Why is it so hard to find good, honest, trustworthy, decent, able-bodied, hardworking people?   Okay, forget the plural...all we need is one.   One person.    I don't want sexual predators.   Those with a habit of arson, burglary, armed robbery, multiple assaults, and barging through restraining orders are not the kind of folks we'll consider.    It also help to have a driver's license too.  When you've had multiple DUI's, leaving the scene of an accident, blatant disregard for speeding laws, and thusly no longer have the privilege of holding a driver's license (and probably won't for many years), you are of not much help either.   And why bother even applying for the job when you can't bother to return any of our phone calls to set up an interview?!

***heavy sigh***   And here I am feeling guilty for not being behind the wheel of a tractor and a truck in favor of caring for the children.   Though right now I'm wondering if it's this hard finding a farm worker, how impossible will it be to find someone to watch my children.  Yeah, the children are a high priority, but those crops that aren't planted are how we make a living.

Some people suck.

Crown molding was installed in the bedroom yesterday.   They installed what they could in the bathroom.    The delivery of more didn't arrive until after they'd left for the day.   I imagine they'll be busy today doing all they can.    The builder chief is really keeping after everybody to try to stay on schedule.   I think he fears that as we approach May 30th, I may become....well.....rather testy.   Actually I'm doing okay with everything right now.   There's no standstill going on and stuff is getting finished, so I'm happy.

I have decided to make a few changes, though.    I've decided to add cabinetry to the laundry area.    Yeah, I know I'd decided against it in the past, but now I think it'd be a good idea especially since there's a window that looks RIGHT into that area.   Having everything tucked away would look much neater than shelving filled with assorted laundry items, kwim.

I also spied what is apparently the base trim for the cabinets.   Ugh.   Now I can see using this for the trim piece to transition the cabinets to the walls, but not to the floor.   For the floor area, it's just too small and weak looking.   Builder said "but it's what we use in all the houses we do, it's standard".   So what?!   I'm waiting for the cabinetry guy to call about choosing from options.

Now that the flooring is installed, it has become very apparent that we have a perfect mini bowling alley from the kitchen to the hallway. 

I attempted to do work in C's room yesterday afternoon, but after 2 hours I just wasn't feeling well enough to keep at it.   I did manage to clean some of the carpet (need to move the bed and clean there) and hang half the border and the curtains.   Today I hope to get more accomplished.   Such as finishing that border so I can move furniture into place, clean the rest of the carpet, and hopefully dismantle the old bed and assemble the new one.  And if I get all that done, maybe I'll assemble her new desk and see about hanging the wall stuff.

But maybe first I should go shower....but then again, maybe I'll have another cuppa coffee first.

Some days I fear my builder thinks I'm the biggest nut.  He called last evening to check on a few things.    He tried making an argument for taking down the staircase and moving it 1.5 inches.   Yeah, right...leave it alone, it's just fine.    Apparently he's slept in the time since we ordered the staircase (gee, that was only September  ) and had forgotten what size we'd gotten.   He consulted the architect's plan (why??!   everybody knows we've made some drastic changes) and the blueprint had a 5ft staircase drawn.   Well, I wasn't too keen on that and when the opening was created and was large enough to accomodate something larger, we went with the 6.5ft one.    So what if it's going to nearly fill the entire space?   I'm not about to agree to dismantling the thing (especially now that it's installed) ripping back a few inches of floor/ceiling, and reinstalling.   Nope, it's fine....and it's going to be left right where it is.   Executive decision made. 

Flooring guy discovered when you are on hands-and-knees and crawling around by the base of the new staircase, watch your head.   Some of those treads are awfully low.   He has a nice gash on the top of his bald head right now.    Ouch!

I got the second coat of paint done in C's room.    I'm hoping today allows me enough time to start cleaning the carpet, hanging the wall border, and maybe just maybe start assembling her new bed.

Oh!  I bought her a new bed.   After we put S's together (and it looks soooooo nice), I realized that all the children will have 'new' beds when we move back...except C.    So I asked her if she wanted to keep the old headboard or get something new.  Of course she opted for new.   She was very taken with S's metal set, so I went in search of something similar but different.   She will have a metal headboard and footboard, but the design is very different, as is the color.  

