Ruth - Wed June 3rd 11AM

Ahhh, another day another dollah... Just got back from a 3-miler in the overheated fitness room. A run at 9 in the morning with no air conditioning in this Florida heat reminds me that we're meant to sweat.
Jack is a little less wise - he had his bottom right wisdom tooth removed yesterday. It was causing a deal of pain and soreness so he shelled out the cash to have the sucker yanked. The procedure is worth it no matter the cost, but I still figure we save money compared to paying for insurance year-round. I bought him tons of jello, pudding, and mac n' cheese to get him through the week. Then I spackled and textured some touch-up areas then painted a second coat of trim in the master bathroom. That was yesterday.
Today I am about to paint a second coat in the whole master bath, then caulk the baseboards and trim. We'll see where I stand after that. Javier is still with us, thankfully, and both he and Jack are working at the other condo (the one we don't live in). Javier is putting up baseboard and trim and Jack is putting in the speakers and knobs for the surround-sound I helped him wire.
I finally saw a doctor and he hooked me up with some antibiotics for this throat infection that's been kicking my ass. I also scored this hardcore nasal spray to clear up my sinuses that have gotten so out of control that it has stuffed up my hearing. I know, we're total wrecks haha but I'm glad to be on the recovery side of the scenario.
Time to slip on the 'phones and crank it up.
Let's have some fun, this beat is sick....

Hi everybody, I'm still lame...

Just a quick post to let you all know we're still here, creeping along, nothing too new to report. Cut that Charlie loose, because he was so slow, and Javier lost his father this last week, so that set us back some. Poor guy. I hurt my knee too, boxing. Some kinda tendon strain, and then today was a wash because I had to get a tooth pulled. I was tired of brushing it.

Getting into the rainy season here, and the backyard is turning from dirty dirt to green. Butterflies are out, there's few bugs, but at night the frogs and the other crickets and stuff make a huge racket. It's great. The people have been really nice lately, we've been enjoying the neighbors here and there as we talk in passing. Really starting to look sharp in here, and still no pictures for you. Like I said, I'm lame. I won't speak for Ruth. She's been busy. The dogs are well, and very silly. I'll get going, these vicodin (for the tooth) have me feeling pretty sick, and not really that clever. I guess I'm just getting on here to say I miss you all. And Ruth does too. Look forward to seeing you all.

Jack

Sorry for my lame arse

Yup. I know it's been a while. We've been BUSY! Let up already. Anyway, Ruth and I are busy working on the crib(s). I don't know where to start, because nothing specific to report, but at the same time, there's always something going on.

Ruth and I are trying to live balanced lives, and since the first apartment (the one we're living in) is mostly free of dust now, that's way more possible. We're taking advantage by preparing - whoops. RUTH is preparing regular meals... Whoops. And Javier, and we're trying to get exercise regularly, and live like sane people. Believe me, it ain't our forte. So Ruth has been running and hitting the gym, and I've been hitting the gym and signed up for a boxing gym. It's pretty cool, but at first I got a little frustrated that they wouldn't let me in the ring (wow, deja vu, just like Detroit, boxing rings that won't let you box, but like you to pay dues and stand there), but finally today I got to at least train in the ring and go four rounds with the owner's brother. Good stuff. Not like actually sparring even, just hitting the gloves and whatnot. But it's a good workout, I don't normally sweat hardly, but there I come back soaked. Four rounds on the jumprope, four on the heavybag, maybe six on the speedbag, shadowboxing two or three, and in between hitting the double ended bag. It's two hours that speeds by, but it kicks your ass. I've been doing that and the weights too, so I'm pretty pleased with my self. I'm trying to lose some weight too (Ruth gave me about 30 pounds for a wedding present), but we'll see about that part.

Check this out though: Ruth has been running. I mean she RUNS. This girl casually mentions to me today that she ran 7 3/4 miles today. I don't know if I've ever run that far TOTAL in my life, and never as fast as her, even when I was chased. I'm just kidding. I never run away, I just get decked and get a concussion. Har har. That (my bachelor party night) was the first time I was ever knocked down, even in Chicago, fighting a pro, when the first row was clearing because my blood was getting on them too much, that sucker couldn't drop me. Ask Carolyn Smith about that. She saw that silliness. What a mess. Great fun. But what a mess.

So our place is looking good, I don't know if there's been many pictures up lately, in fact, I know there isn't. I'll get to it. GET OFF MY BACK! But my Mom and Burt's place is coming along well too, we hired this guy Charlie for 15 an hour. He's okay, kinda slow. I guess he had some medical problems, so he gets tired kinda quick. I put an ad on Craig's list for 9-15 an hour, and got 80 REPLIES in about 6 hours on a sunday night. Honestly, we could do a lot better, but this guy needs this job like we need a person, even though right now it's a CRAZY buyer's market, we're gonna keep him if he doesn't drop the ball or anything. He's older, he needs it, he does okay, and that's that for now. Maybe we'll get someone else to come and pick up his slack when he gets all wored out.

We have the floors more or less done in both places, the sheetrock, the plumbing (no fixtures in in the other place) the wiring (fixtures only in one place), and cabinets and counter in one only. Ruth just put together the cabinets (besides cooking me stuffed cabbage, running 7 3/4 miles and much much more) today, so tomorrow, I'm hanging those suckers. I'm having Charlie start putting in the sockets, and Javier has most of the doors up and is moving on to baseboard and trim.

Okay, now I'm having a rum and coke, and watching the Sopranos. I gotta letcha go.

Yeah, some blog huh? Boring stuff. Oh, last thing. I met Freeman Barr today at the gym, a world champion. From the BAHAMAS. Maybe one day I will spar with him. Then he can knock me on my ass. Until then, my friends, dream a little dream...

