We’re having eight windows replaced in the house, and it’s
about time.
One broke years ago; another leaks so bad that we have to
keep changing towels underneath it when it rains from the east. Some facing the west secretly rotted away, and
two have cracked argon seals and are no longer energy-efficient.
I think the cats are feeling the stress of demolition, if
shedding is any indication; they’ve never known constant hammering or that
terrible splintering/tearing sound when crowbarring-out a window.
I’m having my own share of nerve-wracking moments – mostly because
I ran out of legitimate errands to get out from the house.
On a normal succession of weekdays, I’d be writing and working
recipes in micro-batches and forcing nibbly-bites on my husband Dan for
evaluation (in my spare time), but with all the dust being generated, that was
a no go.
In the end, he’s probably relieved things turned out that
way.
The cats and I stayed on the sidelines – watching and
waiting - because there was nothing else to do.
We were there when Dan started cranking on the frame of one
of the half-moon windows in the living room – though, it didn’t take long for
my companions to abandon me, run up the stairs, and hide under the bed.
I busied myself covering the surrounding furniture in
blankets and moved a basket of books, a fan, and a glass-topped table out of the
possible path of – whatever might happen.
I sat halfway up the stairs with my camera ready to take a
picture, because it should be the last time Dan has to get up on scaffolding to
do anything like this again.
Creak, creak, creak…smash!
“Whoopsie!”
A large piece of glass from the window came crashing down
ten feet to the floor and broke into fine slivery bits, far too many to count.
(Oh, to have had the forethought to put plastic sheeting
down!)
I shook my head, put on boots and gloves, and went to fetch
a sturdy paper bag and the Central Vac hose.
Just so you know, our vacuum system sucks, and not in the
good way.
It took much longer than it should have to get all those
needle-sharps up, but the cats and I won’t have to worry about walking around
in our bare feet.
Dan assured me it would be the only mess he would make.
He continued to labor outside in the hot muggy weather.
Then I heard, “Is the TV working?”
“Yah.”
“Is the Internet working?”
“How should I know?”
“Uh, maybe you should check.”
Sure enough, I had been knocked off the World-wide Web.
He had hit the satellite dish with the skidsteer bucket. I doesn’t matter what he was trying to
accomplish just then, but there is an elaborate story about him being very
careful to avoid doing exactly what he wound up doing.
Stressed? Yes! I recommend a week’s vacation for anyone
undergoing home renovations – just like the neighbors down the road did - but,
of course, we won’t be having any of that.
****NO INTERNET until next wednesday!
