no garage, day 43

Yesterday marked six (6) weeks since they tore down our garage.

I am totally nostalgic for this, taken in October before they did anything. Ok, the garage was thinking seriously of tipping over, but it hadn't, yet. We had a garage, 7/8 of which was dry inside, and we had a fenced yard. We had a back stoop. The yard was not a sea of mud.

I am totally nostalgic for all that. Well, ok, most of it.























What we have now is this, taken from about 10 feet to the right of where the prev was taken.



















We have a garage, which is not falling down, and which does not leak. It is not good for anything, because there is a mud pit in front of it, rather than pavement. Well, ok, not *totally* useless -- the garbage cans are in there. Thrilling, no? No. The garbage cans used to live on the other side of the fence, and were perfectly happy there. We didn't need to build a new garage for their benefit.

You will note the utter absence of any enclosure. You can't see it here, but there is a partial rectancle of cement blocks, open side up, where there used to be a stoop. Pretty much everything the tarp is covering is mud pit.

We can't step out the back door, and certainly can't let the dogs out. The lack of stoop is not ok for them. And even if it were, there is no enclosure. And even if there were, the "yard" is a mud pit.

Up until a week ago Tuesday, the fence you see above was still there, as was all of the pavement on this side of the fence. We had a back stoop. We had an enclosed back yard. We could let the dogs out.

A week ago Tuesday they removed the fence, stoop, and a bunch of pavement, in preparation for pouring concrete in front of and beside the garage. Then it rained (the rain was predicted, of course, not a giant surprise or anything). Now they are saying it's too cold to pour concrete. Why on earth didn't they just leave well enough alone, then??????????

Argh. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As anyone who knows me will tell you, patience and forebearance are not my strong suits.

I am trying to be more glass-is-half-full-ish. I surely am clear that, in the scope of things, these are very minor annoyances. I know someone who has had a kidney stone AND an emergency appendectomy since New Year's eve. !!! I know someone who is having an allergy crisis that has caused her to be unable to be in her house, her car, her clothes..... For weeks!!!!!

I am working at reminding myself that things could be much, Much, MUCH worse.

I am trying not to become crankier by the day............................