Damn change of season ...

Snow on the ground this morning.

And I woke with seriously swollen hands.

Back to wearing my "arthritis gloves" to help alleviate the pain.

They do help with the swelling and they allow me to function (although with my thimble-sized bladder, they have to be removed way too often to suit me!).

I'm also wearing the TENs machine because the stiffness is at an all-time high these days, most likely from the change of weather too (I can always count on having a major fibro flare-up at this time of year).

I took yesterday to veg after my nearly three days away from home but it apparently wasn't enough because I'm still really drained.

So, today is another day for vegging and trying to get my energy up again.

I'll have another opportunity for R&R tomorrow because nothing will be happening on the construction front, but the next day will be a long one for me.

I have to be out of here early on Tuesday and I have to stay out for the day because the drywallers will be sanding my sanctuary.  The dust that will be created will be too much for my lungs so I've been banished for the day.  Fortunately, I have two appointments in the big city that day so it works out well all around; I'll just have to leave the house a little earlier than I had planned (of course, I've already thought of several things I can do with that time).

Once that sanding has been done, the room will sit and wait for the painter to appear on Monday, November 8th (after he has enjoyed a week of hunting, remember?).

I have faith that eventually, this project will be completed.

Slight alteration of schedule

Don't you just love it when you spend your energy making specific plans, explaining the need for detail, and getting agreement all around for how a day will pan out ...

... and then within minutes it's all blown to hell because one party had no intention of honouring his commitment?

Let me explain.

Yesterday, the drywallers estimated that they would need "about two hours" to do what would need to be done today.

We explained that John would not be here (let's not talk about why he wouldn't be here, ok?) and I had to be out of here by no later than 10:15am in order to be in the big city for a medical appointment.

Drywaller guy #1 agreed to be here by 7:30am so that they could then be out of here by 10:00am.

Okey dokey smokey, all is right with the world.

When drywaller guy left here around 3:00pm yesterday, he told me he would be here between 7:00am and 7:15am today, "if that was OK" with me.

"Fine by me, " I assured him.

He had also taken the time, before he left, to explain what the process would be to finish the job (the various stages required, etc) and that he could not be here on Thursday because of other commitments.

Well, not two hours after he left here (having told me that he'd be here by 7:15am, remember) our phone rings and it's builder man letting John know that the drywallers didn't get as much done as they thought they would on day one, so they would need longer on day two (ie they couldn't be out of here today before 12:30pm).  John indicated that that was OK by him (because builder man assured John that these guys were OK to be left in our home with nobody here since they were as honest as they day is long).

I quickly reiterated what I had made quite clear earlier in the day:  I was not comfortable leaving them (sub-contractors) in my home if we were not here.  I was speaking over the telephone conversation between John and builder guy, explaining that if builder guy was here, that would be OK with me.  John passed the phone to me.

Builder guy told me that he could be here before 10:00am but he'd have to leave for a 2:00pm meeting.  I told him again that I did not want the sub-contractors left alone in my home.  (He was mumbling about how if they couldn't do what needed to be done, they would lose a full day of progress.)  Again, I told him if he could be here, OK, but I had to leave by 10:15am at the latest.

Well, this morning arrives and John leaves (again, we won't talk about why he was leaving or where he was going -- let's just say he and his dog left before dawn).

Drywaller guy arrives at precisely 8:00am (remember he was going to be here between 7:00am and 7:15am? -- yeh, right;  about as reliable as a car mechanic's estimate of when the car will be ready!).

Drywaller guy #2 arrives just before 8:30am.

Obviously these guys aren't going to be out of here on schedule if they didn't start on schedule!

At 9:30am, when there's still no sign of builder guy, I called and cancelled my 11:15am appointment -- there is no way I'll be able to leave here on time.  That appointment has been rescheduled for December 1st.  Call me crazy, but I don't take risks. (It also seems nonsensical to me for us to pay builder guy to be here "babysitting" the drywallers just because I'm being what John calls "unreasonable" about our house security.)

Builder guy arrives at 10:00am (remember, he thought I had to be out of here by 10:15am) and I told him that if there was nothing for him to be doing here, other than "babysitting," he may as well go about his other business -- my 11:15am appointment had already been cancelled and my next appointment is at 1:30pm so as long as I can get out of here by 12:30pm ...

