For some reason, Susan and I were sitting around the house last night, doing little odd jobs and watching TV, when we realized we were dead tired. We went to bed shortly after 9PM and got up 12 hours later.
It was FABULOUS!
It was made even more fabulous by the discovery of snow gently falling and covering the ground with a thin white blanket. As I write at 11:38 AM, it is still snowing. I don't think we are going to get a massive snowfall, but it looks like I'll be able to breakout the snow blower machine and get some use out of that.
The problem with using the snow blower machine is all the branches that are still lying around the yard. Martin did a crappy job of clean up and I've been trying to rectify that issue, but there are still some branches and twigs and piles of saw dust to contend with.
I'll be careful about where I blow and hopefully the issue will take care of itself as the season progresses. Also, I'm very confident that Martin will return to finish the job he committed to finish. I mean, he gave me his word! (How does one indicate sarcasm in print?)
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014
Post Christmas Report
It is the day after Christmas and all through the house, I'm not doing anything, cuz I am quite soused. No not really. I just couldn't make a rhyme work with grouse, louse or prouse, which is not really a word.
I guess I need to update since I haven't posted in nearly two weeks. It's the Holiday season and therefore, I got me better things to do than sit here and type. But for now, you got me.
As predicted, Martin the Hillbilly Tree Remover has turned into the Martin Remover. I have not seen him for two weeks and don't expect to.
I have a sizable stump in the back yard but what remains should be fairly easy and inexpensive to remove.
It will be interesting to see what happens this coming summer when the tree is no longer there to provide a substantial amount of shade for the house.
Susan is working today which means I am free to hang out and do nothing. And yet, I'm accomplishing some small tasks. I cleaned out the fireplace. I've done some laundry. I've watched a lot of TV. There is an "NCIS" marathon going on the USA Network, and even though I have seen every episode at least 37 times, I still love it.
Speaking of the TV, we have managed to see all our favorite holiday classics this year. We saw "It's a Wonderful Life", Hoe the Grinch Stole Christmas", the cartoon, not the movie, "A Christmas Story", "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and "A Christmas Carol". For me the good one is from 1952 with Alister Sims.
We spent our Christmas Eve at the Annual Jensen Family Christmas Eve dinner. There were 34 of us this year. Susan and I are honorary members of the Jensen clan through marriage and a 20 year span of living next door.
On Christmas morning, we were up at se7en to get dressed and get to church to help with Meals on Wheels. Our church combined with a couple of others to take up the holiday slack. We helped prepare and dish out the meals, get them boxed up and then we delivered. We had a route with 5 stops and they were all pretty close. All together, we delivered 350 meals.
We got home around 1:00 and went straight to work on opening the presents we had. All in all, we did okay for people who don't really need anything.
Christmas night we went to our friends Randy and Karen for a fabulous dinner. We only had to bring wine and some Dilly Beans, which was great. No effort put forward on our part at all.
That's my kind of dinner!
So Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Joyous Hanukkah and a change of mind set to all you Devil Worshipers.
I guess I need to update since I haven't posted in nearly two weeks. It's the Holiday season and therefore, I got me better things to do than sit here and type. But for now, you got me.
As predicted, Martin the Hillbilly Tree Remover has turned into the Martin Remover. I have not seen him for two weeks and don't expect to.
I have a sizable stump in the back yard but what remains should be fairly easy and inexpensive to remove.
It will be interesting to see what happens this coming summer when the tree is no longer there to provide a substantial amount of shade for the house.
Susan is working today which means I am free to hang out and do nothing. And yet, I'm accomplishing some small tasks. I cleaned out the fireplace. I've done some laundry. I've watched a lot of TV. There is an "NCIS" marathon going on the USA Network, and even though I have seen every episode at least 37 times, I still love it.