Horrible people from Florida

Okay, here's a few more photos, including the colors, Mom, so that you can check 'em out. I'd write more, but I'm a busy, busy man. And by "busy," I mean "lazy." I'm laying that fake wood stuff in our condo. I don't know man, it's a new thing for me... It's kinda inexpensive, a buck and some a foot, and kinda faster to put in, but it's more or less compressed paper, with a super hard finish on it. The tongues and grooves are very fragile, (it being... ya know...PAPER), so you have to make sure not to look at it too hard while you're installing it, or letting your hair brush it or something, which could be disastrous. The top face of it seems to be pretty tough though. We'll see. And help us all if you get it wet, because they say if it gets the slightest amoung of moisture on it it actually explodes and then bursts into flame.

We'll see.

The guy who sold it to us was a nightmare too. He was one of those people who really needs you to like him, so he makes dumb jokes. The more you recoil in horror, the more need he feels to connect, so the closer he gets, the louder and the "funnier," according to him. It finally got quite uncomfortable with this guy. He kept trying to be funny, and wasn't, and bragging about stupid things, and then bragging about how they all drink after work, and on and on. Pretty much Andy from the office. How clever. It seems I meet some decent people here, but in addition, I keep meeting some really horrible people here too. Yesterday at the gym, the mother and son, who, when not debating whether the military was meeting it's recruitment goals to continually replace those dying in Iraq, were discussing (rather loudly) how their family is in a big fight right now because some of them say there's no such thing as hell, and that "my god would never be so mean," and others disagree and thought it was blasphemous, and all are in a tizzy about their afterlives, as though they have some say on the subject. It would be kinda cute if they were in a sandbox and they were six. And I was on the monkey bars. Where I belong. Because I'm a monkey, according to a Baptist I once knew, because I think I'm descended from 'em. Ah, dear. I really am kinda monkey like though. I really am. Mostly in my oral hygeine, but also in my taste in playground equipment. Oh yeah. Apparently someone in their family is also a judge, which is a big religious quandary for them and the extended family, because it says in the Bible "Judge not..." etc. Yes, they were SERIOUSLY interpreting that passage to mean this guy should not hold the OCCUPATION of judge. Imagine that, a whole family of geniuses. Must run in the blood.

(Editor's note: while typing this, Ruth just came in and recounted a story, unsolicited, about a guy she saw yesterday who had his whole back window done in a confederate flag that said in huge letters: "You just don't get it! It's not about you, it's about the GOVERNMENT!" whatever that means. Anyway, it proves my point about this place being an evil circus...)

Finally, Ma and Son Hell were overwhelmed by my (somewhat diabolical) psychic mind control, and left me, as I psychically (that is SO not spelled that way) instructed them, to go very very far from me, and then to really shake 'em up I sent 'em to temple to face east and worship mother earth. When they left to writhe in their spiritual agony, they were immediately, as though it were scripted, replaced by their polar opposite, a guy who was way too NOT uptight. This guy had to start spouting off his racism ("I'm from Romulus Michigan. Up there I gotta crawl over 9 black ones to get to one white one. Down here, they got tail hoof-in-hand..." and that's just the beginning of what he got spouting off about... Don't ask me what that means, either. I didn't ask, I was too busy sticking sharpened sticks in my ears. Another nugget was, like everything he said, unsolicited: "I gotta get me some new shorts man. These ones here make me look like some kinda QUEER!") At that point, I dove through a plate glass window screaming, then walked to the pool to check out what that was like. Once there, I found my racist workout buddy had followed me "hey man. I heard you talkin' on the phone earlier. You some kinda rocker or somethin?" I repsonded by going to the other end of the pool and there found an equally talkative dude who apparently is going overseas (he can't remember what country, but it's one of the northern ones) to do cage fighting. At that, I looked for a plate glass window to dive through, and exited the pool.

Maybe Florida is a place for everyone to migrate to from around the country who just didn't get enough attention as children.

But then dig me, posting my tribulations and criticisms for the world to pore over on this here blog. Ironic, huh? Let me get back to my purpose then, posting the colors of your condo, Phyllis, so that you can decide if they look okay. And by the way, Mom, I got plenty of attention as a kid. I mostly put this blog up for you and the rest of our people in case you're super bored you can see that we are too, so much so that I post complaining about people that sell us flooring, and then not feel so bad.

I spend 24 hours a day with Ruth, in bliss, then walk outside for 5 minutes and realize the whole world is populated by the inane and insane. Ruth, where are you?

On to the photos! Vamoush!

(Edior's note: The above is pure fiction. In reality, everyone in Florida is both handsome and popular.)






glass block surprise. Wait'll you see THIS, Phyllis...



Luiz. I just had to take a few pictures of this guy, it was so hilarious. I don't miss those days when I'd get done and look like this.



Wiring by Jack




It was Sunday, and there was only one room left to do, so Javier let 'em take their time and drink beer while they worked...



Javier bitching about the work in that same room, wondering what happened...

Luiz as "the snowman"



If she wasn't getting more done than anyone, I'd still pay her to hang around and be beautiful...



our drywall crew




Mom's dining room pass through. Note the wires for spotlights...



Luiz y Jose

Phyllis and Burt's colors up on the wall

We only used purple mold resistant drywall in both condos. It cost a little more, but hey, we're worth it!



4239 Living room, kitchen, dining room and hall color



the front two rooms from down the hall



Master bath color, paler yellow



Master bedroom color. A brighter stronger version of the master bath color.

Photos 4-25-09

My friend Jose working. (Did you hear about the Honduran guy who had two sets of equipment? One he named "Jose," and the other he named "Hose B."



Javier Blanco. (after spraying primer)



glass block night light



fernando y manny, the drywall finishers



Everybody wants to get in on the act