Friday on the Run

It's a race to catch up with myself all day. And I never quite get there. Cake for Pete, and I catch up with his wife, Olga, doing the gardening. Morning tea for the department. Joan drops off my Nutrimetics order; she's seen the house in stages and brings me tea towels and coffee mugs. We talk about her heavily medicated husband in care with dementia. Gary on point with the last plumbing jobs. A relief period. Back to site and Kirk's new worker is the nephew of one of my colleagues. Super excitable. Kirk says he talks too much. But takes his boots off to go inside. I see Kirk's hand written "Boots off" instruction to the boys. Cam is doing the odd jobs he is so good at: making a step down from the laundry to the garage, putting in the facing for the round window...I feed Kahu then he's off on his bike for another late shift collecting glasses at Original Sin on The Strip in town. Finally, I check in with Sharyn who has still got my gardening stuff in her garage. I'm after fence stain to right Grant's fence top wrongs. And find stores of feijoa gin and Noccino I'd forgotten about. Enough to keep me toasting the house for summer. I leave when Sharyn's checking her phone for the second time. I'm picturing my feet up in front of the tele with a feijoa gin and tonic. The finish line for this week.

Back on the Volleyball Court

Things are coming to a close for the year. 2020 is winding down as tradies wind up to meet the whims of people who think they will get into their houses by Christmas. I'm still plodding along. Today the house is quiet. But after the excitement of the kitchen island and bench tops, I've plateaued. Not much can beat that. My focus now is to keep ticking off the smaller jobs so I'm comfortable when I move in. And consent will happen not long after. I've got so much stuff in the house now, I need to be seen to be there. I don't want to be a target for burglars, and since I haven't got any curtains, and you can see right down to my room from the street, especially with the hall lights on, the house needs an occupant. In the meantime, I organise Friday morning tea for the department and play my first game of volleyball in ages.

Laundry Tiles Etc

The tile team finish the laundry and I race round sorting odds and ends. Looking forward to burning less petrol. There's the toilet seats, the laundry shelf brackets, the light which needs rewiring. And I finish marking student work for the year. Tidying up the odds and ends. Then I kill time at school till a PPTA dinner down the road for two long service awards. Two men who have served their colleagues by defending their rights in the workplace for about 30 years. Time passes without making any noise. We're at the curtain call before we know it. But this house build I've felt every step of the way.

Surprise, It's the Bench Tops!

I'm proof reading my reports when the phone goes. It's Ian who tells me he's unlocked the door to let the bench top installers in. They've been waiting on the verandah, unable to contact me. I saw a missed call from Daniel at Murray Hewitt Joinery during lessons but when I called back he didn't answer. Ian says the boys were about to leave when he turned up and they've nearly finished now. I drop everything and race down. This is too exciting. On the kitchen island the seagull is flying above the ocean in splendid isolation. In motion, stunning. The GBC boys have cut the stone exactly as I asked. I'm super happy. No revisions possible and none necessary for this piece. The boys are proud of their work and glow as I effuse. Happy that I'm happy.