I met Arthur Eastman 3 weeks ago about when I got my wisdom tooth extracted. I was on so good drugs and thought I needed to get out of the house because it was a beautiful fall day. Dam if it did not take me around the block to see Dale's house on the corner of Seymour and Butts aka Maple street. The house was where my friend Rick Benson use to live at decade ago and it had asphalt siding on it. It look horrible! Now here it is in all it's new glory after Arthur and his crew got done putting his heart and soul into Dale's place.
I said to Arthur, how this mad the place look 200 percent better and that I was looking for somebody to flatten my roof on my front porch and build me a deck wrapped in cedar just like this.
The only problem was that I did not have the cash for it ,but was willing to trade my fully restored 1989 GMC truck and camper for the labor. Arthur ears perked right up and came right down to see the job. Timing is everything and Arty needed a truck and I need a roof and new deck so by Saturday, October 10th 2010 my dream of a upper deck was started.
I was a little worried because I was on my way to Kalamazoo for Mary's birthday party this weekend. It's not everyday your birthday flls on such an occasion as 10102010. I have to say seeing My best man Hal and his wife Peter, going to a wonderful play about a Gay baseball player and having a wonderful time at Marys party the weekend was just perfect.
I took my own color tour across to South Haven, Sauatuck and Douglass dunes beach aka Oval beach for a wonderful day of photos and reminiscing of what a wonderful summer season this was. It might not have been the most productive in money, but it was a wonderful time with friends and family. My porches have never been as busy as they where this year. I love it when people feel comfortable enough to just drop by and hang out with me and Bertlee or whoever might be there. I feel blessed with all the friends and fellowship we share at my little end of the world. Sitting at the beach saying goodbye to summer has been tradition for me for over a decade and today was one of the best! On my drive home I was excited to see how far Arthur and his crew got on the project. I pulled in the driveway about midnight, and was amazed at the progress that they had achieved in such a short time!
It rained on Wednesday so this slowed the project down to a crawl and there was a hole in my house where there use to be a window. The cold creeped in and Taylor said it was bone chilling for him to sleep that day. Taylor works at liquid web and his job is from midnight to 8am so the crew has been keeping him up. I told him to just look at the results and the 10x26 foot deck will be so worth it in the long run. This is adding 260 square feet of brand new living space to the second floor that was never there. You can tuff it out for a week until they are done.
This week was a little slower than last because now it's the little stuff that needs to be finished. Arty agreed with me about replacing the sides that where not covered in cedar shingle with new 8 inch side boards and he is working on that and the last of the V side roof. It will finish off the project with the respect that it needs and after returning the extra material to Menards there was a 13.00 dollar credit.
I decided to have a small dinner party up on the tree house with Bertlee, Taylor, Jamie and JR. What a wonderful show of color the maples gave us as the sunset! I am so happy this has come true!
We had to move a couch today out of the house form the second floor and it was a bear! I pulled the truck up and Arty and his son got on that and Bertlee and I got on the new deck. It worked much better than just dropping it over the ledge.
Arty will be done hopefully by Friday and I can clean up and have my house back in order. Timing is everything!
Saturday October 23rd
Well Arty ran out of boards to finish last night so I am out to get them at menards. Jackies diner called me first though because I could not get off the exit since it was closed. It's raining so he just might not finish today, I hope by Monday night it will be finished. Happy saturday and this rain will bring lots more color and leafs, on the ground.
-- Post From Little Rayray iPad
Location:116 west maple street, Lansing, Mi 48906
