Cavalry!!! in QUOTIDIEN

“Here comes the Cavalry, MJ!”

Kathy calls at 9:31pm to announce the good news. Trying to sell a home with a half-finished kitchen and Fruit-Loop-colored walls is, let me tell you, purt-near impossible. And since I’m living the life of a SIM without cheats where I scarcely have the time to do the bare necessities in order to guarantee survival, preparing my house for presentation is the sort of thing dreams are made of.

In comes the Cavalry in the form of a gentleman from my church, who just happened to show up for last Friday’s Men’s Prayer Breakfast where we just happen to be on the list of needs. ‘Chip’ happens to be a contractor – who happens to have a crew – who happen to be willing to put my kitchen back together, paint my walls, and probably throw together a pantry where my fridge used to be. Now – it so happens that another gentleman, who just happened to be at the breakfast, offered to finance the project. ‘Chip’ will be coming by the house on Thursday to assess the damage and purchase materials for Saturday morning when he and his crew descend upon our humble little home and put that part of my life back together.

Friday night, I will be pulling all furniture to the center of the rooms in preparation for the paint!!!

There’s another bit of news that Kathy wants to make sure I know. After the crew leaves, several women will then show up to help me put furniture back in place. One will bring a carpet cleaner though I hold out no hope that the carpet will actually HOLD together under the beating. It is entirely possible that I will contact a carpet surplus place (Southside Carpet) – and just re-carpet. I don’t expect it to cost more than $1500. All I need now is to pray hard and see if I can’t get that done, and hopefully recoup some of the money I put down on this property 12 years ago.

As for me and Anne-Marie – we’re doing better. Profound grief has given way to pervasive sadness interspersed with moments of joy and maniacal laughter. Since The Blowout of previous entry fame, Annie has been making a greater effort to be of help – right down to mimicking her father when I get home, insisting that I sit while she gets me some ice-water and something to munch on. Earlier this week, she made the bed (I let her sleep in) and commented on how hard it is to make when you’re alone. Now she quickens her step to be a part of that morning ritual.

We have decided to not leave our neighborhood. There are four-plex townhouses where we lived back in pre-Anne-Marie days not too far from where we are, now. She’s excited at the prospect, having seen the homes first hand. A friend of hers lives on that same street – same setup. Personally – I find the kitchen to be rather small – but since it’s just the two of us….. This place has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, laundry hook-up and a garage and is reasonably priced. There is always a vacancy, so I’m thinking we’ll be good, there.

Well, that’s all the update that I have, for now.