He asks the drywallers what time they figure they'll be finished this stage of the job -- and their answer?

About 2:30pm-3:00pm!  He has to leave at noon for a half hour ....   Yet, yesterday, they only needed about two hours today.  (Shades of car mechanic estimating, don't you think?)

So I tell builder guy not to stick around here, I will cancel my 1:30pm appointment as well and simply leave here whenever they are finished.

"Are you sure?" he asks.  "That will be great because I have ..."

I didn't even bother listening to how much better that would be for him because my blood was boiling by then.

When I called to cancel my 1:30pm physiotherapy appointment (for which I would now have to pay because I didn't give the required 24-hour notice), she very nicely told me that they had an opening tomorrow at 1:00pm if I could make that one instead (I had called last week to ask about just such a switch and she had put me on that cancellation list anyway).  I grabbed it!  So at least there was one silver lining in this horrific cloud:  I won't be without my physiotherapy session this week and I don't have to pay the cancellation fee.

So I guess I'll eventually get out of here today, I just don't know when that will happen -- some time about 3:30pm perhaps.  The only thing I know for sure is that I will be leaving here today.

And I plan to have a very enjoyable evening visiting with my good friend, LC, at whose home I will spend the night tonight.

Tomorrow morning, I'm having breakfast with another good friend, RLR, and then I'll fill in my time shopping before going for my 1:00pm physio session.   Then I'm picking up MBB at his daycare centre and we get to spend the evening together cuz grandma's babysitting him while his parents are off galavanting in Toronto.

Friday morning, MBB and I will partake of breakfast at our usual venue before I deliver him to his daycare centre and then I will head home, stopping off at the grocery store en route.  Our Friday is going to be very busy because my Angel's son is coming over to make us his famous spaghetti dinner so we will spend a most enjoyable evening with her and her husband and her fabulous son (my hero -- I love him to death!).

I should be calmed down by then, don't you think?  If nothing else, the visits with good friends, coupled with the quality time with MBB, and capped off with seeing my Angel and her wonderful family should certainly help bring my blood pressure down nicely.

I've got photos ...

Builder man finished renovating the doorway that used to be my pantry door.  It is now a 37" wide opening (to allow wheelchair access, should that be necessary one day) but he had to protect the rest of the house from the mess that was being created in my sanctuary by the drywaller men.

So a plastic door was put in place, and it is oh so attractive:

It's lovely, to be sure, but I don't think I'll keep it (frankly, I don't believe it will catch on!).

Meanwhile, the drywallers were busy making their mess, and what a mess they were making!  I kept going in to see how they were progressing but I had to leave after a short time in the room because my lungs were objecting very strenuously.  I can't imagine what that work is like for those men who are inhaling that dust all the time!

Anyway, they were gone by 3:00pm and will be back by 7:00am tomorrow.  The early start tomorrow was necessitated by the fact that John just has to go bird hunting tomorrow, so he'll be gone before dawn -- and I have appointments in the big city.  I have to leave by 10:15am so the drywallers also have to be out of here by then.  I'm OK with builder man being here when we're not home, but subcontractors?  Not so comfortable with that.

So here's my sanctuary now, with the drywall in place:

And here it is from the north wall, looking back to the existing house (can you see the plastic "door" at the far end?):

So there you have it.

That's my sanctuary, as it looks right now.

I have to leave home for a couple of days while John sands and varathanes the trim for my sanctuary.

That means when I leave here tomorrow morning, I won't be returning until Friday.  Hence, there won't likely be any further updates to this blog before Saturday (be warned).

Progress, progress, progress

Well, I don't have any update photos to show you this morning since nothing changed in my room yesterday.

Builder man spent the day yesterday addressing the leak in the ceiling (took him a while to find the source of it).  Once  he finished fixing it and reinsulating the huge hole that had been created in the ceiling, he got started taking out the existing door to the old pantry.  That doorway will be widened to wheelchair access width and will be left without a door.  The actual door that came off will be put on the new, smaller pantry.

This morning, the drywallers arrived at 8:00am and started right in on their task.  They tell me that they will complete the putting up of the drywall today, and they should also be able to tape it all today.  Then they have to come in for a couple of hours each day for the rest of the week to "mud" the walls.  They expect that the mudding process should finish by Friday of this week, or Monday of next week at the latest.  At which point their job will be done.

