to my note from yesterday. Yes, I had another interest bomb yesterday from a two-day production. They wanted a bid (a low-ball, "micro budget" rate) with which to weed out candidates and narrow the field, so that choosing a scripty for their cheap trailer was a no-brainer.

JEEZ! I can't even get work on a two day gig!!! Did I have to bid $25 dollars just to get a look? C'mon!!

Well, production for the next two I applied to begins next week. Prepro should be this week (at least for timing and breakdown, script super-wise), so I think I can figure I am out of the running. I mean, even if they are INCREDIBLY late hiring, and the paperwork needs to be done in a hurry, by now there should be some notification.

Maybe I'll just go back to bed and hug a pillow for a little while.

Another reason to smile

Karl woke up early and helped my get the trash out to the street. Normally that wouldn't be such a huge deal, but this load required muscle and sweat equity.

If I had been thinking I would have taken a photo of the pile left by the carpenter outside the front door (in front of the garage). It was a mess, and was not something I wanted to look at or work around for very long.

I called our garbage company to ask what they would/wouldn't haul away, as they have a policy which says they will haul "one large item per quarter", so I asked her to elaborate on the sketchy description. She said as long as nothing was over 4 feet in length they would take the "cabinets" I told her we had removed, broken down and bundled. She said 'no worries.' I guess we'll see.

Besides that lumber, we had four trash bags of regular garbage set out and one long piece of construction, which used to be the toe kick and bottom of the cupboards (that were ripped out on the oven end) of the long counter. That should have been deconstructed by the carpenter, but he left it intact, and since it it 7" longer than it should be for pick up it may remain behind. That we shall see, too.

At any rate, Karl came out after the first bundles were already taken to the curb, and he sawed the long pieces to manageable lengths, picked up loose bits and pieces and then helped to bundle the huge lot of remaining loose pieces and get them to the pick up point. Really, a LOT of manual labor for him, and he did great! Towards the end he lost interest and steam, but he did stick with me. I was impressed and very happy to get it done.

When the garbage truck rolled up, I must admit I stood there and watched those guys heave that pile of worthless scrap onto the truck with glee (and hopeful curiosity). when they finished I stepped onto the porch and yelled "thank you." Probably would've done handstands if I knew how.

Bye bye old stuff. Don't write, I won't be missing you!

Up for hours

With the dawn of the day arriving, my eyeballs resisted opening, but for some reason my brain decided it was wakey-wakey time. Try as I might, I could not get back to sleep.

Bad brain!

It was the wee hours of the morning (not the "wee, small hours" as described in that lovely song), around 5 to 5:30 - I could tell from the lack of noise from the bird population and the rather feint (to lack-of) light in the room. I had hours to go before needing to rise, in spite of the list of things requiring my attention before returning to Gram's.

That's right, I am returning to stay with her because the second of two people (who stay with her when family is not scheduled) is taking time off. S'ok, I need the cash right now, so I guess that's as good a reason as any. Harsh, but true and honest.

Yesterday, Uncle Dan and I were kibitzing with each other and chatting up Gram when the phone rang. I had agreed to stay for dinner with Laura, Scott (who were bringing lil' Edison for a visit), Unc Dan and Gram when news came that there was a search on for someone to stay during the time, over the weekend, that was now vacant. This meant that I then needed to scram so I could try and salvage some of the late, late afternoon hours for getting things accomplished in my own world before having to return within 24 hours. Not a pleasant thought.

The drive up Telegraph alone was going to eat a lot of what remained for Thursday, so I was desperate to get moving right away. Unc D understood, but Gram took it all personally.

That's when Gram let Dan and me have a load of buckshot. Ah well, I hope the visit from Scott and Laura and their son had a calming effect on the old girl.

I however, had a nice dinner with Brian and Karl, and that made my day. They were congenial and sweet (even to one another), and we laughed at silly things...very unlike most of our suppers. I got a start on laundry and read a couple of newspapers that had piled up, tended to a small amount of paperwork and made plans to get cracking on the new floor in the kitchen the next day.

This morning I fed the girls and sat with each one in turn, which resulted in a LOT of purring and drool - they are so important to one's psyche, all of that appreciation and unconditional love. I can't tell you how much I miss it when I go away. It's like not hugging the boys...I need that, too! Besides, petting Gram is just a little weird.

Anyhow, I had a bowl of cereal and checked email and job sites for new listings. Found a new response to one of my interest letters from about a week ago. It's just a two day thing, but at least I got another response. Those are almost as good as getting work! ;) Another bid job - which I hate doing since they undercut you to start with by saying it's a micro-budget production (whether it is or isn't), so you end up having to pitch ridiculously low day rates, hoping no one else underbids you. Jeesh!!!!!

