We did it! We did it! We did it! We actually finished priming the walls today!

Look. I know we're only half through, but I feel it's a great victory to have even gotten this far. We've had some very dedicated people to work on this project, and the quality of their work really shows. Even with the down time ('till Wednesday) they are all planning on staying. What a cool feeling.

A lot more folks now have some experience on the lifts. Cindy and Ken Hernder, Shellie Wolffe, Loralei Morgan - hmmm, add to that, Kim and Melissa and Jan and me and Jonny and JoHanna and...I hope didn't leave anyone out. I guess what I'm saying is that when we get back on the walls I might just get a few more lifts. We now have people to handle them!

Speaking of the lifts, I went ahead and had them picked up. They showed up to pick them up as we were filling the diesel tanks. Great timing. We're through with them for now, as the next part of the project just involves the parapets, which are only 42" high. I mean, I could have kept them around for sentimental reasons, but...well...a bit expensive just for big toys. And you can't even race them!

Last night was a bit surreal. I guess all of that paint finally got to some people. Here are some of the happenings: Mickie's sister and brother-in-law stopped by the condos. Roy is a farmer and rural postman. Judy works at a bank and helps on the farm. Not what you would call your target audience for the decorative painting industry. Pay someone to paint their walls? They'd rather go out and buy a sponge and do it themselves! Now, if it came down to spending $30,000 on an antique tractor? Well, that's another story! It went downhill from there. How about a whistling contest? Pitiful. You would think that artists, who are relatively good with their hands, could whistle. Hah! And here's a news flash: it was announced that Roy has the smallest crack!

Huh?

OK, let me explain. You see, in some tractor contests, you have to back your tractor as close to an egg as you can without breaking it. Well, Roy got his closer than anyone! And how did they know?? Well, Roy had the smallest crack!

And Melissa? Well, it seems that her grandparents are now dating each other.

Huh? (Again)

Her grandfather on her Dad's side died, and then her Grandmother on her Mom's side died, and...well...you get the picture. Strange but true. And they are really serious about each other. He's 80+, and she is in her mid 70's (cradle robber!) Soon, her parents are going to become brother and sister, which makes the kids...well...hell! I don't know!

And one of Mickie's rules for the trip was that no one was to get a tattoo while they were here. (There were other rules, but that's the one important to this story) Well, it seems that Jonny is going to take exception to that rule. This weekend he is going to get a tatoo. Now, we're not talking your ordinary, run-of-the-mill butterfly, or even some Chinese inscription on the back of his neck. Nosireeee. We're talking a custom, self-designed, six-years-in-the-making graphic, covering his entire chest! And before you ask, abolutely! we are going to have pictures. Especially of all of the crying afterwards.

I seem to be blabbering, but I feel good about our progress. Good enough that Mickie and I actually went out and played a little racquetball this evening. Shellie played with us, (trust ne. I know. I lost count of the number of times she hit me with the ball) and a few others witnessed the historic event, and even took some pictures. Hopefully Ill be able to get some of them to post.

And we got this in the email today:

So my shoes are now held hostage,

In the hopes of my return,

My tiny 6 1/2 size feet,

Their comfort they do yearn.

Yet they hold the perils of my work,

In white that was meant for walls,

Actually they logged quite a few miles,

Before this priming duty calls.

And the miles do now separate,

An article of my past,

I enjoyed my stay with them,

It really was a blast!

But duties keep me close at home,

As I remember those old Nikes,

The separation anxiety I now possess,

Plays heavily upon my psyche.

Yet I must move on and time will heal,

All I've left behind,

The memories of this past week,

And with that yet I will find.

That when one thing ends another begins,

So I now have something new,

For as fate would really have it,

I now wear a size 7 shoe!

Linda "Artesian" Huddle

Here are some pix...


Cindy finally got her chance to try the sprayer and "do the lift". Jonny looks like he's thinking, "Yeah, I know it's fun, but could you hurry it up a bit so we can get the hell outta here?"










Loraei got her chance as wel. Realy got into the spraying. So well, I guess you could say she was smokin'. Ahem...sorry.











Cindy's husband, Ken, who is actually taking vacation days to be here, took his turn on the lift as well, although to hin being up 40' was no big deal. He has been on an 85' fire ladder. Show-off.










Even Shellie did her bit up top. In fact, her first trip on the wall put her up close to 50'. She loved it! Especially driving the lift. Everywhere. Even where we didn't want to go.