Monument to Humanity, and News from the Front

It has been some days since I've been on line. Other than a few minutes of 60 minutes, I've caught no news. To be blunt, 60 minutes is not news. It is a continuing series on how to edit to say what you want, regardless of real truth. You never know when they are playing straight. Rarely, is my guess. What I saw was a class envy piece. The neo inquisition routine where they harass someone about how much they get paid or pay others in a company whose business should be none of my damned business. More fallout from the bailout--the Socialist Inquisition. I'd say they asked for it by taking the money but I understand some were basically forced to take the dough and the directives.

It is amply clear why I need to remain news free. Five minutes of 60 minutes sends me on a two hour rant. "Well, you know, John, we must have laws and it is all not so simple and you just don't understand.." Oh screw you.

Sorry, inner voices, like the sea, do strange things to a man.

The whole deck demo and rehab is on video!! Mrs K, K., I call her. "Hey, Mrs K, or K, as I call you..." That's how I talk to her. Anyway, she has video of (title withheld to protect the innocent)K. Or, as I call him, Leaf Erikson, for his fondness for raking and bagging leaves. Except, I only do that behind his back. I call him his name, which starts with M and is not Mister.

So, Title-withheld-to-protect-the-innocent K. and I destroyed a wall which makes the Great Wall of China look like styrofoam. The we fill in the gigantic crater with non-believers and other rubble, then we rented a tamper which is a miniature earthquake machine, but I had been watering the site to make it grow, and the tamper was pretty much a noisy bit of superfluous time consumption.

That means our efforts to create a quick home-made landfill were successful.

If some of what I say does not paint a clear picture or ring a bell, just chalk it up to art, like you do Bob Dylan's singing. In truth, I am an artiste. Why just today I was telling, title-withheld-to protect-the- innocent K that, though I try with all I've got, my work ends up being art as if to taunt me. Yes, it is true; even when I try very hard to produce mediocrity, or worse, the result is still an exquisite creation one can only class as art.

I know I should not confess such a thing, or the fact that this may involve me putting in a bit more time than the inferior tradesmen in your rolodex. But, among my faults is the tendency to confess such things as this. And to do great work far too often. Unions would hate me. I don't like hourly restrictions. The job may only be worth what 100 hours would cost, but I might be motivated to put in 120 or so just to be sure it is up to reasonable standards. No reason a guy who can do as well in 100 hours should be paid any less or any more. (Unlikely as it is that such a person would appear, or even exist)

OK. I exaggerate.

It is just that I am so amazed at how much we've accomplished here. It pays to be working with someone raised in Colorado ranch and farm environs back in the day. Such people developed a kind of work habit that doesn't quit. This is like rehab for me. Good food, great view, every day is a work out, I have to behave halfway civilly, and any minute I expect the paparazzi to descend on us for producing a deck which is the new 8th or 7th wonder of the world. Do they still have wonders of the world?

They'll be here; the press, Katie, maybe Baba or Whoopi, al of them.

Film soon. Mrs K, or K as I call her, has some good footage. She has a talent for making the coolest videos. It's always an ego booster to be featured in one of these cinematic masterpieces--another artiste---even though I think celuloid has my name written on it. It's where I belong.

Let me tell you one thing about M, aka title-withheld-to-protect-the-innocent K. He is as fond of sledge hammers as he is of garden rakes--actually a shag carpet rake, but best to leave that one be.

I'm all caught up in the drama on the golf course. It seems one of the gardeners, or grounds keepers may be at war with the iguanas. He is also afraid of them, I think. He won't leave his cart. He'll pull up ten or fifteen feet away and have a stare down. Today he got mad (because he lost the stare down I think) and ran his cart at the iguana, who ran away down the bank disappearing in the pond. Iguanas can swim, and they can stay underwater for some time.

Iguana came up down the pond a ways. The gardener didn't see him but he drove by a few times later in the day. He's this course's Bill Murray character. Instead of ground hogs or gophers, this gardener is after iguanas. I'll send updates from the front when I can.

Other films will appear soon.

Ryobi reciprocating saw. Variable speed, cheapest model at Home Depot, if I'm not mistaken. Good buy. I give it the go. Great for cutting big holes in walls.
Hint: the blade can get smoking hot cutting a stud and you will see smoke. It is smartest to just leave it that instead of pinching the blade between your fingers to see just how hot.