Decisions, Decisions

As I left Presque Isle yesterday morning Kyle, Dave, and Jose were working on the garage, closing up the sides with plywood and finishing the roof so it will be ready when the roofers arrive next Thursday.  I've caught Dave and Kyle looking rather wistfully at the garage, as if they could see it sitting next to their own houses.  I look at it remembering my garage in Detroit, with its tilt-up steel doors so bent by long use and heavy snow that they could no longer close, let alone lock.  And the frost-heaved floor, one side an inch higher than the other... I can't forget that.  And, of course, the whole structure leaning slightly to the left, as if favoring a sore right knee.  Yes, my new garage looks very nice, right where it is.

The house on Thursday, Oct. 7.

Jose closes up the garage's east gable.

Kyle cuts lumber from which to build the garage's rake.

As indicated earlier, the septic tank has been installed and awaits construction of its absorption (or leach) field.  Without doubt, St. Fetor the Honeydipper, 14th century patron of agri septici, was watching over us when the site plan was drawn up.  While most of Lot 4 is rocky (repeat after me, "Alpena very gravelly sandy loam"), at the designated location for the field we found a wide, deep vein of sand.  The inspector was pleased, and so was I.  When the field goes in, I'll have to rig a barrier to keep people from parking on it.

After being hooked up fore and aft, the tank will be buried.

The drive downstate was uneventful — beautiful weather, light traffic, and lots of State Troopers lurking over the brows of hills.   The color in northern Michigan is peaking as I write.

On Highway 68, between Onaway and Rogers City.

This morning I spent a couple hours at The Lighting Corner selecting light fixtures for the house.  They are running a 40% off sale this weekend, so this was the time to buy.  Over the past week I have looked at perhaps 1,000 light fixtures, and they were all starting to look alike.  However, my priorities were clear — inexpensive, contemporary, something I can stand to look at for many a year.  That done, I went next door to Rycenga and finalized the order for cabinets.  Type: full overlay.  Wood: oak.  Color: Fawn (medium brown).  Hardware: brushed nickel.  Cost: don't ask.  Now I have to choose a laminate for the countertops.  And tomorrow I'll drop by Port City Paint and start looking at interior colors.  So many decisions.

Cindi walked in as I was finishing up at Rycenga.  She spotted the Ice Cream Truck and dragged me off for lunch.  St. John's friends: First, the new front steps look right spiffy, and it's nice to know that chunks of concrete won't be falling on guests at the Festival picnic.  Second, I'm especially glad to hear that the kitchen project is nearing completion.  Just in the nick of time, too!  This week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported that 12,367 Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Agnostics died last year in their church, mosque, synagogue, temple, and sports bar kitchens, all for lack of adequate make-up air over their stoves.  "It's a crisis!  They're dropping like flies!" declared one high ranking OSHA official who spoke on condition of anonymity because... well, everyone in Washington speaks anonymously these days.  Years ago, deep background meant you knew a lot about some important issue.  Now it means that, in a pinch, what you just said can be denied or attributed to the staff person you will happily fire to protect yourself. •••