Things In Threes

The saying goes that things happen in threes.  I don't think I'm superstitious, but I counted this weekend and I'm at three.  Fingers crossed that that will do for me for awhile.

First thing:  Almost a month ago I started the process of transferring to my cell phone the phone number that was attached to the house in Augusta for 36 years.  I was told the "import" [what they call this kind of phone number transfer] would take seven to ten days.  We are on day 23 and it's supposed to be in the hands of the most qualified technicians at the cell phone company.  I have spent a minimum of six hours on hold and in numerous conversations trying to get this straightened out.  So far no go.  Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work and that number is lost.  It's true I want to salvage it for old time sake; it's also true that friends who have moved away still call that number when they come back to the east coast. 

Second thing:  Two weeks ago Saturday a woman driving a 2002 mini-van backed into my parked car.  It wasn't a tap.  It was a crunch.  She took responsibility and her insurance will cover all the costs.  It's inconvenient only for me, the one who had the damage appraised and has to take the car in for repairs and will drive a rental for three days.  There was not a scratch on her car.  Isn't that always the way?

Poor Annabelle

Third thing:  The saga of the deck railings continues.  We knew the railings were rotting.  They were made from green rough cut lumber that wasn't properly dried before it was installed and painted.  That the builder used rough cut lumber is why we couldn't find lumber the right size to replace the deck boards, the railings, or the trim boards.  We knew that everything we could see needed to be replaced.  We planned to cover the thirteen short posts with composite post covers... until Ken discovered a week ago that all the posts are made of over-sized lumber, too.  So he is replacing all those posts with pressure treated wood the right size for the covers, which is a good thing in the long run but making the job that much more involved in the short run.  There is a steep learning curve in the first-time installation of a rail system that will last for decades.  Once you know how to do it, when will you need to do it again?

Old posts coming out

New posts going in to support Azek rail system

We are lucky that Ken is willing to figure this out and do the work himself.  I can't imagine what it would cost to hire a contractor to deal with all these problems.  I am not much of an assistant, but I offer moral support and help where I can.  We are due for one big celebration when this project is over!