Tuesday

It had rained sometime during the night, but it was only damp when I went into work on Tuesday morning. I put a handful of prunes in a baggie and took them into work for snacks.

Before I left, I took the four big Styrofoam blocks from the saw cart box and duct-taped them together. They made a cube about two-foot by two-foot. I set them out next to the trashcan and set a rock on top of them.

At work, I called the landscaping company (Jon Boy) who had done my lawn when I had my spinal fusion. This was my friend B___’s suggestion when I was complaining about the six inches of mud that is now my driveway. So, I asked if they could scrape the driveway clear of dirt. They said, no, they didn’t do anything like that and didn’t know anybody who did. Damn!

At 10:00 a.m. I walked outside again and it was beautiful.

I stopped and got gas for the truck on the way home at lunchtime. On a whim, I pulled into the Redford Cement Company (the back of the building is kitty-corner from the front of my house). I couldn’t figure out how to even get into the building, but luckily, somebody who works there pulled in from lunch. He took me through the locked fence and to one of the owners, Mike. Mike was on the phone for a long, long time and I started debated whether or not this was a mistake.

But, he finally hung up, apologized and asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted a quote (if it wasn’t too small of a job) to get the dirt off my driveway. He said, “Let’s go look.” So, we walked over to the house. I explained as we walked about the mulch, the bobcat and then the dirt.

He said he couldn’t get any stone at the present time, but he could scrape it down a couple of inches and, if I wanted stone later, he’d get me a load. I asked what it might cost, and he said he liked to be a good neighbor, so he’d scrape the dirt and haul it away for free! He said he probably couldn’t get to it today, but as soon as he could, he’d take care of it.

I didn’t argue this time…

Sidebar: Why is it people always do stuff for me for free or dirt cheap? I decided I must look like a pathetic old man. Sad, I suppose… But, hell, I’m gonna keep working it!

I retrieved the truck and went home. BTW, the wind had really picked up. The stone was still there, but the Styrofoam block was gone! Luckily, the garbage man came while I was eating the rest of my homemade ham and bean soup, so I managed to snag the empty trashcan and lid before they blew away as well.

Sidebar: I have no idea where the Styrofoam block went, but I apologize to the owner of whatever yard it went into…

The wind rocked the truck on the way back to work and I was only going 40 mph on Plymouth Road. I later learned we had sustained winds of 30 mph with occasional gusts of 45 mph!

Our receptionist, Courtney, who married one of our IT Techs (although he since left for greener pastures) was complaining about being six months pregnant. She said her ankles were so swollen she couldn’t put socks on so she wore a dress today. She asked if she could walk with me in the afternoon, so I said sure.

Sidebar: She said she actually felt like a beached whale. I told her that she looked cute pregnant, but if she really was a beached whale, I would throw buckets of water on her and push her back into the ocean. After four kids, I know how to respond to pregnant women!

So, at 3:00 p.m. we took a long walk outside in the warm (63 degrees F.) weather and the high winds. As we walked, I told her my horror stories about swollen ankles. She was tired out, but happy when we stopped walking.

Sidebar: She and her husband Mike are the ones I am making the sofa table for.

I made a big sign: Jambalaya and hung it on my computer. So, I remembered to take home my supper!

Once home after work, I treated Caley and changed clothes. I hoped (against hope) the driveway would be done, but it wasn’t (Sigh).

I walked out back and found one of the rat traps had been tripped, but there was no body or blood trail. So, I reset it. I refilled the squirrel feeder and went back inside.

Then I got back to work.

I got the rest of the table finished. I started setting up the saw, but then noticed it was after 7:00 p.m. So, I stopped there.

I heated up the rice and the jambalaya separately and then combined them. It was fantastic! I need a recipe. This was head and shoulders above that shrimp gumbo I made.

I got my NCIS fix in and went to bed.