….we are ‘on’ the greenhouse again.  Work is progressing.  Things looking good.  This is a very positive step for mankind, if not just a little embarrassing for me.  I have to admit; I need Sal.  I need her nagging.  I need her strong pair of hands.  I need her ‘Let’s do this thing!’ attitude.  I even need her somewhat abbreviated attention span – such as it is: ‘Hey, look!  A squirrel’.

Don’t ask me why.  I just need it, OK?

The empire is slowly getting to the finish line.  Of course, it will never BE finished but the scope of the plan is almost complete, the planned jobs have all at least been started (save the guest bathroom but it is a must do and so will get done next) and we can kinda see an end in sight to major construction projects.  Which is good because we are already starting to see major maintenance projects looming up so, like I said, it never ends.

But it does slow down.  OMG have we slowed down!  Well, I have slowed down. Sal has been more distracted and, for the last year, by more than just squirrels and playing fetch in the middle of chores.  Now she has quilting on the brain.  Addicts have habits.  But Sally has all consuming obsessions.  And Quilting is looming to being the biggest one yet.

Anyway, she wanted to quilt and I am man, spell me m-a-n and so I went on to start the greenhouse a month or so ago without her.  Trust me, I did not go graciously to the site but, like I said, she was obsessed.  And so I had to go.

It wasn’t hard to go it alone. Not in the beginning.  ‘I can do this’.  Measuring long things without someone at the other end is a pain sometimes but not so much.  Lifting things into place is awkward and a smidge unsafe at times but planning your work eliminates much of that (or so I am told) and holding things in place while you put in a nail or screw can be tricky but, in a pinch, she would come out.  I started my work with confidence.

Best laid plans…mice…m-e-n.  

Even the first few mistakes did not daunt me.  Not too mcuh.  Mistakes are my mddile name.  I am comfortable with mistakes.  We spend a lot of time together.  Having to take the frame down more than once was getting on my nerves but, really, I am n-a-m and sllep me anyway that will just stay up for a $%$#@! second!

It got annoying.

“Hey, Sal….?  You know how you are always bugging me to measure twice and check with the plan or the directions and bugging the hell out me when we build with squirrels and crap?”

“Yes, sweetie.  I know I drive you crazy.”

“Well, it would appear that I need that.  I am much the worse for working alone.  In fact, I can’t seem to get anything done without your nagging and asking stupid questions.  I may even need to have the squirrels pointed out to me now and then.  I really don’t know at this point what the correct way to do anything is anymore.  I am shaken.”

“That’s fine.  I’ll put down my quilting and help.  Be right out.”

Whew.

“So, sweetie.  What are we building again?  Is this the greenhouse or the spare bathroom? And have you seen the fantastic Marigolds blooming so late?  Come see!  They are just beautiful, don’t you think?  Did you bring my gloves?  Do you want me to bring tea?”  

“OK, I admitted it.  I admitted it out loud with people nearby and I am sincere.  I need you. I really need you.  But surely that does not mean that you can immediately start the job with a string of goofiness.  Marigolds!  Please.  Not that fast.  Please….I need to adjust to it, the madness, the tangents, the questions….just give me a bit of time to get used to such stuff…OK?”

“OK, sweetie.  But what are we doing?  All I see is materials lying about and I thought you had been hard at work on it for the last week or so?  And so where is the plan?  And did you bring my gloves or not? And why are you being so mean to the Marigolds?”

Medically assisted suicide should be legal but there really should be a lot of checks and balances, ya know?  It should NOT be easy. Jus’ sayin’…………..