The Calvery

I realize that ‘schedules’ are a first world problem. We had a ‘schedule’ (hope/idea) for the kitchen remodel.

Here’s how it’s been going so far.

Schedule- Hire the demo/excavation company to remove the shack and do the excavation.

Reality – No one calls us back, so we start demo ourselves. Instead of 1 week it takes more than 3. No track hoe’s available to rent, so we do it with our tractor. We hire Big Nick, my BFF’s son who is young, strong and gets along with My Loving Spouse like no body’s business to help us be the muscle. We happily pay him as he saves a bit of our sanity and tons of back pain.

Schedule – The site is clean, so now we really do need that excavation company to come and dig out the site, so the foundation can be pour.

1 out of 5 companies call us back. Two more weeks pass….our schedule is going haywire. We worry, that if we do not get the excavation dug, the contractors we need for the next step will have moved on to bigger and better projects. Can you spell frustration?

‘People’ say, “Isn’t this a job you can do yourselves?” Hmmm…..

In a word….’no’. We cannot. My Loving Spouse puts a hole through the door with the tractor, runs over a nail and breaks 1 fence post. I’m only cataloging these tractor ‘woes’ as this will be a long restoration and I may need you to all remember, that not all of the tractor mishaps are my fault.

I vent/whine/express my frustration over the lack of excavators in the valley who know how to use a phone to my BFF. She says….”Would you like my Brother’s T’s number?”

Please hum the Hallelujah chorus!

We rent a mini back hoe and Brother T not only answers his phone, but shows up early. (He’s my favorite!)

He’s ability with the track hoe, is a thing of beauty. My Loving Spouse can barely empty the dirt he excavates quickly enough.

Just then Our Neighbor shows up to see how all is going. Luckily for us, he drove over on his tractor. He jumps into the dirt removal and the excavation moves along rapidly.

One little minor wire, that nobody knew was buried right there gets broken. It seems to run the shop electrical. We’re not even bothered, because our hole is being dug. Our favorite excavator says, “Well, you can’t make an omelet without cracking a few eggs.”

Three hours later we have a square hole.

I open the door from the kitchen just for fun.

The excavator says, “Watch that first step, it is a doosy.” We laugh, so extremely grateful for his help, for someone who will answer the phone! As he says, “My Momma and Daddy raised me right. If someone needs help, you help them”.

I shut the door, the clock falls of the wall and hits me on the head! Ouch, however, I am grateful for the calvery that showed up and helped us out hydraulically….and I am blessed.