Speaking of the TV, we have managed to see all our favorite holiday classics this year. We saw "It's a Wonderful Life", Hoe the Grinch Stole Christmas", the cartoon, not the movie, "A Christmas Story", "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and "A Christmas Carol". For me the good one is from 1952 with Alister Sims.
We spent our Christmas Eve at the Annual Jensen Family Christmas Eve dinner. There were 34 of us this year. Susan and I are honorary members of the Jensen clan through marriage and a 20 year span of living next door.
On Christmas morning, we were up at se7en to get dressed and get to church to help with Meals on Wheels. Our church combined with a couple of others to take up the holiday slack. We helped prepare and dish out the meals, get them boxed up and then we delivered. We had a route with 5 stops and they were all pretty close. All together, we delivered 350 meals.
We got home around 1:00 and went straight to work on opening the presents we had. All in all, we did okay for people who don't really need anything.
Christmas night we went to our friends Randy and Karen for a fabulous dinner. We only had to bring wine and some Dilly Beans, which was great. No effort put forward on our part at all.
That's my kind of dinner!
So Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Joyous Hanukkah and a change of mind set to all you Devil Worshipers.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
More Tree Fun
Martin the Hillbilly Tree Remover showed up today and this time, he had an assistant who has been to the dentist. This guy seemed to have all his teeth, and seemed like a reasonably decent, normal guy. That's a complete departure from the toothless, inarticulate swamp people he's had with him previously. It's hard to talk and spit your chaw at the same time.
Martin got the last tall branch of the tree down. Then he asked for more money to get his big saw out of hock. I told him (for the third time now) I would pay him when he finished the job. He said he couldn't finish the job until he got his saw out of hock.
I think I've seen the last of Martin.
Here are some pictures of his work...on the occassions he has worked.
And here is a short video of the last tall branch.
The unfortunate thing about this guy is he is really good at what he does. Getting him to do it is another thing entirely.
Well, I'm a little bit closer to having this nightmare tree removed and the next person I hire will have a much easier time with it. His name will not be Martin
Martin got the last tall branch of the tree down. Then he asked for more money to get his big saw out of hock. I told him (for the third time now) I would pay him when he finished the job. He said he couldn't finish the job until he got his saw out of hock.
I think I've seen the last of Martin.
Here are some pictures of his work...on the occassions he has worked.
Well, I'm a little bit closer to having this nightmare tree removed and the next person I hire will have a much easier time with it. His name will not be Martin
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Where Have All the Hillbilly's Gone?
Today's painting job was at the Hub Tavern. We do trade out with them for beer. It only took us a couple of hours and now we have pitchers and pitchers of beer at our disposal.
We have two sky walks left and one storefront. We were hoping to have everything completed by Tuesday but that's not going to happen.
Susan had to work a hockey game this afternoon so we got the painting finished early.
After we got home, I decided to help my Hillbilly with some clean up. So I borrowed Mark's truck and took a load of debris to the dump.
I got home and kicked around for a while. I had all sorts of little odds and ends to attend to. I took some time cutting up the remaining turkey we still had on the carcass. It seemed like a good thing to have for dinner.
As I was cutting, I suddenly heard a chain saw fire up. It was Hillbilly Martin at 7 PM, up the tree and cutting away. I told him it was 7:00 on a Sunday night. He said he had three quick cuts to make and then he would be finished.
Forty-five minutes later, he disappeared. Twenty minutes after that, he was back. By now it was 8:30 and he was getting ready to fire up the chain saw again. I pointed out the time on a Sunday night and he somehow got it through his head that city folk don't work out side through the night.
We have two sky walks left and one storefront. We were hoping to have everything completed by Tuesday but that's not going to happen.
Susan had to work a hockey game this afternoon so we got the painting finished early.
After we got home, I decided to help my Hillbilly with some clean up. So I borrowed Mark's truck and took a load of debris to the dump.
I got home and kicked around for a while. I had all sorts of little odds and ends to attend to. I took some time cutting up the remaining turkey we still had on the carcass. It seemed like a good thing to have for dinner.
