Nightmare on Nance Street, Day 3

So, Caitie came in the other morning and said, "Nightmare on Nance Street, Day 2" which I promptly stole for the title of the start of the chronicle of this little remodel project we are attempting. I, your host (and amateur general contractor), am running this build, which is more of a demolition to start. I am not working without a net: I have some contractor friends who have been holding my hand and have really gotten me off on the right foot. This means that we have successfully started, anyway. I will try to post pictures of the carnage as well. The strangest thing happened last Saturday. A man came to the door, dressed in tatters, of Mexican decent with no teeth. He spoke no English. He wanted to pull some weeds for me. I knew this because he made the international hand-gesture for pulling weeds. I made the international hand-gesture for "OK, Pedro, pull all you want. Can I get you a drink of water." He informed me that his name was Ramon. How did I know, he wasn’t wearing a name tag. So, he drank a sip and requested a plastic garbage sack, and he was off. Now, I may be wrong, but I am not required to determine citizenship as a private resident nor am I judgmental enough to assume he is anything but above board, but my senatorial hopes may be dashed on this one.

When Ramon finished, he came to the door, frightening the children. They don’t know that I actually asked him to weed. They wanted to know if he was homeless. They wanted to know if he was dangerous. They wanted to know why he was there. So, I invited him back ‘next week’ and he said he would come. Monday morning at 6:00am he returned and I had some other things for him to do. School started so everyone was up and besides, by the time he had arrived, the jack hammering had commenced so there was not much sleeping going on.

To make a long story longer, Ramon came Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. He cleaned, pulled, trimmed, and cut, and even did some work in the yard. Badum Ching. I’ll be here til Friday. Try the veal. He filled 12 45-gallon garbage bags full of trimmings and weeds and did a fine job. And I didn’t even have to go to Gilbert and Broadway to get him.

So, on day 3, we have a large dirt patch in our back yard ready for concrete. That’s next. Oh, and I have to order the windows. I call the 6:00am to 9:30am shift my first job, and my normal job my second job. I hope I survive to day 4.