I Like 'Seeing' Progress

I'm the kind of person that likes to see the results of my efforts - on a daily basis. Working in the crazy bidness of Construction gives me the chance to appreciate what was accomplished in the short as well as the long term. It's cool to step back & look at the final product.

Crazy deadlines, manpower & subcontractor headaches, quality control, client expectations, cost management, coordination of multiple trades - all parts of the ongoing challenge. Some days are more aggravating than others but solving problems is just part of the gig. I have to admit, it's problem solving that I thrive on. It's awesome when someone tells me they can't (or won't) do something. That gives me the chance to prove they can (& will) & then push 'em like crazy 'til it's done.

There are times when things get loud & sometimes downright nasty, but these situations are usually rare. Most of the time, there's a good deal of comaraderie & a good mix of hysterical practical jokes & good natured kidding. We all get to the finish line in great shape, like old buddies.








For me, having to do something totally redundant day in & day out would drive me bat s**t. That's not a knock against anyone else's profession - I just couldn't be an accountant or salesman or anything like that. It wouldn't matter what I was paid - just couldn't do it. I think ya really gotta like what ya do.

BTW - The first 2 pics in this post were taken during construction. The last 3 are shots of the final product - in the same areas about 6 weeks later. This is what I mean when I say .... I like 'seeing' progress.

Another St Augustine Surprise

First of all - I don't think this picture was taken by me or Deb. It may be from a website, so my apologies to the photographer.

This happens to be a shot of The St Augustine Hilton taken from the harbor. Really - it's a hotel! It was designed and constructed to carry the theme of the old city, since it's smack dab in the middle of town. I passed this place who-knows-how-many-times, & always assumed it was just a cluster of nice little houses. It may sound silly, but maybe we'll spend a weekend there & check it out. Heck - it's only 10 minutes from our house - I can let Nubber (the cat) out in the morning. He gets grouchy if he's not perched on his chair on the back porch bright and early (& stays there 'til 11 or 12 each night).

Just thought I'd throw in another example of what a great place this is for visitors. Since I mentioned a website - check out www.augustine.com maybe you'll see the same picture online. I dunno. Have a great weekend.

I'm Baaaaaccccckkkkkk!!!!

Haven't blogged in forever - lots has been going on. Deb was really sick with the same thing she had in January - I can't pronounce it but it's something that affects the soft tissue around the ribs & such & it's very painful & lasts a couple weeks or more. She's finally feeling human & I still suck as a cook.

I took today off - prearranged - we went downtown early this morning. First stop - the coffee shop. $3 for a medium regular coffee these days. Next stop - pics aren't quite in order - the cemetery - then some side streets & then the lighthouse. So what (you're probably not asking) were we doing?

We (mostly Deb) were taking pictures (then modified 'em later at home to B&W sketches) for another new project we're workin' on together.

What a great morning! After tramping around our hometown of St A, we ran back to the house (10 minutes from downtown) - had lunch - got changed - ran to the beach for a few hours (perfect & the beach was almost empty) - returned home - got cleaned up - made mussels marinara for dinner (over linguini or fettucini I always get them mixed up) - worked on photos - drank more coffee - printed out some pics &.... uhmmmm ... that's about it. Oh - Hurried up & threw a post together.

By the way - sold an article - don't know when it will be out but they tell me they're sending a check out right away. So... that was kinda cool.

Hopefully (my big project is being wrapped up in a few days) I'll be able to spend some time posting & reading blogs again. In a few weeks maybe I can post some good news. It's good to be back. (PS - 1st & Last Photos are the same pic)