Adendum

An update from my earlier post:

Rick ran all over Dunedin and Clearwater today getting the rest of the paperwork filed so we can start work on the fence.  We still will have to get the utility companies out to flag all of our underground utilities before we can dig, so that is something to add to the call list next week. (However, I do not have complete faith in the system.  When we had our sewage pipe scoped out last year, it was in the "wrong" place from the records and some of the other pipes attached to the main pipe were never even listed.  Good thing most of our work will be in the fairly-utility-free back yard.)

While he was doing that, I was working outside clearing the vegetation that had crept from the neighbor's yard through the fence.  I cleared two bags' full of vegetation from our property.  Interestingly enough, while I was doing that, a tree service came in and took down a dead pine tree in the neighbor's yard behind us.  The head of the crew said that the City was taking it down because the property had been "abandoned."  Good.  I hope that now that the property is on their radar, that they take steps to try to sell it instead of letting it sit there and rot.

The tile guys worked until after lunch. They added Hardiboard to the walls, they put on the smooth coat in the floor so that it is tapered but ready to tile, and they added mud to the wall to try to even out the surface between the Hardiboard and the plastered wall.  We were a little surprised that they did not just shim out the Hardiboard when the put that up, but they did not.  Rick is a bit concerned that now the shower valves themselves will be out too much from the wall.  We'll have to see how the tile goes up next week.

Hardiboard and mud now decorate
the master bathroom for the weekend.

A new, smooth floor really smells bad
as it dries.  Hopefully, we can open
the windows again tomorrow.

After the tilers left for the weekend, we decided to go to Home Depot for the rest of the materials we needed to plumb the water softener.  Home Depot did not have one part, so we went to Lowe's to complete the order.

We were waiting for the person who helped us fill out the fence order in the first place to come back from lunch, so after Lowe's, we returned to Home Depot.  Two hours later, and after working with another man anyway, we had the cement mixer and the fence materials all ordered.  All of the fencing material will be delivered to our curb next week Friday.  The cement mixer may take a little longer to get here.

 Just as we were walking into the house, Rick's phone rang.  The GMC dealer was calling to tell us that they worked all day on the truck and only replaced one of the four brake lines that needed attention.   We will not be able to pick up the truck until "late on Tuesday"... if then.  The bill is creeping toward $1200 now, so that was a very unexpected, unpleasant surprise.

Overall, this has been a very productive day.  We covered many loose ends, the shower work continues as planned, the truck is being repaired, the yard looks better, and we still have enough money left over to eat dinner tonight. Sigh. It could be worse. Overall, as my shirt reminds me, life is good.