This morning I went to the lumberyard for a bundle of 2x12s and then started cutting them, along with some 2x8s at the job site. My dad came a little later and we started installing joists on one of the front porches. The mud slowed us down a bit but we still made good progress. My dad installed blocking between the joists while I cut more for the back porch. By the time he left we had all of the joists and blocking installed on the bigger of the two front porches. I left not long after and returned to the cottage for a shower. I drove home in the rain and arrived to play with Luke a bit before dinner. He was in a good mood and did well cleaning up after we ate.
Mixed day.
First thing this morning I drove up to Walmart for a printer, some birdseed, and a few other things. Liz and Luke made pancakes while I was away. After eating we went into town and rode his tricycle at Riverside and played in the splash pad before going for a walk around the downtown square. Back at the house we had lunch and Luke and I attempted naps. I was more successful, but later in the afternoon he put himself down for a nap. I did a little organizing in the garage while he slept, then we played a bit until dinner. After dinner we cleaned up which took a while and he had a bath. I left afterwards and drove up to the Mountain. It was an uneventful drive and fortunately not very rainy.
Hot but fun day.
This morning after breakfast we went out towards Santa Fe to visit some friends from the farmers market, Sam and Daniel, along with their son Joe Hickory, who is a year younger than Luke. It was a pretty morning – overcast and not too hot. They had a lot going on – ducks, geese, chickens, cows, sheep, and lots of plants. Luke had a great time seeing everything and meeting Joe Hickory. From there we drove to the farmers market and got a few things. Luke rode his tricycle around some also. After lunch Luke and I both tried to nap, without success. I took trash to the dump and then Luke and I messed around in the garage and covered up the water line that was dug up last weekend. He went to bed early but it took him a long time to fall asleep.
The hoped for productivity did not arrive.
This morning after breakfast I went to Kroger with a shopping list from Liz. I messed around for a bit in the garage before Luke and I reinstalled an access panel on the side of the house. Then we went next door to chat with Mister Jerry until it started raining. We went inside just in time for lunch. I did some computer work then fell asleep for a bit. Upon waking Madeline had to leave early and so Luke and I played until Liz got off work. Then we all went to Riverside and Luke rode his tricycle all over. We picked up dinner in town and ate it at home. Despite my nap I am still tired and hope to go to bed early.
A day that went differently than expected.
This morning at 5:45 I got a text from Eric saying that he had just run a couple of guys off the job site who looked like they were up to no good. So that was how the day started. We took Luke to his first day of preschool and he only cried a little as we left. I dropped Liz off at her office in Cool Springs, then went to Home Depot, Chick-fil-a, Lowe’s, another Home Depot, and Goodwill before returning to Liz’s office. We went to lunch at a Mediterranean place before we returned to the office. I sat in the car reading one of my books from Goodwill until it was time to go get Luke. He was in a good mood when we picked him up, and we took a scenic route home so he could see some construction equipment. I stayed at the house for a little bit before driving to Monteagle. Fortunately it didn’t look like anything had been stolen, but I took all the ladders to the cottage to be safe. Then I drove home to find everybody asleep. I might try to finish my book. It’s pretty good.
