Breathe In, Breathe Out

July 25, 2008

Now that I’ve given you my favorite punch line to a {fill in the category of your choice…I heard it as a blonde} joke, let’s see why I need the reminder (and NO! I have not dyed my hair blonde):

(Adoptive) Mom died. I found out via the lawyer, 28 hrs after the fact. My brother doesn’t want any contact with me. I grieve alone.
The bank said no more money until 93%, 95% or 97% of the house is built. (Umm…)
The school said no more job, but, you can interview at the middle school.
The investments must be tapped to finish the house.
The crew decides they need to wait to see if I have a job, and stop work until we know;
I’ll need the investments if I don’t have a job.
No job, no investments to tap, no house completed. Lose everything.

That was the start of last weekend.

The plumbing inspection was approved, as was the electrical.
Found an engineer to review the plans/truss modifications. He dragged his heels and his ass.
Finally able to contact the architect who ‘signed off’ on house plans, he signs off on truss mods, no problemo. I had to drive to Santa Fe to get this done in timely fashion.
Engineer calls minutes after the architect’s ink has dried, wants $450 for his ‘work’, which I don’t need no mo’.
Door order got messed up, the feud is getting to boiling point. I refuse to fight and shut down the dumping session the you’d-never-know-it-to-look-at-him-but-the-dude-is-WEALTHY door maker wants to dump on me.
Still waiting on replacement windows. One is here. One more to wait for. Both are 7 days after promised—gas prices/full truck deliveries only.

All that is the typical and usual. There’s a lot more of it. Those were just the big chunks.
Interspersed amongst those were little joys that mean a whole lot more to me:

“It’s MY damn investment money and I’ll spend it however the hell I want to!”
“Let’s cut to the chase: I’ll take the job at the middle school if unemployment is the other option.” (I’ve been ‘reassigned’ to the middle school.)
“Toby, I don’t care whose fault it is, I just want to get this door order corrected and be done with it, so leave me alone so I can do that.”
“Do I REALLY have to pay the engineer, or can I just pretend that I never met him?”
“Te amo, querida, mi corazon y mi pequeno tortuga con carino!”

The garage door was installed, and is a monster door!
The special order ‘spa bath’ got delivered!!
The west-facing portal is done & is wunderbar!
The building inspector showed up the same day I called to say we got the necessary signature—AND he signed off on the building permit, allowing us to move ahead with sheet rock, vigas, ceiling timbers and plastering work!!
The fireplace will NOT be allowed, per the aforementioned inspector. Time to contact the architect AGAIN! (I owe this guy BIG TIME!)
The glass blocks are all framed and ready to install.
Three doors are installed. The other two we pick up…

MANANA!