Back in Michigan for the summer

[FlintTony]

We got back here yesterday morning from spending the winter at our place in Florida. I should have stayed a couple more weeks. 37 degrees here now. Supposed to be cold rain for a few days. It was 83 the last day we were down there. I got a bunch more land cleared. Dug out thousands of feet of Palmetto roots. Making a three acre park-like setting that I can see from my lazy boy chair in the living room. Shot and killed a good sized cotton-mouth. Hurt my back pretty good while working. Had 3 calves living there for the winter. Cut and burned a hundred or more trailer loads of brush, limbs, and small trees. Didn't ride my HD except for a few times though. Back just doesn't want to cooperate with the seating position. May have to modify the seat set-up. Got started putting up a 30x38, two story garage for my brother. Got all the plumbing and air lines installed. Ready for the siding now.Everything back here is OK. Had a neighbor keep an eye on the place. He did a great job.

[Hank70SS]

Welcome back Tony, I know it's been awhile since you posted this. I feel like I've been running in ever increasingly smaller circles the last several months. Between running to our sons, running to our daughters and the rain drops I've been trying to rebuild our deck. Thought it would be simple, rip off the old deck boards and lay down new ones. Well once I got the surface off and got a good look at the substructure the job got a lot bigger. Building a new deck from scratch would have been easier.

We have overhead electric from a pole in the yard, right over the deck to the house. Decided to have that line buried but that meant moving the meter from the back of the house to the side. Only clear shot to the house for trenching. So I installed a new meter enclosure on the side of the house. Ran a new cable in from the new meter box to the gen transfer switch. Removed the cable from the old meter and ran a temp cable from the old meter to the new box. Just have to get the inspector out then I can call DTE to come and bury the line. Also moved the comcast box from back to side of house so I don't have any cables going down through the deck.

Now if it would stop raining I could finish my deck.

[flash]

Hank ,youre a busy man , how did you ever have time to work before you retired .

[Hank70SS]

I don't know John. Working for a living was a lot easier than this. We're on a mission, get all the big projects done while we still can. Starting to think it may be too late already. All 3 bathrooms have been remodeled, new tile, fixtures, etc. New floor, hearth and fireplace doors in family room, still need to get new furniture. All carpeting upstairs is pretty new, next is painting and new carpet in living room after deck is done. Oh, new front door and maybe new family room door. I put French doors in the family room and the breakfast nook or whatever you call it soon after we moved in here, because that's what SHE wanted. Now SHE wants a sliding door wall in the family room.

I said we're on a mission. Problem is I get to do all the work. Something is wrong with this plan.

[carpoor]

Send us some rain, we're dying. 96 in the shade as I type this. Way too damn hot for May.

[FlintTony]

I would love to send some of this rain your way Brian. It's been miserable here. The worst spring that I can remember. Ground is too muddy to get any tomato plants in the ground.

[FlintTony]

Hank, you could have built a whole new house instead of all the remodeling. I'm thinkin it would have been easier!

[Hank70SS]

Maybe Tony. You paint, new carpet or flooring but 18 years later it's time to start over. About the time you do the last room the first room needs updating again. Besides I need something to keep me busy. I mean look at you, you never stop. You're not as old as me but damn close.

[FlintTony]

Yeah hank, I know what you mean. We built this house 27 years ago, 15 years ago we did all new carpet and paint. Yesterday Kathy says "it's about time for new paint and carpet". I aint looking forward to that job. Way too much shit to move.

I'll be 65 next month. Feel like I'm 95. The people at the PT joint all say they can't believe that I'm that old. Guess I still get around OK then. Funny thing is, I don't want to slow down. At all.

[Hank70SS]

I don't want to slow done either, but I don't move like I use to. I can still do it just not as fast or maybe for as long.