Demolition Day

Brad and I decided to have a storage building built in our backyard to store all Brad's "work stuff". (I want to park my car in the garage, instead of using the garage as a storage room for all the "work stuff"; Brad wants to be able to organize his "work stuff" so he can find what he's looking for without having to dig through several stacks of boxes.) So, we got someone out here to give us a quote, and as we were talking, we decided that since the house is settling, we want to bust up the concrete on the back patio and pour a new one and install a French drain that will help keep the water away from the house, and we want to extend the patio several feet to the end of the house. Oh, and I want to get rid of a flower bed in the front and pour concrete to make a bigger front porch - one that will have room for a rocker. Because all southern women need a rocker on their front porch, y'all. Look at this picture. See where all that leveled dirt is? That used to be an ugly flowerbed (black thumb that I am) and is the future home of my new porch! And won't it look just like a picture from Southern Living magazine when I get my rocker out there? Okay, maybe not, but humor me.

So, yesterday was demolition day. I don't think I was quite prepared for the destruction and mess that has taken over my backyard. There is a huge pile of busted up concrete right in front of the trampoline, and the yard right beside what was once the patio is a dirty mess. Oh, and there is a backhoe in my backyard. And a nice, big dumpster. And there was a huge load of dirt at the end of my driveway until last night, when the crew spread it all over the place to level things out. These pictures will help you understand...

We had to put Blue in his kennel in the laundry room all day so he wouldn't bother the crew. When I went home at lunch to walk him, he was a nervous wreck. I tried to walk him around the house, but as we got closer to the backhoe, he smushed his whole body against my legs and pushed me hard, away from the backhoe. Guess he doesn't want me to get hurt. Good dog! It was a struggle to get him back inside. He kept crouching in his "watch and plan" mode, like he was waiting to see if it was safe to go back inside. I finally got him back inside, but he wouldn't go in his kennel. All of a sudden, the entire house began to shake and rattle, from the foundation to the roof. Seems the backhoe driver was using the backhoe to bust up the concrete on the back patio. And in the process, he was knocking pictures off the walls, making the ceiling fans wobble, making me fear for the safety of my picture window, and driving my poor dog insane. Blue ran for the kitchen and began pacing, taking quick breaks to go to the back door and bark wildly at the window. I finally lured him to his kennel with a piece of turkey. He was so upset, he didn't eat a thing all day - he even spit out a treat I gave him. Last night I let him outside, and he checked on the progress of things. Brad said he might have been upset because the back patio is where he sleeps, and he may be mad that they are tearing up his space. Good point.

When I got home from work, the crew had cleaned up a good bit, and the sight of the yard wasn't quite as alarming. At least I could see where the patio is going to be. The churned up yard is making me more and more nervous, though. Leyden is having a luau birthday party in our backyard in two weeks, and I just don't know what I'm going to do about all the dirt. After paying for the building and the concrete work, I know we can't afford sod. We may be doing the hula in the mud. This picture shows all my patio furniture sitting in the yard, and the framed up patio on the right. The dirt on the left is where my grass used to be. See my dilemma?

Oh, and last night I turned on the TV in the bedroom. And the cable? It wasn't working. And the fear that ran up my spine? Very chilling. (Going to sleep without a TV is torture to me. It's a very bad habit, and Brad has broken me of it once - it didn't last long.) "Braaaaad! The cable's not working!" After he traipsed around outside in the dirt with his huge flashlight, he determined that the cable ran underground to the bedrooms, right along the back patio. And the backhoe? It cut the cable. Right in two. So, Brad called the contractor this morning and they'll fix it - after they pour the concrete. They're not pouring concrete until Friday. Which means I'll be without TV in my bedroom until next week sometime, at the earliest. ARRRGGGHH!!! (Brad probably thinks this would be a good time to break the TV at bedtime habit.)

I told Brad that I am beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea after all. He said we've never done anything and had smooth sailing, so he doesn't know why I expect it to go without a hitch. I don't know - maybe it's just our turn to have smooth sailing?!

There is good news in all of this mess, though. The cable in the living room still works. (And yes, I'll be sleeping on the couch. I'm not ready to break my bedtime TV habit.) By the end of next week, I'll have a front porch where I can put my rocker like a proud southern woman; I'll have a big back porch that will hold all my patio furniture; and I'll be parking in my garage for the first time since we moved here. Blue slept in the dirt under the back door last night. I told him that he's gonna love his new patio and it will all work out just fine. I'll let you know when it's finished.