Of course, we already know that nothing more will happen after that until November 8th because builder man will be hunting.

Today, builder man is busy rebuilding the wall that used to form the pantry door (the one that is being widened to allow wheelchair access).  He has to get that room ready so the drywallers can do the drywalling that has to be done in that area while they are here today.  So he's hoofing it!

Builder man promises me that once the doorway is readied, he is going to put a plastic barrier up to protect the main house (especially the kitchen) from the drywall dust that is going to be a huge problem.

I can't wait!  I'll surely post photos of the nightmare.

We've got insulation ...

Oh my sanctuary is just moving right along now.

Insulation man arrived at 9:00am yesterday morning, along with an assistant.

And by 11:15am, this is what my sanctuary looked like:

They were gone by 1:15pm, the room all cleaned up and fully insulated.

Monday morning, the building inspector is supposed to be here by 8:00am to give the go-ahead for work to proceed beyond this point.  (He best not be late either because we have to leave to go into the big city for a 9:30am appointment about our hearing aids.)

Then we really start to see progress as the drywall is put in place, followed by the floor -- all of which should happen by the end of the week (after which the builder will take a week off for the hunt.)

As for my status, once again I'm up at 3:30am because I'm slept out as a result of my having gone to bed at 7:30pm last night.  It's a vicious cycle I've gotten myself into again -- I can't stay awake in the evening because my hips won't let me get any restful sleep during the night.  I haven't yet learned the art of napping during the day ... 

View from my kitchen window

Yesterday was one very crazy day around here.

I had gone for a massage on Thursday and, as a result, I've been suffering terribly.  The ministrations on my hip really got the bursa riled up and it has been screaming at me ever since, leaving me unable to take even a few steps without excruciating pain.  Seems like I was popping Codeine like candy to try to get some relief (to no avail).  It's better this morning, after having been iced in the middle of the night, but I am desperately needing sleep.  That too will come, eventually.

Anyway, on the sanctuary front, things are progressing, finally.

Builder man and his assistant showed up here by 8:15am yesterday and got to work installing the siding.  By 9:15am, the task was well under way:

By 2:30pm, they had pretty well finished.  Here's what we see from the kitchen window now:

And from the deck, it looks like this:

You can see that it's coming right along.

Today, the insulation is being installed (contractor arrived at 9:00am this morning).  The building inspector will be here at 8:00am Monday to give his OK so drywall man can start doing his thing.

Builder man also hopes to install the floor next week. Fortunately, the room is just one big rectangle so there's no tricky corners or cutting involved; it should be a relatively straight-forward job (except for the closets and the pantry area).

Turns out that the painter is also a hunter (as is every contractor in this county, apparently). For the uninitiated, the first two weeks of November are "deer season" in this neck of the woods.

My builder man and the painter man both take the first week to hunt (neither one takes the second week -- thank the good Lord!) so nothing is going to happen with my sanctuary during that week.  (Read:  "Whatever doesn't get done next week won't get done before the week of November 8th.)

Painting is scheduled to commence on Monday, November 8th.  At that point, I move out for about three days because I can't be here while that is happening (damned allergies!).

Now I've got to find friends to help me fill my days while I'm stuck in the big city for those days -- most everyone I know still has to work during the day (poor suckers!).

Hey, MLC, ready my room for me please -- I'm going to need it on November 8th for at least three nights.  Looking forward to the extended bonding time with you and yours!

We've got a leak

So builder man didn't show on Wednesday.  Turns out there was nothing more he could do until the inspection was completed and the next supply of material arrives.

We passed muster on the framing inspection late Wednesday afternoon and that message was relayed to builder man.

He showed up on Thursday morning with the insulation man in tow so that chore could be assessed.  Insulation man will be here on Saturday to get that job done!

Inspection of the insulation has now been booked for Monday morning so the drywalling can be started (that's not going to happen overnight!).  Presumably, the drywall material will also be delivered some time before Monday.

Builder man also figured out how to deal with what will be my pantry when this project is finished so he framed the door for that yesterday.  And in doing so, he noticed that the ceiling was leaking.