So now, it is another hurry up and wait ordeal. At least the wait will be a bit shorter as they are running the two days of production on the 29th and 30th of August. They are in a hurry to get the scripty locked down because there will be a bunch of pre-pro work for me to do if I get this gig. So what would be 2 days for all other on set hands, a script supervisor has a couple of days (easily) of work to get done before filming starts - and that's all paid, too.

After that I went to work on washing the dishes in the sink (boys!) and then filling in the chinks, knot holes and gaps in the new oak floor. Once the wood filler dries sufficiently I will get a drum sander and tackle the next item on the list tonight or tomorrow morning (August is growing short). I may not get to the staining until I return, but at least this much is accomplished, and it feels good! As soon as it is stained the carpenter can return and finish the island build out, cabinet installation and range hook up! Maybe even install a counter top for good measure.

I will feel it all tonight though, when I want to stay awake past 9pm...but it does me a world of good when I am up for hours and I get things done.

Very disappointing

I honestly don't know what I am supposed to be taking away from all of this. I get calls and return email - like fish biting at my hook in the water - and then they evaporate, as though the fish have eaten the bait off the hook, and I stand here wondering what the point is.

Finished production on AT, and continued to send out many more interest letters with my production 'resume' (called a "credit sheet" or "working credits," or just "credits" in the industry) to upcoming projects. Towards the end of the run I received calls and emails in response - so of course, I became buoyed and hopeful. All during the production I watched the trades and websites for new jobs to apply to, and seriously thought (let myself think) that it was all starting to look up.

However, it's going on three weeks since I received that first exciting phone call from the UPM with Playback (to be shot in Grand Rapids), telling me that I was in the running. My info would be passed to the Sound Mixer, who would then interview and hire the Boom Op. Guess I wasn't local enough for them, since that seemed to be a sticking point for them in their ads.

Funny though, how it is that western MI residents can get jobs in Detroit and all around, but others cannot go west and work on that side of the state.

I tried to kid myself that with so much time before the production began filming, that it would be the typical last-minute time frame to make that decision, and then the typical rush to get the paperwork done at break-neck speed. I remained optimistic right up until last night (truthfully, Tuesday evening), when I received word that the Scripty gig in Atlanta that I was told I had locked in, was now given to a friend of the producer, but that I could still do prepro work and/or other stuff on her project if I wanted...and the idiots from Henry Ford Comm College and their "mentoring" project would only interview face-to-face, so that I sat for two days waiting for the call - as scheduled on their end - only to be told hours after the second missed call, and so many lies, that it wasn't going to happen.

Seriously, what am I missing?

So, yesterday was Friday the 13th, eh?

Well, it was the same ol' same old for me. I guess that could be interpreted as a good thing, then, eh?

Over the last several days the kitchen progressed to a point of standstill...that is, until I can get the floor sanded and stained/finished (which won't be until I can get back from Gram's), so the boys will have to navigate the living room chaos another week.

Currently (and for the last week), the fridge, dining table, chairs, antique German hutch (and all of it's contents) are crowded into the living room, leaving a small navigable route from the front door to the rest of the house! If it weren't so sad, it would be funny. Truthfully, the dining room chairs did go to the lower level, but the rest of the glut is in the shrinking living room.

Ah, but there's my motivating factor once I return home. I NEED to get it done, therefore it will get done! So, the first course of action will be to rent a drum sander and do the next steps as quickly as can be done. 1) (Fill chinks and knot holes) Sand; 2) Dust, dust, dust the floor; 3) Stain/finish the surface and allow to dry; 4) Paint the island wall - both sides; 5) Get the carpenter back to finish the half wall/island and install the counter top on it and hook up the stove (which has been in my garage since I bought it 5 years ago!).

Everything after that is after the fact.

Yes, I will need to paint the kitchen, but I will happily get that chore knocked off the list, too, and in short order. Everything will be out of the kitchen until the floor and island are complete, so if I apply myself, I should have no trouble painting while he builds out the final bits of the island. The walls are so accessible, it's inspiring - it hasn't been this empty, or orderly, since we moved in!

Another motivating component is that the garage is so much more clean and usable - as a garage! I haven't parked in it since the fourth year we lived here, so I am very excited about the coming winter.

There is hope for me yet. :) If Brian helps out a bit, I may even let him park in the garage, too.

Speaking of the boy - he has been passing kidney stones again. Three by my count since the middle part of the week. No telling if it will continue. The last time he was troubled by them was while I attended Specs...fall 2007 to spring 2008. He also (FINALLY) put together a resume, and may have sent it out to a few folks! Yea!!

Karl's class at College for Creative Studies in Detroit ended this week, too, and while he enjoyed it for the most part (and learned something in the process), he did also manage to create some cool assigned projects - impressing the teacher and the class! When I return I will post one of his projects here to view.

In the meanwhile, I have a sinkful of dishes soaking, and I should go do them before the day becomes any more humid and the water cools off. After that, my to-do list tells me I will be completing laundry and packing for the week. Then, from there, maybe I will attempt the floor "spackling," that way my list is one item shorter on my return.

