Why I'm not at WOYWW this week

I wanted to join WOYWW, but I had too many photos and too much going on in my life that will keep me away from my computer and visiting my Wednesday friends this week. So having said that, this photo intensive post is why I'm not joining Julia this week.


Many months ago I had four different companies come and give me bids on a new front porch. Some of you may even remember the process I went through. Last week, I finally signed papers with the company I had chosen many months ago. It's a good thing they don't get paid until the job is completed.


They began destroying the porch before I even realized they were doing it. They hadn't even asked me where I wanted the things that were on the porch.


One of the workers was checking the size of the decking.


Another worker removed the precious cargo (AKA a rocking horse) I didn't want destroyed.


The rocking horse looked a bit forlorn as it left its place on the porch.


Then there was lots more discussion about the decking. That's certainly not how I would replace the porch, but it's the way the older gentleman wanted it done.


I didn't realize how bad the porch was until everything was off it.


It wouldn't be long, now.


You can see the decking is running crosswise to the boards, but that's not the way it will look this evening. I asked them to save the wood because there was some wonderful stuff there that could have been used for art, but they


threw it all in a pile, then threw it all in their trailer. I was sick!


By this time, the railings were also gone,


but the columns were still hanging on.


By evening, the decking was in, and it still seems counter intuitive to me that they would put the decking the same direction as the floor boards, so I will have to wait to see how this works out.


Not sure you can see, but the columns are now also gone.


They left the one that has my mail box, I assume for the mail.


Of course, the big guy


had to inspect the project, too.


After a brief bowl of soup, I was off to the basement, where the floor was finally dry and I could walk on it. My first encounter was my laundry basket, which appeared to be broken under the strain of too many things being put in it.


What a MESS the painters made. They had NO idea how to pack anything, nor did they care if anything had rhyme or reason. This is ONE HUGE mess I'm walking into and I'm the one who will have to


figure out where everything goes.


And even though I asked they not put anything on the shelves in the hall, it appears they did, anyway.


Even my well organized shelves in the studio were jammed and crammed with things that definitely didn't belong there.


Right now I'm shaking my head in disbelief. At least this is just the mess that will go back in the hallway. The studio items are still in storage, and I hope they don't want to bring them back until I


have the chance to get this mess cleaned up and cleared. Not sure how "up to it" I am, but I know it won't get done unless I do it. Enough said. I'm off to greet the guys building my porch, then I plan to spend at least SOME time in my basement today.