A Beehive of Activity

I HAVE MISSED YOU GALS!!!

I took my computer back to the shop on Tuesday--not for repairs, but to have my "lost" files put on my new computer.  I feared I had lost my 40 years of genealogy work that was on my FAMILY TREE MAKER stored on my old hard drive.  I had not, but I was told, I had to re-install FTM.  No big deal?

WANNA BET?

I no longer have the install disc.  I "loaned" it to someone and they have moved and they loaned it to someone else.

FRUSTRATED!!

But you know me--I solved the problem the easiest way I knew how.  I ran to Best Buy and bought a new FTM and ran it over to the computer shop.

They also found all my old e-mails in Outlook 8, in the folders where I have them saved and put them into my new (much hated) Microsoft Outlook 2010.

All this cost me nothing because--it was supposed to have been done when they built me the new computer.  Well--there was a cost of $71.00 for the new FTM, but................
=============================
So much activity across the street.  It will give me something to watch and take pix of and blog about, LOL.

The work started  yesterday morning.  I watched as they starting digging holes into the ground with a post hole digger on the front of the BobCat.  I said, "Those guys are going to tear up an electrical line for sure."  And they did--but it wasn't an electrical line--I heard a big WHOOSH and looked out.  They had broken the natural gas line.  Even though, Miss Dig had been out and clearly marked, in bright orange paint, where the electrical and gas line were.  MEN--working too fast and bulling ahead!

This guy arrived--I have no idea why he has a ski hat on. 

and then the boss, Miss Dig arrived.  

Hefty gal for sure.

She went over the entire lot--marking lines and boundaries. 

The gas company arrived and fixed the gas line.

====================

Here we are this morning at 8:00.  A BackHoe comes in and the team has an early morning conference on "how are we gonna do this?"

They proceed a bit more cautiously this time.

Then help arrives--knowledgeable help.

and a more careful, gentler work begins.

Note the shirtless kid--it was 58 degrees at this time.

==========================

But wait--what's this going on.......a new supervisor?  

NO!  IT'S DARLENE!

She wants to talk to Rob, the park manager--note: the guy with his hand to his head--can we imagine what he is thinking?

He's talking to the guy in the BackHoe and pointing at Dar--who has a really bad pair of under pants on today.

Aha-so this is it.  She walks them over to her stump removed sawdust pile.

"As long as you have the equipment here, have him take away all that sawdust for me."

<sorry I made a catty remark about her underwear, but she was just over last night bragging about how she has gained 30#, but still wears a size 8 pants.  Me thinks her underpants are a size 4 and she needs to get some bigger ones?  After all, she gets a 15% discount where she works.>

===============================

What I didn't get to tell you was MY adventure. 

 Tuesday, when I took my computer to the shop, I drive right by the street to Jen's house.  I knew Pammie was there with the kids, so on my way back, I just drove right up there and right up to the front door!  and, I got to see my Pammie and all of my younger grandkids.  Of course, baby Evan (almost 3) has hardly a clue who this Mimi person is, but................................

While the kids were inside, Pammie and I went out to the front porch, so she could have a smoke, and she sort of whispers to me that, "Jen and Eric are going out to New Jersey to look at property."

"I thought they had decided not to move."

"They did.  The first part of summer, they went out and talked to Eric's dad again, about Eric taking over the business and they came home and said it wasn't going to happen.  Eric can't work with his dad and his dad won't let Eric do what he wants with the company."

"Well--what changed their mind?"

"It's Jen's idea.  Eric doesn't want to move.  The kid's don't want to move.  Jen is tired of working and supporting the family.  Eric has climbed as far as he can in his job, so he won't be making enough for her to quit work.  She said, 'it's time HE started pulling HIS weight around here.' "

"Why don't they just downsize?  Sell this dang mansion."

"Eric designed this house when he was eighteen.  It is his dream house and he said that he couldn't stand to live in the area and know that someone else was living in his house."

"So---the only solution is to move out to New Jersey, where none of them want to live, just so Jen won't have to work?"

"Jen said she is very unhappy.  Neither one of them sees the kids.  Some days, they both work until after the kids are in bed asleep."

"I know."

"I told Jen that if she is unhappy, moving isn't going to bring her happiness.  Unhappiness follows you no matter where you move."

"Good.  Just what I would have said, but.....she would take it better coming from you than from me."

"I just hope they get out there this weekend, and can spend time alone and talk about all this and realize....."

"You know Pammie--this is the life Jennifer has always wanted.  A big, high paying job.  She's now a partner.  She wanted the big money...the big house.  She's got it and now, she's finding out...the kids are growing up and she's missing out."

"I know, Momma...but....you know Jen...once she gets something in her mind...nobody is going to stand in her way."

"Well...if Eric doesn't want to move and the kids don't want to move...her forcing it sure isn't going to make for a very happy home or marriage."

<then I bummed a ciggie from Pammie and we both just stood there and puffed and pondered>

Of course, Pammie is worried about losing her job.  I reassured her that plenty of places around here are looking for employees.  She could work at Meijer's and make nearly $9.00 an hour to start.  She thinks she's too old (at 55) to get a job.  I told her, "If Meijer's hires people like Dar, at seventy-two years old, they surely would hire you!"  

Of course, I'd like to say:

but...it kind of is.

On the other hand--I have no say in what Jen does--and that is a good thing because, you know darn well, it if didn't work out--it would be my fault!!

============================