I think it's called progress

As soon as I got home from evacuation on Oct 15, I gathered all my siding and aluminum pieces from around the yard and piled them alongside the house, knowing there were salvagable pieces there, but not ready to deal with them. On the side of the street right at my driveway was the remains of my roof that had blown off. The park has picked up some things periodically, but a lot of my roof was still there and I worried about nails. So, yesterday I called and left a voice mail with the park manager's maintenance department.

Sure enough, this morning as I had just crawled out of bed and was stumbling around to get my coffee and join the human race, I heard something outside and saw them getting the roof, and were also getting lots of other things around the park, so I really think this was more coincidence than my power of suggestion.

Now this was a good thing. Normally I don't pay much attention to the goings on outside, but I was hearing their motor of the little front-end loader and thought it prudent to look out the window. Yikes! He's coming up the side of my yard! He's after all my pile of aluminum! NO! NOT YET!! Embarrassed as I was at being in my robe, hair in the predicted just-woke-up style, I rushed outside to tell him not to take it, I had pieces I needed in there. He kind of grunted and backed up and left.

Realizing this might be my last hope of getting this stuff hauled off, I hurriedly got dressed and donning some nice heavy work gloves, I started taking apart the pile, hauling one piece at a time to the front, pulling out the pieces I thought I might need. Some things needed a little disassembling, so I did that, too. Well, that whiddled it down to a reasonable size.

I noticed he had parked the little front-end loader in the parking area in front of my house and he disappeared. Well, good, then when he comes back he'll see I now have this ready for him.

Soon enough he had come back and went straight for my neat pile I had prepared for him! JOY! Something getting done! I was proud of myself. Well, bye-bye patio cover!

I go back in the house, then hear that motor sound again. By the time I get back outside, my pile was back in my yard and he was high-tailing it back down the street! WHAT! He brought it back! Why me!!???

Tommy even seems to be confused! (see him in the bottom of the picture, appears to be saying, "What was that all about?" ) Well, whatever! I'll worry about that later. At least the roofing stuff is gone and I have the pile separated. Some progress is made; right?

Coffee is something I need probably more in an IV than in a cup. The pot I was drinking from was the very last I had in the house and I really wanted to go to the store for a can of coffee. I also wanted to go over to Conn's and get a new micowave, but can I leave? No. Curtis promised he and Larry would be out today. Didn't tell me a time. James had said he would be here 10:00'ish. James finally showed up about noon and wanted me to go get a couple of pieces of lumber he needed. "I can't leave. I don't want to miss the level people."

So he agreed to get this stuff on his lunch break! Now, this guy is meticulous and pays attention to detail. But he just got here. Break already? Well, he said he wanted to put the materials out in the sun and let them adapt to the temperatures, etc. Whatever.

Finally at 3:00 I call Curtis. "Are y'all coming today?" He said Larry said somebody was sick or something. They wouldn't be coming out today. No, I didn't scream in his ear -- but I did say, "Here is my cell phone number. I have things I have to do. I can't just hang around the house all day and not know if you're coming or not. If you're coming, call me and if I am not home, I will immediately leave and get home!" I am not going to let them wear me down!

James finished putting on the Weatherlock G material and will put the roll roofing on tomorrow. Short of finishing up the eaves, and covering them with the siding pieces I so wisely salvaged, I suppose the room roof will then be done! That will be worthy of celebration! But tonight and in the morning rain is predicted, 30% scattered showers; so we're back to blue roof again. But this time the plastic is to more protect the materials up there than to keep water out of the house. It's a roof. Protect it from the rain, you say - well, yes. It's all done in layers, and he can't have any wetness in between or it might not adhere like it's supposed to.

Finally, after James leaves, it is once again dark, and I absolutely had to go to the store for my coffee if I expect to function in the morning. The microwave will have to wait.

So, yes, progress is being made. despite the many steps sideways and backwards.

I can't believe this month is already gone! What happened to November!