Plans...Thwarted!

I found myself on a gorgeous Friday afternoon sitting behind the desk in an empty office, light on work myself. It had been a quick week made long by excessive tasks and loose ends not quite ready for the tying. Finally the day yielded and I was off, headed for the box stores. The special order electrical panel was not yet in, and too many variations in size for the Formica order put a hold on things until I firm the plan this week.

 

Ran myself ragged (our stain color is being discontinued, also) and was back on the road by 6, creating quite a stir with my 16' masonite siding (loaded in an 8' payload Blazer). Picked up Cara while rain threatened and headed straight for the lodge. With groceries in tow, we watched the storm roll in from the deck and I commented the last time we tried this (last year) I was so PO'd the soffits weren't in that I could scarcely enjoy sitting up there. (They're in now)  We closed up shop with lightning cracking all around and made it before the gully-washer hit.

 

Sat AM Cara went on her walk for the March of Dimes (in the rain) and I shipped out for some decent finds at the JV city-wide sales. The break in the rain coincided exactly with my arrival at the lodge and I took the opportunity to dig out the dust mask and circ saw and ripped the siding to length. Worked inside the rest of the afternoon while it rained off and on. There would be no staining or PH siding-install this weekend.

 

Met Cam and Ben down at the PL for a few drinks (and a good sandwich) that eve and shot some pool before Ben unexplicably took off as things got going. Cam and I set sail for The Cypress, had some cold Schlitz and looked on in disbelief at the packed house. Made a brief stop at Toads but weren't in the mood for the mindless patrons and slow service and cont'd on to the BR where the live music and foosball entertained.

 

Sunday, more interior work at the lodge while the skies pounded. Watched the fog roll in the low lying areas and escaped with 4WD late in the afternoon. Spent Sunday eve at the parents while Cara worked on a dress and I tackled laundry. All eyes were on the TV as the storm kept on and the tornado sirens sounded. Set a new record for rainfall totals as well. I kept tabs on the sump pump and ended up filling half a 5gal bucket with silt and clay scooped by hand from the bottom of the pump pit. This fill over the years had effectively raised the bottom of the pit, offsetting the float's normal working range. With the range offset, the duty cycle of the pump was skewed such that I feared the thing would burn itself out. Saying that'd be a bad deal would be the understatement of the year.

 

This week? More rain.