Amusing Events

Every day of the past week, I have gone to the new house, taken photographs, talked to the workmen, and come home to post a blog entry.

Only I didn’t.

I looked at the pictures and there wasn’t enough progress to show, or more to the point, I just wasn’t inspired.  I couldn’t think of anything interesting or clever to say.

You could say I wasn’t a-mused.

But one can’t go on waiting for a visit from the muse forever, so I’ll just have to soldier on and try to give it a go solo – sans muse.

I’ve been watching the chimney progress.

After the rains ended last week, the sky was as bright a blue as you could ever want, and the masons climbed atop their scaffolding and began to give the chimney its final flair.

But there was one little mishap.

At first I thought this jolly old elf might be making hand holds for future trips up and down to the stockings below, but then he explained.

He had dropped his brick hammer down in the one void in the whole chimney and had to knock out a few bricks to retrieve his trademark tool. 

Still, the resemblance is uncanny… red cap, spectacles, mouth just forming the ho, ho, ho…

Soon they were back atop the roof forming up the chimney around the flues.

They had the pulley going again hoisting bricks and buckets of mortar to the lower scaffolding.

The “toter” then toted them up the roof to the upper scaffolding. 

Think of the money these guys save on gym memberships. Lats and delts and pecs all getting a workout every day – and they get paid to do it.  Of course, the cigarettes consumed probably undo both the health benefits and the savings on a health club, but I’m still impressed with their daily weight lifting regimen.

By the weekend, the chimney was nearly complete,

and today they finished it:

And then they moved over and started working on the brick foundation,

which is actually the bottom story in the back yard.

It will go all the way up to the siding.  I sure hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow so that they can finish it up!

I also hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow, because Atlanta Gas Light brought out their tractor and pipe today so they could get to work in the morning.

On the other hand, I hope it does rain tomorrow, because I have been planting like a fiend.

It doesn’t look like much right now, but I have planted this steep bank with winter jasmine and vinca.

They should bloom at the same time in late winter adding some color to the otherwise bleak landscape.  I hope the blue and yellow will look great together.

Meanwhile, back inside

the hearth was laid in the family room.  I thought about not posting this picture, but then I remembered that this guy forgot to put in the key thingy for the gas fire starter.  That set us back a day on inspections.  Inspection delays are not linear.  They seem to have an exponential nature.  So, the picture not only gives me a measure of revenge, it also kinda sums up how I’m feeling about this guy right now.

However, in spite of the delays, we are still making steady progress.

That should be enough amusement for anyone.