...And So It Goes

Quiet and solitude—why I moved out to a state that many don’t know is part of the United States and a chunk of rocks that's 22 miles from the nearest town—has been elusive for me of late.

Most of the noise and crowds have come from the work environment. It’s the same bunch of kids from a 5-day-a-week routine that is my ‘normal’ state of existence, yes, but what I have done is to take on several more duties at school for next year. These ‘opportunities’, as admin terms them, require that I get sent to training for them NOW.

Granted I have chosen teaching as my most recent incarnation, but spending this much time with others in my chosen most recent incarnation is wearing on me. But! As I whine about this mundane tidbit I am sitting in a room at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in Albuquerque as one of my perks for signing my free time away for all of next year!

Not bad for the grrrl who lives in a-trailer-park-for-one, eh?

It’s that last fact that garnered the sympathy of my principal who signed me up for the free room courtesy of the State of New Mexico’s Public Education Department, sponsors of the training I am currently being edumakated with/by. I’m still trying to figure out if I can legitimately be here seeing as how the Hyatt usually don’t accept common trailer trash in most of their establishments. (I won’t tell if you don’t!)

The downside is that the hallway is filled with the sound of raucous rug rats who like slamming doors, and all other forms of rug rat noisemaking, including the din of reprimands from their parents. I think I’ll stay at the trailer from now on. It’s always amazed me that hoteliers will put teachers in a room on a wing of a floor (with 15+ floors to choose from) that is laden with school-aged offspring of ‘educated’ humans. Speaks volumes to the state of education in this nation, don’t it? Hell, look at our president! And he never set his butt down on a public school desk seat, guaranteed. And THAT speaks tomes about private education and those that can afford a Hyatt hotel, now doesn’t it?

OK, you’re here to read about the house and its state of being. Long time no blog post, long time since any work has been done, yet there’s still stuff to tell about it. Go figure.

Do you realize that this single hotel room I’m sitting in right now is easily 4 times the size of The Tin Can? And there’s cable to watch! And the pilot light for the hot water tank stays lit and the water stays hot here, unlike what the last week at TTC has been. Astounding!!

The house! Right! OK, so…I fired the second crew last time I posted. By that next Monday I had two guys show up wanting work. One was from the first crew I fired; the only one who I trusted, actually. I hired them on and they went to work pondering how to get the build back on track. Much of what Rex had done needed to be undone, on a fairly large scale.

One of the guys had a brother who runs an auction and there was lumber being auctioned last weekend. We checked it out, they had all the trusses, posts and beams we needed for the house. Long day short: I got about $15,000 worth of lumber for $1,200! I was thrilled! Then I jumped into BB to drive to Phoenix ‘cause my brother called screaming for help with mom. I made it to Tucson before he totally torqued me off enough in a phone call that I just turned around the next morning and headed back to Belen. Let’s just say it has everything to do with money, his natural greed and his lack of experience with power. Oh, and that he’s a complete ‘hole!

He was quite ugly with me, on so many levels and over the course of way too many calls. I don’t know why I bothered to make the drive. And, Mom is stalwart enough to hang on until I can get social services in place to help her and, being an old teacher she would never succumb to death before the school year was finished. I’m heading back then to free her from Paul’s imposed lockdown of her in her own house. Watch for the fireworks in your southwest skies around May 26th, y’all ‘cause they’ll be spectacular.

Now, I have my very own lumberyard to the west of the house and a crew who’s more comfortable scratching their heads than laboring. They’ll be gone by tomorrow. Norbert and Carolyn have been delayed until Monday. I can hold my breath until then. No fuss, but a whopping lie, from the bank about my most recent draw request today; never ending crap from that guy with the too tight shoes and underoos.

Things should move right along with the 4th crew. Expect a flood of blog posts as I try to keep up with the photographed documentation of the soon-to-be flying blocks and curing cement that is to come.

Unless I’m wrong. Again!

Manana from The Hyatt, y’all!

Postscript: Saturday, April 26th from TTC
Aside from culture shock (I haven't been in a 'big city' for so long I got lost in Abq trying to find the Hyatt. How embarassing! And Google Maps was no damn help, either--AGAIN!) I just fired the 3rd crew. They didn't bother to show up yesterday. One just evaporated after cashing the check I wrote him and the other self-admitted to wallowing in self-pity all day. I told him that was what Saturdays and Sundays are for. He knows he's gone. Powerful brains and sense of cause-and-effect here in Belen, NM!! And to think that I think that I can keep up with such deep thoughts---AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

Carolyn and Norbert--get here already, would ya? PUH-LEEEEESSSSE!!