As I was cutting, I suddenly heard a chain saw fire up. It was Hillbilly Martin at 7 PM, up the tree and cutting away. I told him it was 7:00 on a Sunday night. He said he had three quick cuts to make and then he would be finished.
Forty-five minutes later, he disappeared. Twenty minutes after that, he was back. By now it was 8:30 and he was getting ready to fire up the chain saw again. I pointed out the time on a Sunday night and he somehow got it through his head that city folk don't work out side through the night.
Saturday, December 06, 2014
Hillbilly Tree Removal
It's been an interesting week and it needs to be chronicled. I will tell you that the events I'm about to describe and unfold could all have been eliminated if I was capable of uttering the word, "No!"
We are deep into Holiday Decorating Season. Susan and I have been out painting sky walks for the last ten days. So we have very little time to devote to anything but going to our jobs and then going out to paint.
Last Saturday, November 29th,as it was getting dark, this guy shows up at the back door and asks about the giant branch that was laying on the garage. He said his name was Martin and he specialized in tree removal. I got a looooong song and dance about how he's been doing it for 25 years.
He said he would take the limb off the garage for $150.00. I told him to do it. It was close to five o'clock and it was dark, but Marin was ready to go and take it down. I told him to wait until the next day when it was light.
When we returned from painting on Sunday, Martin had the branch down and pretty much cleaned up.
He then told me he could take down the whole tree for $400.00. I told him, "Take down that tree."
Susan was a little miffed because, clearly, Martin was not licensed and bonded. If I had to describe him, Hillbilly is the word that fits.
He worked great guns for two days and expertly dropped a bunch of branches without hitting the power line that runs beneath the tree. I asked him if he needed any money and he asked for $150.00. I didn't have any 50's so I gave him $200.00.
He was here a little on Wednesday and a little on Thursday but not much of the tree came down. He asked for more money on Thursday and I told him, "No." I told him to finish the job and I'll pay him.
He hasn't been here in two days. My ladder is strapped 30 feet up in the tree. There are a bunch of branches in the driveway.
Hiring this Hillbilly is not my proudest moment. I feel he'll be back but on his own terms. He still has a lot of tree to get down. He definitely under bid the job. However, that is not my problem. My problem is that my ladder is strapped 30 feet in the tree.
We are deep into Holiday Decorating Season. Susan and I have been out painting sky walks for the last ten days. So we have very little time to devote to anything but going to our jobs and then going out to paint.
Last Saturday, November 29th,as it was getting dark, this guy shows up at the back door and asks about the giant branch that was laying on the garage. He said his name was Martin and he specialized in tree removal. I got a looooong song and dance about how he's been doing it for 25 years.
He said he would take the limb off the garage for $150.00. I told him to do it. It was close to five o'clock and it was dark, but Marin was ready to go and take it down. I told him to wait until the next day when it was light.
When we returned from painting on Sunday, Martin had the branch down and pretty much cleaned up.
He then told me he could take down the whole tree for $400.00. I told him, "Take down that tree."
Susan was a little miffed because, clearly, Martin was not licensed and bonded. If I had to describe him, Hillbilly is the word that fits.
He worked great guns for two days and expertly dropped a bunch of branches without hitting the power line that runs beneath the tree. I asked him if he needed any money and he asked for $150.00. I didn't have any 50's so I gave him $200.00.
He was here a little on Wednesday and a little on Thursday but not much of the tree came down. He asked for more money on Thursday and I told him, "No." I told him to finish the job and I'll pay him.
He hasn't been here in two days. My ladder is strapped 30 feet up in the tree. There are a bunch of branches in the driveway.
Hiring this Hillbilly is not my proudest moment. I feel he'll be back but on his own terms. He still has a lot of tree to get down. He definitely under bid the job. However, that is not my problem. My problem is that my ladder is strapped 30 feet in the tree.
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