Who knows! Whatever you are doing, I hope you enjoy yourself. See ya later.

P.S. - No, I've not heard anything from any of the productions applied to for the month of August, so I am hopeful that I hear from some of the September gigs shortly. Although, I did get a response/request from someone for an October gig...in Louisiana...lo/no/deferred (a.k.a. - "No money"). Would consider it, but they have nowhere to put me up, and I cannot afford to do all of the travel and housing for free if I am not getting paid. Ah well.

Lots of nothing

Still no word from anyone regarding the Grand Rapids film.

Have applied to two more productions - one in MI and the other in NY.

The flooring in the kitchen is down, and it is looking incredible. IN-credible! Next, the half wall for the island will be erected, the cabinets will go in on either side of the stove (which has been sitting crated, in the garage for more than 5 years), and then I will be able to stain the floor and move things back in! This has been a long time in the making. A l-o-n-g time...I can't tell you how exciting it is.

Brian has created an actual resume, and has already sent it out to a prospective employer.

Karl is inches away from completing his final project for the Flash class at CCS, and has done quite well, in spite of his protestations, goofing off and general stalling.

I've had a chance to work a little on Karl's quilt without any guilt about wasting time. I still have a long way to go, but because the patches assemble quickly, I can get 5 patches or more done without blinking. I have yet to cut out the red bits to use (on the three or four red patches I've decided to add to the quilt), and also still need to cut and assemble the 'white' patches and plain blocks before the top begins to go together, but there is progress where for the last month there was none at all.

Up until today, the weather over the last few days has been supreme. Not too hot, windy, cloudy, no humidity...thank you, God. What a gift.

That's all for me, I am heading to bed. Tomorrow will bring another interview with another do-gooder, who may or may not stick around to help Karl. This one will be number five, and I grow less hopeful with each person that marches into the house - all with good intentions and high-minded ideals, bit no stick-to-itiveness or care for the mess they leave when they change their minds days, or even weeks, later. I also need to go to the bank and then get some supplies for the kitchen work.

Let me know what you are up to.

And another thing

I did (finally) get a phone call from one of 8 film projects I contacted for work over the last week, and was told my information had been sent on to the Sound Mixer!

This is a promising thing, since you RARELY get any notification at all that your email was even looked at, much less considered.

The sound man now needs to call me for an interview/looky-loo, or simply choose me (from the raft of other submissions) as the Boom Op! Yup, that's right. This could be a second legitimate, paying, feature film job in one year!

The only details I have are that they are not covering travel or a room to stay in, it is for four weeks in Grand Rapids, and will begin the tail end of August.

Stay tuned for more updates, and thanks for the prayers...I can use them one and all!

New month, old habits

For the last several days I have been trying to get back into the sleeping groove I had before Auteur Theory - and it has been tough. You would think reversing something as simple as going from 12 hour night shoots back to a daytime routine would be nothing. I know! I thought so too, but it has been difficult.

In addition, I hoped to be back to blogging several times a week beginning with the first of the month - at least until I got another gig, you know - but every night, as I lay my head down, the little blog light clicked on in my head...pling! Then I remembered, "fool, you forgot to pen the day, again."

Always well past midnight, and with all good intentions for the following day, I tucked myself in for the night and dropped off to sleep.

So, here we are, a week into August - literally - and I am only now posting for the first time.

What the [bleep]!... I know (she said sheepishly).

Anyway, I decided that with my time open (no jobs in the immediate, forseeable future), I would get something done in the house which has been begging for attention for quite some time.

Completion!

There are several things to get done, on a very long list of ignored chores/tasks. The first annoying thing I tackled was the mountainous pile of blue jeans needing repair (most of them belonging to Brian). When I wan to sew I have to move them or move around them, so they moved finally to the top of the to do pile and got "to-did."

Tah-dah!

With that done (and a good deal of dirty laundry washed, too) I turned my focus to the house. It has been in a state of ramshackle and chaos because of the horrible take-the-money-and-run carpenters and tradesmen I paraded through when I had a full time job, and because of depression (and lack of $) after losing said full time employment.

Well, I am tired of living this way, so I made a decision, and the cats are hating it. Nevertheless, it needed to be done. Needs to be done, and so....it begins, AGAIN!

Many years ago (less than 10 and more than 5) I allowed people to come into my home to follow plans and diagrams, in order to make better use of the spaces in the house. A wall between the living room and kitchen was removed; the stairs to the lower level were reconfigured; walls and flooring went in downstairs (I did the flooring on my own); doors were installed and doorways closed over, and on and on. A friend has "volunteered" to help get the work in the kitchen done, and to help install the stove I purchased years ago (which has been sitting crated up in the garage since its arrival), so I have decided to take him up on it.

More to come, but here is where we stand after 2 days of efforts. Tomorrow, the red oak (which has been stewing in my lower level) is going down and then the support wall for the island is going up!!!