Giant step forward...

At least I sure hope so! I handed over 1/2 payment for all my outside work to a young man today who has agreed to do everything I have outside Monday and Tuesday!

It all started when my aunt told my mom - who then told me - about a young man who had been in her neighborhood. She had been working in her yard and he asked her if she needed any work done, and she told him she didn't but her niece might (me). So, I called him, left a message with his wife, and later he called me back. "Sure! When do you want me to come out to see what you have?"

"Now is fine with me!"

"It will take an hour and half, and I'll be there."

And he was, along with his cousin. He's a very nice young man, younger than my youngest son. He even sort of reminded me of Robert a little bit. He said he has been exposed to this work through his brother who does this work and is now venturing out on his own. His name is Doug Gore. They brought snapshots of work they have done, showed me a couple of patios and covers they have done. So, we discussed the patio and eaves job. He had carefully written down every item he would need to purchase as we talked, then took his list out to his truck, made phone calls to get some prices, and then came back in and gave me his bid of $1400 -- 900 in materials, which will be covering about 30 by 16 feet of patio and what's necessary for the soffett, as well, and $500 labor. This is not using as high grade corrigated aluminum as I had, but rather the economy grade, but that was my choice because, #1, what I have isn't even available anymore, and #2, higher gauge would be too heavy for the framework I have, and #3, it's a good chance another hurricane could blow it away again. Besides, I'm trying to save for my kitchen. When he said he would be able to do this work Monday and Tuesday, that made it even more agreeable.
With that settled, I said, "Let me show you another job I want done." And took them to the front, explained how the extension wall was rotten behind the siding, the rail needed replacing, the two posts, and I wanted new steps made that would have about 6 inch rise instead of the 8 inch that they are now. My steps are too steep and very hard for me to climb up now. So, it will be adding one step to the set. What I have is dangerous! I fell while packing for evacuation and went through the whole experience with a sprained ankle. He also noticed that the reason the posts are swinging is because a corner of the porch has sunk and he will jack it back up. That takes care of the porch.

Then I showed him the place on the north end between the two windows where the siding had blown away. We agreed to put cedar 1 x 6's there. On the south end he will rebuild my hot water heater door, will replace that rotten horizontal board and put the siding piece back up, and caulk all pertinent places around the house. He said he would do everything I had to be done for $2,000 and still believes he can get it all done in two days, bringing some help. He guarantees his work, felt confident everything I had to do was simple enough but if he hit a snag or problem, he could call on his brother if he had to. So, I gave him a check $1,000. I told him I wanted his address in case I had to come after him for my money if he didn't show up! So he even gave me his driver's license to copy down the info, and made sure I had is new address in Kountze. I feel quite comfortable that all is on the up and up. Finally I asked if he would paint the porch, and he said no, but he had a cousin who would paint all day long for $50. I said, "Sure I'll pay $50 to get it painted so I don't have to do it! So, get him lined up!" Wow! I will be sooo glad to get this done! I feel so good about this! Geez, I hope I'm not headed for a let-down, but I don't think so.

If I'm worried about anything, it's a little about how the patio will look since there the new won't match what I have, but I'm sure it will be fine for as much as I use it or even go out there. The whole cover is something like 42 feet, I think. It's way too big!

After they left I went to Sutherland's to get the white paint, and while I was there got the one board I need to finish my bedroom closet floor and the baseboards. Maybe I can get that done tomorrow. I couldn't tell what shade brown to get for the deck part, so I brought back some of the color samples and will get that tomorrow. I need to call the man who was out here yesterday, Larry, and tell him I found somebody to do my work. After that I decided to splurge on some Chinese food and bring it home, turned on the TV and watched I guess four hours of a movie on Lifetime about Elizabeth Broderick with Meredith Baxter. Gosh, she needed an award for her acting in that movie!

In the meantime, during a commercial I went to let Tommy in for the night and he wasn't around. So, I started calling him. No Tommy. That's highly unusual! So, I waited for another commercial, and went back and called again. Still no Tommy. There's another little cat in the neighborhood that decided to follow me and help me. But that would only intimate Tommy. If one cat is around, he won't come. This went on and on. I walked up one street calling, "Tommmmyy! Tommmmyy!" Then up the other street, "Tommmyy." Dang it! The neighbors must think I'm such a weird cat lady!

Finally I went out again and caught a glimpse of him under my big holly bush. It's quite dark and I was lucky I detected his silhouette. But he wouldn't come. So, I had to try to scoot behind the bush to try to reach him, but it was too close to the house and too many branches that I couldn't get him. He ran over under the neighbor's house. Now I know he is really wanting to get in the house, but that other cat has him probably a little jealous or something. He's acting all timid and silly. So, I go back in the house and get a piece of lunchmeat that he loves, and go back to coax him. Danged if I didn't have get down on the wet ground and crawl almost under that guy's house to get Tommy and pull him out and carry him in the house!!! I really hope no neighbors were watching! My legs had just about totally given out on me by this time; so I was happy for more than one reason that this little episode was over. But he's now curled up on my desk, laying on his pillow, sleeping like a log. If I hadn't found him, I would have been a total basket case by now, for sure. So, all in all, it's been a very good day!