Nasty, nasty weather!

October 6, 2010
I don't have any new pics to post because I won't take my camera outside in the rain...which never stops....just like the Amish guys!  They have worked through this nasty weather, they are about 1/2 day behind, but I bet they finish today.

Having them here has been..umm..ahhh...what words to describe it? An experience...not bad, just different-like dealing with children, which, I believe, comes from their lack of communication..
For example:
They use my leaky garden hose as their water source to mix cement, it's very important to turn the water off when you're done using it for the day because of the leak. At the end of their first day of work, as they were loading up their things preparing to leave, I said:

Me- "you're not using the water anymore, right?" (I forgot that it's all in the wording!)
Amish guy- "Yeah, we still need it."
Me- "oh, I thought you were leaving now."
Amish guy- "yeah, we are."
Me- " so you are done with the water."
Amish guy- "We'll need it tomorrow..."
Me (trying not to sound irritated)- "But..you..are..done..with..it..for..now..correct? The hose leaks and it's important to turn it off when you are done."
Amish guy- "yeah, for today."
As we're having this conversation the rest of the Amish crew are standing there too, but no one says a word!!
I walk to the spigot to turn it off, and someone has already turned it off!!  Now, why didn't they say, "Yeah, done with water today, and have already turned it off."?  Sheesh!

On Monday, their first day of work, when their driver came to pick them up at the end of the day, he backed down the driveway and right into the ditch that was dug for the blocks for the garage. He just came flying down the driveway-backwards- and plunk..right into the ditch!  The tire on the drivers side was way in there,the body of the truck was resting on the ground, and the other tire was still in the driveway.  Without getting out to survey the problem, the driver sat there, engine roaring, trying to drive out! The one tire that was still in the driveway was spinning, but then bent outwards at an odd angle.  The Amish guys all started yelling,"WHOA,WHOA!", as if it were a horse, the dogs all started barking..what chaos!  The driver was useless, he must have been in shock, the Amish however went into action much like a Nascar team would do, and built a ramp under the dangling tire in the ditch from blocks and a board and he drove out and away, something on his truck squealing really loud, and that one back tire bent outwards...
The weather is supposed to start getting better tomorrow. I hope to be able to finish the furniture refinishing projects I have going on, and get the canopy cleaned, dried, folded and put away. I'm so sick of seeing that canopy and tarps in the little bit of yard that isn't all dug up with construction! I have stripped and sanded the buffet that I posted a pic of earlier and it is so beautiful!! I can't believe that it was hidden under that red stain, the wood is so unusual. I searched the Internet and I believe it is Quilted Maple..just lovely! I have a Birds Eye Maple dresser that I just need to finish the top of and that will be used in the 2nd bathroom. Then there's the elephant in the room..the ugly china hutch that was my mother-in-laws.  IF I can strip it, and IF the wood under all that red stain, and years of kitchen grease and cigarette smoke sticky stuff, looks nice...I'll finish it and use it in the master bathroom for towels and supplies. The dining room chairs that were waiting to be finished will have to wait for a long time, I won't have time to do them before the weather gets even worse, and I won't need dining room chairs right away like I need the vanities for the bathrooms. The chairs have gone back into storage, stripped, but unfinished.
I can not express the pressure on me lately to get things wrapped up... not just the furniture, and the fact that I've done nothing in my yard or flower beds- or in the flower beds at church-to prepare for the fall and winter seasons, but also great pressure in making decisions for the house- like what kind of lighting (what a process-so much to choose from), doors, on and on...so many decisions. The really big one is the kitchen, next week I meet with a couple designers. I actually have drawn how I want my kitchen, to scale, on graph paper...  :-)  I just need to have the designers input and an estimate.  I do have a list that I carry with me at all times, my brain just can't keep everything in order anymore, I need paper!  I have to do one of my least favorite things to do..make phone calls!
So, that's what I'm doing today, watching it rain, shopping online for lights, making phone calls, and trying to stay organized!
The most exciting thing that's happened so far today is that the Port a Pot guy came and pumped out the pot in my yard..yeah!