Mar 7, 2010


Our project is about 90% finished from a construction standpoint. The paving is done and all that is left is to clean up the mess and seal the pavers.

I'm beginning to feel bad for the guy who bid this work because I think he may be losing money on it. But hey, we agreed to his estimate.  It was supposed to take 10 days and we are at 16 days tomorrow.  There were a couple of rain outs in there too.

I have to put in the lighting and wire the irrigation valves. Then we can plant stuff and move the potted plants back into the area.

Mrs. Sneed and I spent some time working in the side yard this morning. Actually, I spent quite a bit of time doing some electrical wiring related to the construction for most of the morning and Mrs. Sneed did yard work. I did manage to help a bit, though.

That was before the latest winter storm rolled in courtesy of our old pal El Nino. It rained from about noon until dark.

Hooterville has a semiannual trash pickup they call "Bulky and Brushy" and it is coming up this week. It is our twice-yearly chance to throw out stuff that is too big for normal pickup.

Maybe you live in a town where if you toss out a sofa, the garbage guys will pick it up. In Hooterville that isn't the case. Our garbage men will pick up the garbage can and that's all.

Here they have one trash person per truck and he or she uses a giant arm to pick up and dump your trash container into the truck. Get out and pick something up by hand? Never happens. If the can has fallen over, too bad, it doesn't get picked up. If something is on the ground, ditto.

So we have a giant pile of bushes, branches and miscellaneous discards waiting for pick up this week. We also have a steady stream of scavengers trolling the area looking for usable stuff.

Hopefully, tomorrow the construction guys come and clean up their mess and they we be out of our yard for good.





Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky

7 comments:

Pix E. said...

Nice --he did a great job.


We have special days to dispose of large appliances, furniture, and construction materials. We also have a toxic pick up every so often (they send out notification) old paint cans, etc... we have regular compostables pickup and recycling, and trashy trash is picked up twice a week. Very organized and dependable.
In the Catskills we have the local trash station, where you pay for them to take things-- but they're so nice they often give you a break. They don't want people to dump an old stove in the woods-- so they are very kind to people with no cash. They love it if you sort it very well -- they try to get people to reuse things-- even if a sofa is no good, they'll remove the legs and screws and save them --even the cushions if possible --they have a tidy area where people "shop" for free stuff.

a. said...

I'm ready to come hang out on your front porch of awesomeness.

Barbara said...

I can't imagine where 6 hours of hard rain in Hooterville would go. I have a vivid memory of being there during a thunderstorm and realizing there were no storm drains.

Merle Sneed said...

Annie-Get in your car and drive east on I-10. When you hit Phoenix make a left.

Barbara, we don't need no stinkin' storm drains. We have washes.

Steve Reed said...

Lookin' good, Merle!

We have dumpsters at our apartment complex and people throw all manner of stuff in and around them. And trash is picked up only weekly, so usually it's an unsightly towering mountain by that time. The big stuff (furniture, appliances) can linger up to a month. Not satisfactory!

Megan said...

Now that's an idea, Ann.

Reya Mellicker said...

Your new patio looks HUGE in that picture. Can't wait to see you and Mrs. Sneed chilling out when it's all put back together.

Here in DC we call bulky and brushy "bulk trash pickup." It's one of the few things that DC does well. You call them and schedule a date. They always come when they say they will. Here in the District, it's almost a miracle when things work as they're supposed to.