On the left is the framed pantry -- very much smaller than what I used to have -- and you can see the bucket that was placed to catch the water from the leaking ceiling.  On the right, the holes he punched to find the source of the leak. Builder man will be fixing that too (the costs just keep going up ...)

I'm not sure what's in store for today, if anything.  I see that builder man called twice yesterday and missed us, (his second call came in too late -- gotta call early to catch this household) but he didn't leave a message.  Not quite clear on what he thinks voice-mail is for?

I guess our phone will be ringing around 8:30am today ...

WOW, what progress!

Wow, I left home for 25 hours and what a difference on my return!

The pantry wall has been broken through.

This shot is taken from my existing kitchen, looking through the pantry and into the sanctuary, straight toward the north window.

The electricity has been installed, satellite and internet wiring has been installed, and all is ready and waiting for the next inspection so that insulation and drywalling can proceed.

Now, that's progress!

This shot is taken while standing at the north wall, looking back toward the house.

My sanctuary is clearly coming closer to completion.

Perhaps I should go away more often, if that 's all it takes to bring about such wonderful progress!

Sorry for the lack of posts

I haven't been "up to snuff" of late.

On Friday, I had an appointment with my eye doctor so that kind of wiped out my day (she put those damned drops in my eyes so my vision was impaired for the rest of the day).  I have to drive a half hour to get there too, so the drive back was not fun (thank God for alternate routes and sun glasses).  I kind of just vegged for the rest of that day.

My sleep has really been touch and go lately too since both hips have decided to let me know about the ever-present bursitis.  Neither one will let me lie on it for any length of time so the need to sleep on my back has become immediate and I'm not winning that battle.

On Saturday, because I am so very fatigued now, I just vegged again.  I'm having great difficulty putting my mind to anything so I'm putting my mind to nothing.

Hence, I haven't been blogging.

When I started this blog, I vowed to myself that it would not be a "woe is me" type discussion.  So I try not to blog at all when my mood is not right.

And my mood has not been "right" lately so it's difficult for me to apply myself to this undertaking.

I'm quite sure that a lot of this mood deflation comes from the chaos that is my living quarters at the moment -- and the fact that I have no control over its state.

We were of the opinion that the pantry wall would be broken through on Wednesday last, so the pantry had to be emptied, which it was (that was no easy undertaking, and it was not achieved overnight).

Well, the boys showed up but they didn't quite break through the wall.  I made it clear that if the soffit and eaves were not closed up, they were not to open that wall unless the main house could be protected from the birds that might fly through (I have an "Alfred Hitchcock" phobia about birds and I will NOT risk having them flying through my home).

Based on that warning, the builder altered his approach to the project and by Thursday, he proceeded to build the closets in the new room while his assistant dismantled the pantry shelves to ready that room for the hole that will have to be cut.

These are the "before" and "after" shots of my beloved pantry.  I tell you, it's going to be a major challenge to accommodate all the holdings of that room in what will be left of the space once the entrance to my sanctuary is constructed.  (A new "pantry" will be built in the remaining space, and it will be considerably smaller than the one it is replacing.  *Sigh*)

Also on Thursday, the electrician visited to assess his task (which will be undertaken next week).  The contractor who will install the siding also visited so we could choose the colour for the outside of the room (John and I actually chose the same one!).  He will deliver the material on Monday for the builder to install the soffits (after which the hole can actually be cut to the main house).

Apparently, the steel for the roof will also be delivered next week so things should start happening again.

I guess what I'm saying is, I'm "down" because there has been no tangible progress on the project for too long now.  I had expected it to be further along than it is by now.

My builder is a hunter and November is deer hunting season so he will again be taking time off to try to shoot a deer or two or three.

And I know how much still needs to be done, and how much "finishing" is required before I actually take occupancy.  Not to mention how much "returning of kitchen" needs to be done before I can even think of fixing up my sanctuary the way I might want it.

Sure, everthing will be moved to the new room, but I won't be able to address the functionality of the room until I have the house back to normal again (responsibilities before play).

So I'm thinking it might be Christmas before this project is actually ready for functional occupancy.

The pain is becoming unbearable again

My physiotherapist assures me that the difficulty I'm having with my hips is emanating from the bursa.  I described to her what it is like, and was able to pin-point precisely where the pain is and she said that it is classic bursitis.

