Pros poised to pounce porch project

We're turning the porch project over to the pros.  We finally got a bid yesterday that's acceptable.  That means we've washed our hands of it.  We can stand back when the pros are done, nod our head, say "Job well done" and hand them a check.  Whew, we both had been dreading the final phase of the project.  One tiny mistake would be so glaring there.  These guys are really good.  They did our roof in October 2007.  They are artists with metal roofing.

Not to worry about the total cost of the project.  Since we did the lion's share of the project, the total overall cost (including the pro roofing job) will come in 38% lower than the closest comparable bid we received from a contractor.  Our total out-of-pocket for this project (not including some new tools we purchased) will be $639, including taxes and so forth.  It's a great and welcome addition to the house.  We enjoyed its benefits throughout this recent rainstorm.  It's wonderful to walk in and out of the house without getting a big slug of cold water off the roof right down the backs of our necks.

Basically, all of the tough projects are now finished.  There's lots of little nit-picky stuff to do but nothing truly daunting remains.  From here on out until our departure, we're expecting an orderly routine as we prepare to travel to Arizona.  This morning's current temperature here is 28.  Hopefully, these progressively harder freezes will get the leaves in gear.  Realistically, we don't expect to be finished with the leaves for at least another few weeks.  It just hasn't been the type of autumn to get the leaves to fall early.

We actually went to lunch yesterday.  Susun loves to lunch and she could easily be one of those "ladies who lunch."  Me?  I'm definitely not a lunch guy.  I'd much rather have an informal lunch at home.  However, my Mom sent us a small check to be used specifically for eating in restaurants, sooo....yesterday is was The China Buffet.  It was a nice interlude but I ate way too much food.  Who doesn't when they go to a Chinese buffet? THANKS, MOM!

We spent a pretty fair amount of time yesterday refreshing ourselves about a 1977 movie called "Kingdom of the Spiders."  It was filmed entirely in Camp Verde.  Click here to read all about it on the Snowbird blog.

The whole "bombogenesis" thing broached in the blog post below was part of a lot of lingo slinging yesterday.  Weather wonks everywhere unleashed a tidal wave of descriptive excess.  It was a lot of fun following the headlines to see if anyone could top an "exploding bombogenesis." No one could and it therefore takes the cake for the biggest hype in a hyperbole-filled day.