I'm sure that you're looking forward to your trip to Phoenix next Sunday, but he seemed a bit hazy on the details. He knew that you and Joe were coming, and he thought it was an excellent idea, but he didn't seem to realize that it was next Sunday.
These days he's a much better listener rather than an instigator of hardheaded biases and points of view, and I have to say that I like him tons more now than I did thirty years ago.
Today I mowed my first lawn in over twenty years. Last night I bought a dynamite, $158 lawn mower from Walmart, and I gave it the acid test around noon today. I thought that there was no way that I could just take it out of the box, add oil and gas, and the thing would work, but it did! The engine kicked over on the third pull, and I was off and running (literally). The front and back lawn took just over an hour at a ferocious pace. That back lawn is by far, the biggest yard that I've ever mowed, but almost a third of the back lawn is in shade, and it's covered in clover so it will be easy to keep up. Numerous flowerbeds and weird natural grasses will probably force me to consult a landscaping nursery to find out the best way I can keep all the plants going. But, I think I can wait until next year for this, but I'm committed to keeping the 'wildlife going'.
I signed the contract with Anderson Construction on Friday evening and he'll begin work tomorrow morning. I had some problems with the lock from the breezeway into the kitchen so I bought a new one when I purchased the mower on Saturday. He'll start with replacing this lock, and then remove the living room and hall carpets. I hope we don''t find anything bad under those carpets, but I'm committed to the 'hardwood look'. If it takes sanding or whatever, Eric and the guys can handle it.
I've moved three of the small bookcases from the condo (and the books) into the basement area at Westview, and I plan to get all of the things that I can move by Accord into the house by early next week. Then, I rent a van and move the seven large bookcases and books. At that time, I should be down to the barebones and I'll be able to realistically tell the movers what they can take. But, you'll probably be back from Phoenix before this occurs.
I've hired a handyman from Waverly to paint the garage door and hang the new shutters. He wants at least two days of No Rain so that the paint can dry properly, and he says that Wednesday looks like the best window of opportunity. He's also going to hang the shelving from the condo when Eric completes the basement renovation at Westview. I'm also going to see if he can hang the TV in the living room and help me move the other 42 inch TV from the condo. This guy is an older man and reminds me of Lloyd, and he sounds like he cares about the quality of the work (I hope).
I haven't begun to delve into the massive problem of my new Internet connection. I want to keep the ATT discount but I don't know if I might be better off with cable and dropping all landlines. I don't even know if I can have ATT without the landline, but all I know is that I don't move until I have a secure and fast connection at the new house. On the bright side, this looks like the best time for me to make the jump to Smart Phones. But, for the time being, I'm more concerned about lugging a couple thousand 'old school' novels from the 60's and 70's a mile and a half away.
Enjoy the trip west....seeya kw
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