Of course, I had already told John that I was fairly certain it was the bursitis rearing its ugly head again (I've become quite proficient at identifying the differences now).  I am also experiencing significant discomfort in the groin area (which is indicative of degeneration in the hip joint itself) but the severe pain which is preventing me from walking is definitely the pain of bursitis.

How do I know?  How can I tell?

Because by late in the day, when I've spent many hours on my feet, walking around the house just "living," my hip area and down my thigh is sore even to my touch -- telling me that the area is inflamed, and that, my friends, is the angry bursa.

I don't know what I can do to prevent it though, seeing as how no matter what one does, one is engaging the hips.

Think about it.

Every movement you make throughout the course of your day involves manipulation of your hips in one fashion or another.  No matter how small the movement, your hip will be involved, unless of course, you remain supine for the entire day and do not move your legs.  Even sitting requires you to flex your hip joint.

So how do I prevent the inflammation that will surely occur each and every day just by living my life?

I know, I know, I could reduce the degree of inflammation by limiting my participation in day-to-day living activities.  But I can assure you, it matters little how much they are inflamed -- it still hurts!

And therein lies the problem.  Of course, if I could tolerate Aspirin and other anti-inflammatories, I wouldn't have to suffer quite so much.

As I reported here on Monday, I suffered terribly for having done too much on each of Friday and Saturday and then having driven into the big city on Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving with my little chickadee and her family.

So, I rested on Monday.

Then I had to make the trip into the big city again on Tuesday because I really needed that scheduled physiotherapy session.

And yesterday, my darling husband insisted on rebuilding what will be his new office space when I move out to take up occupancy in my new sanctuary.  That involved a lot of heavy lifting and reaching and stretching and crawling under desks etc (his computer set-up is very complex).

He's very happy with his new digs!

By early last evening, my hips were screaming in agony and my fatigue was hitting a dangerous level (eating dinner was out of the question).  Fortunately, I somehow managed to sleep most of the night on my back (probably out of desperation!) so I did get a good night's sleep, having wakened only once.

The boys have just arrived to start breaking through the pantry wall so chaos will really set in on the home-front.  While I'm anxious to see my sanctuary completed, I'm not really looking forward to the next few weeks around here.  The upset is already taking a toll on me (I can't find anything I need in the mess on the porch!).

On a more positive note though, I called my massage therapist earlier this week and asked if she could fit me in today (Thursday) and she was able to give me an appointment for 2:30pm this afternoon.  I grabbed it.  This is only four weeks since my steroid injection so I really shouldn't be having a massage yet, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  She will simply have to go lightly (which she will, of course).

I need the therapy to help soothe my aching body!

View from my kitchen window

I don't have anything new to report today.

There's been no further progress on my sanctuary since last Friday, and we haven't heard from the builder.

Not sure what's up with that.

Until more supplies are delivered, there's little else he can do other than break through the pantry wall but I think there is more closing up that he needs to do of the roof area before he can do that.

But then, what do I know about building an extension on a house?

In any event, it is 9:30am now and nobody has arrived at the site, so ...

However, at 7:00am today, we had a visitor to the yard.

This is today's view from my kitchen window:

Isn't he a beaut?

John says it's a two-year-old buck.  Perfect for the freezer.  And he was standing just outside the chicken house, enjoying the feed John had put out for the birds!

Once my sanctuary is built, John will have a perfect vantage point from the north window to take aim with the bow, should this guy decide to visit with any degree of frequency (and deer are known for their habitual routes).  Of course, now that we know that he's been here once, John will "train" him to come here daily (not a hard task where we live).

Bow season runs to 31 December so this baby best be careful lest he lands in our freezer!

These hips have GOT to go ...

Well, I don't know what's going on with my hips.

But I'm thinking that the last sterioid injection has not given me the same lengthy benefit that I had enjoyed with the first one.

I say that because my hips (and upper legs) have started aching again like bad toothaches.

And oh, I don't like it one damned bit!

Now, there must still be some benefit because I must say the pain isn't quite as bad as it used to be.

But it is painful -- every step is excruciating again.

And touch hurts.  That means that inflammation is back -- big time.

Logic tells me that I brought some of this on by doing too much on two consecutive days ("moving" on Friday and Saturday) and then hopping into the car and driving into Ottawa yesterday to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with my little chickadee and her family.

