SUNROOM FIFTY

They showed up this morning 0845 - three of them...one a different fellow. The "boss" guy is here, and is framing for the skylights. He says that now "they" want glass in the gable...he will do that.

So, by some miracle, the visit in the rain the other night by the Gold-Dust twins produced something. I really didn't think any of it would trickle down to the workers' level...let alone even get considered. Anyways, the windows, as small as they will be, is the PM's idea.

Apparently, and this is another "miracle", the Inspector who haulted work with the "Tag", gave the green light...apparently, according to the "boss" all the electrical wiring will be run on the outside, and then fed into the fixtures inside. Not being "into" any of this, I had thought myself that would be the way to go with such solid framing as this is.

At 1045, after framing out for the skylights, the "boss" and his two helpers left. Now at 1145 two different guys show up, and are working on the gable windows. One of them looks like the "Paneling" guy - the fellow who makes up the panels in their shop. They're into it hot and heavy. Why is it whenever they do anything it sounds like miners shoring up a shaft with twelve by twelves. Shakes the whole house, and ground too. There's nothing delicate about these guys...if it doesn't fit, they get out the sledge. I wonder if all this brute force fitting doesn't loosen whatever surrounds it. But then there's those metal plates, and hangers with ninety-seven nails in them...it's quite strong.

Now it's quiet...I get nervous when they're quiet, and suspect they're off to another job on the other side of town. They must have duplicate tools...maybe triplicate...they leave everything and just disappear. Another thing are those damn Cell Phones each one carries. They're all hooked into the "Command Center". They have to be nervous wrecks themselves.

12:26...See! They're gone. Evaporated...their truck is gone! I do see the framing for the Gable Windows is in - 2x4s...2 trapezoids about one-foot x three-feet x six-inches. Guess the glass for that and the sky-lights will be next. I guess. Would like to see the roof finished. With the roof finished, the door in, and the damn thing Stuccoed if they did nothing else...disppeared with the Heaven's Gate Crowd, the rest could be done by me almost.

Voices...I hear voices. It's 12:36 - the "boss" and his two helpers are back. Now they have some large metal framed thing ( staging? )...I think they are going to close in the ceiling....Oh well. Gotta feed the dog, and grab lunch for myself too. Amazingly it's a nice day...sunny. Was supposed to rain - sixty-percent rain. What's going on now...sounds like someone is pulling out a two-foot long rusty nail. Never ends! They knock off for the day at 14:15.

See photo below showing work done today.

1530 A Good Guys stake truck backs up the driveway as the Project Managers company pickup parks in the street. Three Nice Guys guys - the "new" PM; and another "new" Pm, plus the old PM who is being booted up to General Manager, but with no raise involved...just the title, begin bringing materials into the garage. The B/H is out there directing. This is a surprise.

The old PM goes back to see what work was accomplished today. Then he returns to the garage. In the garage now are several 4x8 sheets, and 1x6 boards of concrete composite siding ( Hardi Board ); Roofing shingles - enough for the new roof; two five-gallon cans of tar; Vynal Soffit material, and associated doo-dads; and a nine-lite, steel door, with knobs; locks; and deadbolt. Seeing this being stacked up, he then asks me to return to the back...to the sunroom job. He then tells me that instead of Stuccoing, they will be using this Hardi Board. It seems the Stucco CONtractor says he cannot stucco the structure...there isn't enough bearing surface for the material...it would eventually crack, and fall or peel off. Now "at added expense" for Nice Guys Corp, they will substitute this Hardi Board. I read some about this stuff, and addmittedly was pleased. I may have shown my pleasure in hearing this...I hope not much though.

All wound up, the PM ( old PM ) says beginning Monday the roof goes on; the door gets installed; the electrical work will be done; the Hardi Board put up; the sky lights installed; the Gable windows installed; the Wall Board/Dry Wall plastered/taped, whatever; etc., etc..

Do you believe any of this? Should we hold our breath? It's the weekend coming up...why at these junctures is there always a weekend in the way? What good are weekends anyways? Like the AB in Conrad's "Nigger Of The Narcissus" turning into his bunk as soon as boarding. Playing on the sympathies of Captain, and crew; sometimes riling them up with criticism, and insult during the long voyage from Bombay to London; never turning-to, and dying just before entering port...will this be my lot?