Mario, (my drywall repair guy) was here from 1300 until after 1600.  He had a helper named Vincente who made it possible for Mario to stay on his stilts the whole time.  They worked continuously and took pride in their work.  He began by removing the tape from the damaged areas.  He spent a lot of time making sure that the drywall screws were in and being effective.  There were a few places where the drywall nails had completely missed the trusses.  Mario remedied that.

I tried talking with them, but my Spanish is not so good and their English is limited too.

After he had done all the prep work, he put on a course of drywall compound (mud).  Then he pressed the woven fiber tape into the mud and with his trowel cut the tape to length.  He worked the tape into the mud with subsequent passes.  He let each lift dry before laying down another.  By the time he was done the mud covered about  6 inches either side of the tape and it really looks good.  Today they come back to texture.

While they were working on the ceiling, I did some more packing and worked on my "Roots" paper.  The packing is at a difficult stage for me.  All the big things are moved and now I have to go through the detail stuff.  I'm trying to take a hard line and throw away things I don't use, but I think I have the hoarder gene.  I keep hoping to come across my pilot license and my concealed carry permit.  I left then home for my last trip to Vietnam, but haven't seen them since.


After Dad died last July, one of the things that was returned to me was a piece of jewelry I made for Mother.  I think I was in the second or third grade when I made this.  She had kept it in her jewelry box all those years.  It is such a pathetic piece of workmanship and yet, the fact that she kept it somehow gives it value.

I thought about giving it to one of the grandkids, but am doubtful that it would mean anything to any of them.  After all, it is just piece of plaster, a safety pin and a decal that a child put in the bowl of a spoon some fifty years ago.  I don't know what I'll do with it.





I have reserved a room for rent in Eugene for the month of August.  Yesterday I sent the deposit check to hold it.  The  rent is supposed to be $460, but this lady has fees that bring it up considerably.   Here is how she breaks it down.  Maybe I should manage my rentals like this...        
Rent the month of August .....   $ 460.00 August rent

                                              $   35.00 Utilities

                                              $   35.00 Move out cleaning fee

                                              $ 150.00 refundable deposit

                                              $   15.00 refundable key deposit

                                              $   30.66 Possible two days....@$15.33 per day

                                            --------------------

                                              $ 725.66

These times take a toll on the level of domestic tranquility.  The enormity of the task comes at you in waves and sometimes it feels like it will never be done.  I suppose everyone has their own way of processing that overwhelmed feeling.  It makes me want to leave, but that is an option I long ago took off the table.  Instead I just soldier on, keep moving, don't stop, suck it up...