I did get a bummer of a call Monday morning.....the countertop for the master bath will be delayed.   Instead of being installed on April 25th, it'll be approximately May 10th.    Eeek, the builder is gonna freak at that delay, but I'm just not going to tell him yet.   The tile guru is fine with the delay and said he'll come out whenever I need him to finish the backsplash.

The trim guys have been installing trim around all the windows.   Apparently someone somewhere has totally forgotten about some of the crown molding.  I'm not exactly sure why, but we'll get it settled.   They were saying something about starting crown molding very soon in the upstairs portion.   We've had to adjust the size of the crown for the first floor because of issues with that and the door trim, so we're waiting for the new moldings to arrive.

We survived another round of storms on Sunday.   What is it with stormy Sundays this spring?   Thankfully we were spared the tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds.

The house is coming along nicely.   Trim guys are putting in the trim around the windows.  I think the crown molding will be started very soon....as in the next day or so.

The staircase is in, waiting for the stained treads and handrail to be added.   The girls have had lots of fun stomping up and down it.    Apparently there is a slight issue with the builder guy about the placement of the staircase (whatever....it's fine right where it is and I'm happy and that's all that matters  ) 

The flooring master has been hard at work yesterday afternoon and today installing the wood floor upstairs.    Poor guy, someone apparently had a pretty complicated design in mind for the floor and he was having a time of it this morning.   He asked me for input on a few ideas, and I asked why he was making it such a complicated pattern....make it simple and elegant, for crying out loud.   Issue solved and we're both happy with doing it this way.

Carpeting was FINALLY installed in J's room this morning.   She loves it and was happily bouncing and rolling around her room.

I've finally started C's room.   I need to get back over there this afternoon and finish painting the walls.   I did the first coat yesterday, but it definately needs a second coat.   Of course, before I do that I need to move the dressers back into J's room.   And clear stuff outta the hallway.   

Still plugging along here.

Roofers are working on the little house.   After three days of banging and hammering, I'll be very thankful when they are finished.

We're still waiting for some of the sheds to be repaired.  Or torn down and rebuilt.   Or whatever.  

Still waiting and hoping for farm help soon.   Hubby placed another ad in the papers and now it's a waiting game for responses.   Even with best scenario, it's very likely to be at least 3 weeks till we have a start date for anyone.   And now it's mid-April.   Pardon me while I have a moment of major panic.

On the upside, good thing have been happening at the other house.   Almost all the tile is done.   Kitchen cabinets were delivered and installed.    Staircase installation is going on now.  I love going over there and seeing my dreams become reality!

I'm in better spirits.   Tired, but feeling better.   We're getting progress on cleanup/repairs.   The wicked storms predicted for last night weren't as wicked as we'd anticipated.    And I spent a few hours at the other house and accomplishing something always helps my mood.

I moved stuff around in S's room, located her new bed in the sunroom, carried the pieces upstairs, and got it all set up.   Add the box spring and mattress, toss on the new duvet cover and pillows, and Voila! it's beginning to look like something real in there!    She's thrilled with the look of the room.   However, she did have to complain about the extra stuff around the closets.   But I've gotta put that stuff somewhere for now.

Still waiting for the carpet in J's room.   I put a call into the carpet store and haven't heard back.   Gee, this is reminding me of the deal we had with the dining room carpet a few years ago.   Maybe we'll go elsewhere next time.

We also start tackling C's room.    Her room had become the catch-all storage for stuff from the other rooms, so now it's time to clear it out and begin the transformation.   She giggled with glee when going thru the boxes of stuff I've bought for her room.   Sheets, accent pillows, decor accessories.   Some of which she'd actually picked out (and forgotten about, it's been so long ago!) and some she hadn't seen yet.

I went in to the builder's cabinetry shop on Wednesday.    They've had a difficult time getting the color for the kitchen cabinets just right.   They had a few samples for me to look at, and then we went back and mixed a few combinations.   They've finally got "the" combo.  Whoo hoo!    I got to see the assortment of cabinets that are already assembled.   It was thrilling to see cabinet after cabinet with my last name scribbled onto the backside.    Hopefully they'll be finished and delivered to my house soon!

Right now I don't know if I should let loose a string of obscenities or just sit down and cry.   I got up this morning and we had a huge "bomb" dropped on us.