But really, a person has to live!

And I took a painkiller on my way into Ottawa because my hips were burning before I left home.

We had a wonderful afternoon at my little chickadee's place; the meal was truly fabulous (where ever did that girl learn to cook I wonder?).  My beautiful boy wasn't there though.  He had gone off to have fun with his cousins (MFN was visiting and had stopped by so he went with her family to visit a local tourist attraction and they had a blast).  He did get back before we left so I at least got to see him briefly (and collected several hugs in the process).

By the time I got home, my hips were screaming in agony!

I've been training myself to sleep on my back lately (not having the greatest luck so far but these things take time) so at least I'm getting some rest each night.

I guess what I'm saying is ... looks like it's time to pursue a visit with a surgeon to discuss my options because this nonsense can't continue.  We already know that steroid injections are not feasible for the long term.  As I understand it, science has come a long way in recent years.  There's a lot more to be offered in the way of hip replacement now than what used to be on the table.  So I should really pursue those options.

Because it's crazy to go on like this!

OMG the chaos!

You would not believe the chaos in this household!

My pantry has been emptied -- onto the porch, mostly.  I've tried to maintain as much order as I can so that we can still access the supplies that we might need throughout this exercise.

But oh dear, what a royal mess!

The boys expect to be breaking through the pantry wall by Wednesday of next week.

We're going to be left with about one-third the size of pantry when we're done.  It's going to be quite the challenge to put everything back so we're making changes to how we're using some of the kitchen cabinets (the changes just never stop!).

John and I have have also started moving stuff in the office -- the domino effect of this project is unbelievable!  This file cabinet will go to John; that one will come to me; he'll move all these cabinets from one wall to the other; oh, let's move this one over there ... and the juggling just keeps on happening.

The cleaning lady would normally have been coming in next Wednesday too, but I called her last evening and cancelled that visit.  Makes no sense for her to be here while the wall is being brought down and they are creating a mess all over the place.  She said she'd be prepared for extra duty on her next visit -- that's an understatement!  I assured her that I'd try to stay on top of it as much as I can (I can see me running behind the boys with a broom in my hand ... should be quite the sight!).

We've decided that I'll start packing up my files (assuming we can acquire enough boxes) and pile them up in the living room.  That way, once my sanctuary is completed, we'll be ready for the move (at least I won't have to "start packing" at that point).

We've also realized that even once the room is completed, I won't be able to actually use it for probably the first week -- we're going to have to close the door, open the windows, and let it "air."

Why? you might ask.

Because I'm allergic to all the chemicals that will be emitted from the fresh paint and the floor boards.  You should have seen me when we brought those suckers home -- the response has lessened now but John assures me that the smell is still present (wonder if that's why my voice has not yet come back?)  He expects that once the packages are opened and the boards installed, they will again cause me serious breathing problems.

And he's probably right.

Of course, I can't be here while the painting is being done either.

So I guess I'll be banned from the premises for several days as my sanctuary approaches completion.

Gonna have to leave very explicit instructions as to how I want it painted because nobody seems to understand what I want.  Perhaps I'll draw them a picture!

It's simple really.  I chose the colours on day one of the planning for this room.  I knew precisely what I wanted right from the get go.  In fact, I've already been to the paint shop and selected the colour choices:  the ceiling will be distant gray; the walls will be bunny gray and the trim (crown moulding and all doors) will be old navy.  The windows will be covered with navy blinds (which will be mostly in the open position but when they're closed, it's important that they be navy).  Baseboards and window frames will be natural wood, to match the ones in the existing house.

And how has my body been holding up through this chaos, you might be wondering?

Remarkably well really, all things considered.

In fact, until this morning, I was having very few problems, physically -- and I've been coping emotionally really well too!

But I think I may have overdone it yesterday so today I'm paying the piper.

I got a little over-zealous with the moving of paraphernalia yesterday and hence woke with leg cramps this morning.  The muscle relaxant I've been taking for the past three weeks had been working wonderfully well ... until now.  Like everything else with my body, once I get "used to it," it loses its efficacy.  Of course, if I do nothing, it'll work just fine.  But the point is, I need to be able to do stuff.

So I'll see how things go for the next little while and if the leg cramps continue, or get worse, I'll have to take that up with my medic when I see him later this month.

