Finished

Thursday: I finished a year old project today. Last year I installed a drain pipe in the front yard and had to cut through the sidewalk. Because we had to get on the road, I quickly installed some bricks in sand as a temporary patch. Day before yesterday, I removed some more of the walkway and prepared for the sidewalk replacement. Today I poured the walkway. Since it's colder, it takes a while to set and finish.

While I waited, I watched the City gas crew replace a gas service line to a neighbors house. Interesting to see them work with the plastic piping and use the guided bore to replace the line with little disturbance of the yards landscaping. It was also interesting to see how the City manages their workforce and projects. Quite well, actually. While there were probably about 15 workers during the day. They were always coming and going, each performing their specialty at the right time with only about four at any given time. I was also envious of their equipment. Back in the days when I worked, we were always fighting to get a budget for equipment therefore most of it was older. I guess their management realizes that the right tool makes the job easier.

Friday: Actually, you're not really finished until the cleanup is done. Today was cleanup day.

Lou got her car back form the shop. They say they found an intermittent wire and fixed it for free. I like that. They say they'll make it work. The car is 21 years old next month but when it runs, it runs well, possibly even better than the newer Volvo so we like the fact its back in operational order. There was temptation to abandon it and get a hybrid but that has to wait now that it's better. We don't abandon our friends.

Anyway, her car is the one I normally use to haul stuff to the dump. Nothing personal it's just that it's older and doesn't get towed by the RV. The last couple of times I used it for the dump trip it almost remained there. When the car was ill. it barely started once and didn't start another time and the bulldozer was ready to bury it with the rest of the garbage at the dump. I loaded up all the debris from the last three concrete projects, bags of broken concrete, dirt and debris. Whenever I do a project like this the dirt just doesn't fit back in the hole? There was also the odd broken yard chair and such. The car was full. It is amazing what it can carry, as much as the neighbors pickup and half the cost since it's a passenger car. Sometimes I do miss our old Toyota PU but then it was unsafe and it did tend to be related to work and I try to avoid such things now.

I had to move the RV out on the street to get at the debris by the fence next to it. When I returned, I remembered that the tree next to and over the RV needed to be trimmed. I got a little carried away with the trimming doing a reshaping of the tree. Now some light may make its way to the solar panels. Of course cutting limbs off the tree is less than half the job. It had to be dissected to fit in the compost barrels. That occupied me for the rest of the the afternoon. After dinner I collapsed. Enough!

Saturday: A day of rest, really. I read and watched TV all day. Not too interesting but I enjoyed it. Lou and Dawn hit the rummage sales and garage sales and found some treasures.