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Mid-January, Rain - January 13, 2012
Almost Midwinter - December 14, 2011
Saturday, Noonish, Sunny - November 05, 2011
October, White - October 31, 2011
October, 2011 - October 04, 2011


September 16, 2009

8:18 a.m.

Shingle White Female

This was the first time since we bought the house that I felt actual despair. I needed another windfall or a money angel, and I just felt like we�d exhausted all the ones we know.

Marc said the estimate on the roof isn�t unreasonable at all, but we can�t finance it because most of the cost is materials, and the expense of the guys who work for the contractors. But that on top of the chimneys and dealing with the scraping/priming of the house� and some more water damage we found, and some more rotten clapboards� I don�t know how much more money Dar can borrow � I�m sure he�s scraping into his line of credit to get the stove, and he already owes a boatload on that � and I certainly can�t go in deeper with my credit card. Where are we going to come up with another approximately eight grand for chimneys, roof and power washing the house?

Because, alas, though I have lined up competent lackeys for the weekend, Chimney Guy suggested power washing and I must say I have to agree with him. He pointed out where we�d already scraped last weekend, and how there were still flaky places there, and how power washing would get 95% of the loose or even potentially loose stuff off in a fraction of the time and then there would be very little scraping to do. Of course he DOES power washing and it behooves him to advertise� but. Me, my family and numerous lackeys who charge by the hour, scraping for days on end for who knows how long, until God knows when, vs. a guy with a power washer coming over while I�m at work and having it done in two days, VOILA. I go to work for two days, the house gets de-flaked, VOILA. I think the lackeys would cost more and take more time. Whereas, Chimney Guy: �Hello Ms. Bornearly, I�ve washed your HOUSE!� �Good evening Ms. Bornearly, this week I�ve replaced your ROOF!� �Hiya Bornearly, you have new CHIMNEYS!� Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom. You know what I mean?

We looked inside the crawl space at the front edge of the attic, and I found a bat skeleton.

He pointed out that, indeed, I�ve been having leakage in the attic all along. Not enough to come down into the house, but water nonetheless.

Anyway, after he left I spoke with Marc about it all and then went into the kitchen to see about dinner. I just didn�t know what to do about my dear big old house and the insurance monkeys, and I cried a little. Then I said my prayers and did some Reiki and called on the spirits of the house to help find money.

A bit later Dar returned my call and BLESS him, he wasn�t freaked out or anything. He just said, �It needs to be done, and we�ll just do it. Let me call you back in a while.� So he�s coming up with more money somewhere. I don�t want to know where; I don�t want details about additional debt. Of course these are startup expenses and we won�t have to incur them again. But who knew they�d all pile up before I even have new plumbing?

I was much relieved after talking with him.

Chimney Guy #2, whom I will call Builder Guy, and who is coming to give an estimate tomorrow, turns out to be the one who patched the large part of the roof last year. Apparently all that water damage in the upstairs bedroom was THREE YEARS OLD before the old man did anything about the roof. No wonder it got so bad. He had the guy just put another layer of shingles over the several that were already there, instead of stripping the roof. He figured he�d die before it made any difference.

Meanwhile, Marc has found a large metal building � used to be an auto parts store, I believe � up for grabs for whoever wants to move it off its current location in the next TWO WEEKS. This is because the owner has to pay taxes on it and they�re coming due in October. Marc needs a shop. This building is 30� x 80�, bigger than anything he�d have planned to build himself. They haven�t cleared the area for the shop yet, as they weren�t planning to build until next year, but this is FREE if he can organize moving it. He said he could even cut part of it off the end and make me a huge shed / carport. In theory this is a fabulous idea; I don�t know if it�s practically possible, but it�s fun to think about. And if I don�t enclose the front, I don�t get taxed on it as an additional building. Marc was very proud of me for thinking of this. He loves to cheat the tax man.

Wheee, I�m getting a new roof and chimneys and paint.

I�m exhausted.

Work is very busy, and the big boss, who is largely oblivious to any details about me (such as that I am not full time, and that I play in a band), asked Marc today if they were going to lose me. He just found out I tour with a band. He�s concerned I might leave. This is good; I am not leaving, and in fact I would like a raise. Perhaps at some point that will be arranged, if I continue to be smart and prudent and give the excellent impression that somehow I have managed to convey.

We�re starting to get our England schedule for March, and I have to say I am slightly excited about it. We will have a videotaping/interview gig on the Isle of Wight, that will air locally on tv. We�ll be able to use it for promo purposes. We have to be really good.

That�s it; time for bed.

********

Next Morning

Lollygaggin� of course. I ought to be getting ready to leave for work. But I�ve decided that, along with darker hair, I will stop wearing makeup to work, so that saves me ten minutes or so. It also allows me to rub my eyes during the day if I�m sleepy. That�s very satisfying.

The bittersweet that I have not managed to cut down by now is turning yellow; the berries are preparing to pop. The Autumn Olives are bright red against their silvery-green foliage. Not much is still blooming; a little Ragweed, some Queen Anne�s Lace, a few tiny daisy-like flowers out in the meadow. I found just two red clover blossoms yesterday. My potted nasturtiums look pretty tired but are still blooming like troopers. The two mums I got are blooming profusely on the front stoops. And just this morning I saw my first cardinal on the ground under the feeder! It gladdened my heart.


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