In Part One, while in the middle of preparing for Halloween, Burt discovered our refrigerator had stopped working, for good. Normally, we would have just bought a new one but without a driveway or a sidewalk to maneuver a large appliance into our house, that wasn't possible. The only option left was to throw ourselves on the mercy of Target and beg them to deliver one of their small fridges.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only problem we had to deal with. This is how our street looked last year. All of these trees were cut down last March, along with nine others because the water pipes and storm sewer system had to be replaced. Ever since then we have been in a struggle with the contractor to save our magnolia, the last tree left on the boulevard.
The city forester and the project engineer had assured us that it did not have to be removed, then one day I overhead two men talking about how it needed to be cut down because it was in the way of their paving machine. A few days later some jackass spray painted that same message on the grass with an arrow pointing to the tree along with the day-glow orange X to drive his point home. Much to our surprise, the city forester and the project manager didn't give in and flatly refused to let that happen. HM and I were stunned and very happy but it still took quite a beating from all the machinery. Who knows if the poor thing will survive all the damage to its root system but we're hoping for the best. The X has to stay because trying to remove the paint will stress it even more.
The constant threat of some crazy contractor cutting down our tree was way worse than being without a fridge but they were also continually digging up our internet. It's housed in that round object directly under the digger's blade. A sensible person would avoid looking at what was happening in the street.
It was quite a show and everyone was wondering what would happen next. Would axe-wielding construction workers attack the magnolia or will the internet get dug up, again?
On the morning of October 29th, the day before our little fridge was supposed to be delivered, construction began on the sidewalk and driveway aprons.
In the middle of all that chaos, a heroic Fed Ex driver managed to weave his way through the cement trucks and lift our temporary fridge over the sidewalk forms!
The final part of the reconstruction got done quickly and we were assured the sidewalk would be open for Trick or Treaters. (I had ninety candy bars!) The driveway was off limits until this week. Parking our cars in the next block for nearly two months was nothing compared to being without a refrigerator for a few days, but neither was really that bad.
Who knew all those curves in the cement that ties a driveway to the street are created with a piece of wood and a hand trowel? The things you don't learn while keeping watch over a tree.
The great outdoors has been remarkably good at providing cold storage for our perishable food. Apparently the squirrels and trash pandas were busy elsewhere, so all has been going well.
The little fridge is okay and doesn't take up a lot of space.
A full size one is scheduled for delivery this Friday.
Much to my amazement, enough Trick of Treaters showed up at our door on Halloween so there was only a few candy bars left! I wasn't sure anyone would come, especially after I didn't get the lights and garland put up. Our only decorations were four jack-'o-lanterns, which turned out looking very scary! It was cold too, 45 degrees F. and not a great night to be out, especially on a closed street with plenty of stuff to trip over. Luckily, no one fell in the gravel between the sidewalk and our front door!
On the Monday after Halloween a crew showed up to make a temporary walkway to our front door with some lovely black asphalt. The last of the water pipes that have to be replaced are directly beneath it, and that work can't begin until spring. There is also no way to bring a major appliance into a house with a gravel moat. The bare ground got a thin layer of topsoil and sprayed an unnatural shade of green. We're hoping for an early snow, anytime after Friday.
Thanks for stopping by.
See you soon and a belated Happy Halloween!
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