Oh dear, does it never end?  Can we not find a happy medium, somewhere?

View from my deck

I've got windows!

Yes I do!

Well, my sanctuary has windows.

The boys were here bright and early this morning and by 9:00am, the windows were installed.

I can't even begin to imagine how these guys do what they do -- you couldn't pay me to be up there!  But they walk around like it's nothing!

Here's another shot from the north side (again, the deck is to the left), this time without John:

That opening on the side has to remain until they break through the wall in the pantry because otherwise they would not have access to the room.  Once they have everything sealed up tight (read:  roof completely closed in), one guy will cut through the pantry wall whilst the other finishes closing the outside wall.  And that's when they will start accessing the room by way of the deck ... the porch ... the dining room ... and the kitchen.

I can't wait!

Anyway, John told me there was a great shot from the woods. So into the woods I went to take a photo from the west side:

This is the view the bears will have as they approach the house now (they used to see the deck).  And that window is positioned perfectly for John to hunt deer without leaving home -- yeh, right!

The boys assure me that the site will be cleaned up when they're finished (all remnants and trash will be removed - honest!).

So now there will be no further progress before next week, with Thanksgiving week-end upon us.

I'll spend the next few days emptying the pantry in a manner that will give me access to the food stuff that we might need while everything is topsy-turvy in this household for the next couple of weeks.

Wish me luck.

View from my deck - Pt II

So builder man and his assistant showed up today after all.

John and I had gone out to run errands this morning and when we got back, the crew was hard at work.

By 12:30pm, when they came in for lunch (yes, we feed them -- that's how life in the country works), they had made good progress on the roof:

We discussed plans for how things will proceed from this point (timeline, closet doors, closet interior configurations, overall room painting, etc) and I paid the bill for the work to this point (ouch!).  Then the boys went back to work and when they finished for the day at 3:30pm, the tarp was again put in place, just in case.

I went out to take a peek at the view from a different vantage point and John thought he'd pose as either (a) the owner or (b) the builder of the site.  I'm not sure what his intent was, but I guess he is an owner, although the room will be "my" sanctuary.

In this photo, the deck can now be seen to the left of the new room.

Notwithstanding my little chickadee's dire predictions to the contrary, they expect to finish the roofing tomorrow to a point where they might possibly be able to cut through the pantry wall tomorrow too.  If that's true, things should start proceeding quite rapidly from hereon in, since the rest of the work won't be weather dependent.

And once they do break through that wall, my day-to-day living will be supremely upended because they will have to access the room by walking through my dining room and kitchen to get there.

Oh dear ... I who love disruption so much can now look forward to near a month of chaos and an impossible-to-keep-clean home.

View from my deck

Had to rename this series because the photos are best taken from my deck now, and once they break through the wall, I'll have to start taking shots of the interior as it is completed.

The boys wanted to get the roof on before the rain started.

They arrived before 8:00am yesterday, and got to work diligently.

By 9:00am, the trusses were well on their way to being completed:

I tell you, this crew (of two men), really knows how to work!

But an hour and a half later, the rain started.

So by 10:30am, the site had to be protected from the elements -- again.

And here it sits, waiting for the rain to stop so they can resume work.

Builder man just called to say that they probably won't show up today because he doesn't want to take the cover off with weather conditions as they are (it's still raining where he is).  It's really iffy at the moment.

According to my little chickadee, if they have to wait for the rain to stop, my sanctuary might never get completed because, in her opinion, that isn't going to happen -- the stupid rain just keeps on coming.

Sure hope I have this sanctuary by Christmas time!

View from my kitchen window

My builder man returned from his hunting trip on the week-end (a succesful one, I might add).

He called on Monday night to alert us that a delivery of lumber would be arriving the next morning.

So, in the interest of documenting this project as accurately as possible, I took a photo of the site as it was at 8:45am Tuesday:

Not much had changed since September 17th, except now the tarp was covered with leaves.

Sure enough, by 9:00am, a truck had arrived on the scene, ready to deliver a humongous amount of lumber:

It was fascinating to watch that sucker of a machine at work unloading the stuff (the driver, in the red shirt, was operating the crane with a wireless remote control that was strapped around his neck).

