March 15 – “Done … so prove it”

The carpentry work on the house is officially all done.  Nathan and his neighbor came over yesterday and finished the last of the trim work on the soffits.  After they left I caulked all the cracks and seams so that all that remained would be painting.  In fact I even got one side of the new siding painted over with the Kilz coat before I was done in for the day.  I noticed while I was painting though, that there are some areas that need more caulk.  Guess that’ll be on the list for the next round. 

I sent our insurance agent pictures of the new work before painting so they could see that the work has been done.  All’s well, right?  Well … maybe.  I got a reply from the agent.  Now the company wants to see the contractor’s invoice showing that we have paid at least 30% of the cost.  They also want an estimated completion date.  Well, OK.  I sent back a reply that it is 100% paid for.  There is no contractor invoice because we did the work ourselves (Well, Nathan and his buddies did.  I was just the glorified gopher and future painter).  I haven’t received any further reply as yet.  I guess I could send them the Home Depot receipt.  Oh, and maybe the Little Caesar’s ticket for the pizza we fed the guys. 

Chris and I made another trip to Home Depot to return some materials we didn’t use.  While we were there we picked up some paint samples.  Chris and April put their heads together this morning and came up with four possibilities.  That was up from the one I thought we had decided on.  We did manage to narrow the field back down to two, though.  So we got samples of each and Chris slapped some on the wall outside.  Then she took a picture and sent out a phone poll.  I’m not sure, but I think the one that is more blue is winning over the more gray one.  Translation for people like me … the lighter one rather than the darker one.  Whichever one she chooses, I hope we can get it all done in the next week or so.  One of the fire fighters has a paint sprayer that we can use, so that should cut our time way down.  Then all we have to worry about is the white trim.  Well, that and convincing the insurance company that it is really painted.  Don’t worry.  I’ll save my receipts.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 says, “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”

Father, thank you for Nathan and Trey coming back and helping with the house.  Bless them for their time and effort.  Amen.