Sing a little bit of these working man blues

I have had the #1Grand and his friend over for two days now and they have been working for me as well as watching the dogs while the fence guys work. I tell them what needs doing and then get out of the way and let them handle it.

They stop before they are done. They leave things I would have thought were obviously needing done untouched. They have to be kick started in the morning and beaten to go to bed at night because the grand's friend wants to stay up all night and shoot pool or watch movies or wander around town - anything but sleep. And getting up before noon? What a weird idea. I have been trying to work him hard enough that he just crashes out. He is very hyper and it appears to be natural. Just a bouncy kind of kid. They forget things, too.

About midnight the visitor came down and said the TV was screwed and would not play their game and it kept going blue for the movies. It worked fine for the grand last time he was out. But, like everything else that was the mate's, it seems to have gone south on me. So today's pay will be a new little TV for them upstairs. It means I will be late home but I would like them to be glad to stay here - I need the help.

Pretty much, they work about like me. LOL! But they didn't finish disassembling the dog pen yesterday. And they didn't get the basement all empty, either. So, with the fence people coming at 9:00, I let them sleep till 8:30 then rousted them out. I told them I was paying them so I didn't have to pay the fence guys to do that work and that they better get on it.

Hmm....their clothes are still in the washer from last night. The friend is in a pair of Camel Joe long johns I loaned him. He rolled them to the knee and slid the arms way up so he would be almost comfortable. But he is sure going to look funny working outside in them! Man I loved that! They did turn the dryer on before they went back out to finish.

The grand can hardly keep his eyes open but at least he had extra clothes we had run home to get him last night. Before I left the #1Grand had cut his finger and discovered that when his Grampa was "digger dog proofing" the pen by laying fence on the ground that he had fastened it to the upright fence. As in, did the job well and right. Which makes it a big job to unhook. Which is why I was paying them and also why the fence co. wasn't really excited about having to do it themselves. But you only learn by doing. And we will discuss out things tonight.

They are learning that quitting early to go fishing is ok, but not really fun later if you don't finish the job when you should have. If they had finished it yesterday they would have had nothing but the dogs to watch and the light stuff out of the basement to haul and could have been fishing by about 1 today.

When I go home tonight, in appreciation, because they have gotten at least half of every job done, mowed the lawn, fed and watered and let in and out the dogs, fetched and carried for me and done dishes twice now, I am making them T-bones on the grill. Nice ones over an inch thick with roasted potatoes and, if I can find some, corn on the cob. Then, at just about sunset, I will run them over to the lake and they can fish till dark.

I might even get a liscense. Why? All the poles that have stood in a bucket in the garage for the last 5 or 8 years while we rode were nasty. I discovered that the #1grand can tear down, clean, repair and restring rods and reels. He even seemed to like it! He can fix bicycles, too! Wow. My poles all look like new thanks to his unknown skill and I am tickled! I have one collapsable pole I really like that fits in the bottom of the tackle box. I have one that is a two piece that was a gift from the mate and I am keeping one for a spare or so a friend can join me.

I gave one to #1grand and one to his friend then learned that the grand would like to learn to fly fish. So I called TKO and they stopped by. We were sorting out the contents of three tackle boxes, the mate's, mine and one from the auction of a friend. I came across the lures the mate made one winter. I remember watching him fine tune the way they wiggled through the water from our boat before we sold it. I let the T of TKO pick some lures and divided the rest between the two grands, the friend and myself. He gave the grand a beginner's lesson hint on fly fishing.

I kept the mate's tackle box and gave the really nice aluminum one to the eldest grand. I still have a beater plastic one I will get rid of. It was almost fun going through all our gear. I found all my lighted bobbers and the silly Mickey Mouse bobber the mate gave me for a laugh once. I like it because it's heavy and I can cast a long way out with it on. There were with all my rappela lures and my hula poppers, too. I don't know why I even keep the lures. I guess it's so when the fishing is lousy I can play with them. I am a "worm and a bobber" fisherwoman. I do like making my hula popper hop around and my jointed minnow is fun, too.

The lighted bobbers were a joke. I love to fish. The mate likes to fish when they are biting. He would get disgusted and I would be trying different depths and such to get a bite. He would say, "Are you ready to go yet?" and I would answer, "I can still see my bobber!" with a little whine in my voice. He bought me those so I could fish as long as I wanted. I heart that man.

The boy got all the poles up and we have the boxes ready now. I even know where the net is. It is hanging on the back porch from the last time the mate chased a bat out of the house for me. I guess I better go ahead and get a liscense because now that I don't have a bike I have more time to fish. I like fishing, too. Even without a boat. But the best is pontoon fishing!

And the fence company? They were going to be the first offically endorsed business on my blog but I don't feel I can commend them that highly. This job was priced well, with used fence, using my own fence and getting the kids to free up the dog pen fence and throwing in the bike instead of cash. I was told the posts would all be in Monday and the fence DONE Tuesday.

You will notice that it is Thursday and I am still writing about them. They were supposed to arrive at 8:10 Monday to go over any questions they had with me. I was cleared to be late at work to meet with them. By ten I was just a little miffed. I Called and got the news that they were setting posts in Greenville and then coming over. It would have been nice to know. I went to work and they missed the south boundry by three feet one the west corner and the east end was 8 inches off. I have given enough land to the neighbors over the years and I am not giving up another inch. I ran my own line and had them reset them on Tuesday.

Tuesday they didn't start til ten again. They fixed the south line and set about ten more posts then left. They were very careful with the roses but trampled the crap out of my rhubarb. It should recover next year or I will just replace it. They say they didn't know if I wanted no fence at all until they finished so they stopped pulling down the old fence, too. They never touched my own fence to relocate it, either.

With the boys there to hook out the dogs because we were fencing I felt like they were just stalling. They never called OR showed up on Wednesday. I did Call that night. I explained the situation to the nice lady, told her I was not mad, the price was right, but I liked to know when they would not be coming. And when the fence would be done.

The owner called back that evening and said they would be there by 9 today. They were not. I waited for them again. I have called home and the boy says they have fence leaning on the posts and that the dog pen is down now. I even remembered to call and have them move the boat out before the fence is finished. The boat belongs to a friend and we have had it about five years now and never got it wet. It just sits there.

We decided years ago that we would ride while we could ride and then fish. Both our families fished for food when we were kids and, while we both like to eat fish, we both hate cleaning them. So we didn't fish, we rode. But the friend offered the use of the boat and the mate took it home. It was a yard ornament all this time. I called the friend again today to tell him he has to move it. It won't be behind the fence anymore.

I might get it wet tonight though. The boys have earned their steaks and a night fishing. For Friday - IF they get the basement done today - they will have NO chores and I will cook and clean up for them. They can let the dogs loose in the WHOLE YARD and take the bicycles to go fishing and swimming with a carry lunch. I hope they have a great time! I wish I could go....