I had to go into the big city for my physiotherapy session so I left the boys to their own devices for the day.

And when I got home four hours later, this was the view I had from my kitchen window:

The view from my deck now looks like this:

Amazing isn't it?

We're hoping it doesn't rain today so they can put the roof on.  They expect to be cutting through the pantry wall next week (that's how we will access the room from the existing house).

Now, it's getting exciting!

End of the Season

First, let me apologize for the shortage of postings here in the past few days.

You see, I came back from Toronto sick.

Yes, there must have been someone on the train on Monday with a cold (that's all it takes for me to pick it up!).

By the time I got home on Thursday, I was sounding "funny."  Just not quite right.  (Thank God it didn't hit while I was in Toronto!)

On Friday, my voice got progressively worse throughout the day and by that evening, it was abundantly clear that I was not well.

I took meds and went to bed.

Got up Saturday feeling just awful so I stayed down all day, feeling sorry for myself (it was really quite pathetic).

Took more meds on my way to bed Saturday night and got up Sunday feeling much improved, although I didn't sound very convincingly better.

My step-son and his wife came over in the afternoon with their grandsons and we had a terrific visit (they are quite the going concern) but it was draining.

Yesterday, my boys played their final game of the season.

And they won, finishing the season with a record of 85 wins and 77 losses.  Not bad for a team that wasn't expected to manage 60 wins.  And they gave us a very entertaining season indeed.

So my baseball season is over for another year.  It's time to hang up the jersey again and switch off the sports package until next Spring.

I'll do that as soon as the World Series is over, just in case the race gets interesting and we decide to watch one or two games.

You never know, perhaps the Phillies will make it into the final contest and I'll just have to watch Roy "Doc" Halladay make a run for that ring he so covets.  After all, that's why he left the Blue Jays.

Go Phillies, Go!

For my fan base

OK, I notice that my fanbase continued checking in with this blog, in spite of my indication that there would likely be no postings before today.

This will have to be quick too because I have things to do (and I don't permit myself to play until my work is done).

Our trip to Toronto was a wonderful break for me.

We took the train because I can't manage the long car ride.

Monday evening, our host prepared a marvelous meal of ribs and corn on the bar-b-que, which we ate while we watched the ballgame (our boys beat dem damn Yanks too!).

On Tuesday, I sat around all day reading, which was precisely my plan.  That evening, we went to the ball game (dem damn Yanks beat our boys -- damn!).  My other daughter, who lives in Vancouver, just happened to be in Toronto visiting her aunt and she and her man were at the game too.  I had given her our seat numbers so they came 'round to say 'hi (and enjoyed our cushy accommodations compared to the nosebleed section they were in).

On Wednesday, I again sat around reading all day (this was a true holiday for me and it did me the world of good). 

The game that evening was fantastic.  There was a pre-game farewell ceremony for Cito Gaston because this was the final home game of the season and this is his final year as manager.  Joe Carter was there, as was Pat Hentgen, Devon White and George Bell -- each of whom received huge applause as they were introduced.  But when the CEO of Rogers was introduced, the place erupted -- in boos.  It was amazing!  And it did my heart good to hear that so many people, collectively, disliked the Rogers Corporation.  I sure hope that Rogers got the message loud and clear!

Anyway, the game itself was perfect -- it was great fun to hear the crowd participate so actively, something we haven't seen in many years at Rogers Centre.  Every time Derek Jeter went to the plate, the booing would start.  And when it was A-Rod's turn, the crowd didn't wait for him to be announced -- you couldn't even hear his name for the booing.  The crowd was having fun indeed!

And we beat dem damn Yanks handily.  So we again took the series from the Yankees and the crowd left happy indeed.  It was a truly wonderful close-of-the-season game.

Yesterday, our host delivered us to the train station for our noon departure and we arrived home around 5:30pm.  John had to pick up Toop at the kennel before 7:00pm so we were just under that deadline.  And we both managed to stay awake to see our boys win last night's game against the Twins, another team that is headed for post season play.

Today, I have lots to do to catch up on laundry, bookkeeping, and little things around the house before the builder shows up on Monday to resume work on my sanctuary/grandson room.  Once that gets under way, I will post "View from my kitchen window" photos again as the project progresses.

That's it for now.

Gotta run ... got places to go, things to do ...