I'm so very disappointed in someone right now.   And I'm really going to have to control myself to stay off the phone and not rip somone not just a new orifice but into pieces.

Our new employee...the one who's only been with us for a week....called at 7:30am, just a half hour before the workday start time.....he called and informed us he was going back to his former employer.   Immediately.   Not only are we trying to deal with tornado damage from Sunday, we're trying to get everything secure before the next storm blows in tomorrow, and now it's time to get fields prepared and crops planted.

We've been spending the last two days cleaning up and assessing the damage.   *sigh*   Last evening I walked into our bedroom here, flipped on a light, and let out a gasp.   In dark and without electricity we hadn't noticed the huge crack in the west wall, running parellel with the ceiling.    Judging from the crack and it's placement, we're assuming the roof was beginning to be lifted and started to separate from the exterior wall.   Ugh.

Our builder for the renovation has been a wonderful help in getting someone out here to help with our roof situation.   Three guys were here this afternoon, moved off some of the loose tiles, and began tarping the exposed areas.  They'll be back tomorrow to meet with the insurance appraiser and start work.

That roof work may be just in time too.   There's another ugly storm cell predicted to come our way on Thursday.

I pray the weather forecasters are wrong about this storm.   I'm not sure my nerves can handle more of this weather stress, and I'm certainly not wanting to find out if I can handle it.

Okay, for all of you who know what area I live in, we are safe.   Multiple tornadoes ripped through here yesterday afternoon/evening.   While the area didn't have the concentrated devastation we'd suffered from tornadoes just three weeks ago, this storm got us personally.

The girls and I were in town at Lowe's getting a few light fixtures for the house.   Hubby called while we were there and said an ugly storm cell was headed our way and suggested we cut our shopping short and head home.

We didn't make it out of the store in time.

Yes, it was like a scene from the movie Twister.   We were standing just outside the doors heading into the parking lot when we turned, looked skyward, and I shoo'ed the girls back in and decided the store was safer than being in a car.   Boy, was I ever right about that, I discovered later.     We ducked back into the store, I called hubby to tell him  we were going to wait out the storm, and suddenly shouts ring out telling everyone to get to the back of the store RIGHT NOW.    Then as we running through the store, we hear this awful sound and feel these vibrations.   I tell the girls to run as fast as they can (because they can run faster than I).   As I'm running, I look up.   The ceiling bows in, then out, and then a section is gone.    Stuff is falling to the floor all around us.   We all get safely into the bathrooms and office/breakroom areas.    After a few minutes we're all told to get out the area and move to the front corner of the store.   Whew, that must mean we're safe, right?

The building is on fire.   There's a gas leak and electrical fire.   Flames are blowing into the building in the back corner.   That's why we're all headed to the opposite corner of the store.  

After a wait, the storm lets up and a few employees go out to the parking lot and survey the damage.   Someone comes back in, asks me what kind of vehicle I drive, and says I may need to check it.    Thank goodness we weren't in the car.  The back window took a basket-ball sized impact and shattered.   There's glass all over the inside.   We suspect the item that hit may have been a parking lot light, because in addition to the dark-tinted glass of my back window there's also a bunch of clear glass shards.

The girls are fine.  I've got a few minor scratches on my arms.   And we're fine.

And then I get a call from hubby.

The line of storms headed east, toward where we live.   There was a confirmed touchdown practically next to our house.   We've got extensive damage to nearly all the machine sheds.  Several trees are downed, and we had the power line to the little house laying in the driveway.    We'll be surveying all the damage today, now that it's daylight, but looks as though we're also going to have to have extensive roof repairs and maybe even replacements to the garage and the little house.

Hubby and little Monkey Boy survived okay.   Hubby heard the "freight train" sound, grabbed Monkey, and they got as far as the bathroom.   He knew they couldn't make it to the basement, so they hunkered down in the bathroom, which is the interior-most room and has no windows.    He finally located the cat under a bed, and the puppy was under the couch and refused to come out for a few hours.   Big dog is fine too.

I checked the big house and it appears to be fine.  There's two tress that were knocked down, but they missed the house.    I couldn't see the west side of the exterior in the dark, so there may be a bit of damage that we'll find now that it's daytime.

I wish I were making up this whole story.  But it's real.  Very.real.