on Pam’s previous post:

I’m sure that kind of argument draws cheers from the partisan faithful. But to my ears it sounded patronizing. Of course, one of the chief conceits of centralized economic planning is that the planners know better than everybody else.

But there’s a much deeper problem than whether I am personally irked or not. Your insistence that your policies are necessary and beneficial to business is utterly at odds with what you and your administration are saying elsewhere. You pick a fight with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, accusing it of using foreign money to influence congressional elections, something the chamber adamantly denies. Your U.S. attorney in New York, Preet Bahrara, compares investment firms to Mexican drug cartels and says he wants the power to wiretap Wall Street when he sees fit. And you drew guffaws of approving laughter with your car-wreck metaphor, recently telling a crowd that those who differ with your approach are “standing up on the road, sipping a Slurpee” while you are “shoving” and “sweating” to fix the broken-down jalopy of state.

That short-sighted wavering—between condescending encouragement one day and hostile disparagement the next—creates uncertainty that, as any investor could tell you, causes economic paralysis. That’s because no one can tell what to expect next.

That part up there in bold? It’s what killed my business and put me in the mess I find myself right now. I desperately tried to secure new jobs but no one is willing to spend on home improvements like before. And I saw it coming, as it unfolded, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Am I claiming victimhood? Maybe. But if I wasn’t working full time at $15.00 per hour because it’s all I can get right now, I wouldn’t be justified. I do what I can, and I damn sure am not working as a maintenance man because I PREFER to, or because I don’t have the skills, contacts and resources I have cultivated over the last thirty years.. This country is in some serious shit right now because of the Obama Administration’s policies. He’s an egotistical ass and a lucky turd who thinks he knows what is best for this country. Unfortunately, what is best is to leave business alone so it can thrive. Instead, he has taken a slew of VERY small businessmen, like myself, down to poverty level. This country and its government have failed us.

This is an old house and the three exterior doors are original equipment and very religious. Steel rusts and wood rots, especially in this climate. They’ve been on ‘the list’ for awhile, but it’s a long list.

Hubby -we’ll call him Mike because that’s his name- spoke with a friend -we’ll call him Larry- who does window and door work for a living. Larry very kindly volunteered his labor and expertise since Mike has done computer work for him in the past… so we jumped at the offer and impulsively decided to replace all three doors at once.

So there we were tonight, pulling one of those flat carts through Home Depot loaded with doors… when Mike dialed Larry to ask about caulk. Larry had mentioned that he called his friend Darryl in on the job, but we didn’t think anything about it, since they work together often. Tonight, however, he said that Darryl was bringing his friend, My Other Brother Darryl.

We looked at each other over the doors. Things were getting complicated.

Mike decided to ring Darryl and casually inquire about his labor rates, because now it’s gone from friendly help to something different. Darryl quoted an incredibly inflated price. Mike then places a call back to Larry terminating Saturday’s event because for that kind of money Darryl’s going to have to come round and give us a proper estimate. Not that we’d use him.

Larry still insists that he’s working for cake. That doesn’t matter a whit, now does it? He called in the Darryls and they’re looking at it as a real job, not that I blame them. We all need to make money.

I’m slightly irritated but not because I thought we’d get something for nothing. I never mind paying someone for work. But… it almost feels like we were about to be played… and that’s an uncomfortable feeling. I decreed ‘no friends’ and we’ll get it done… by paying professionals.
Other professionals.

I’ve been working at The Rock, conveniently located in my front yard. When the world was new all this was lovely. The rocks were clean -which makes a huge difference!- the plants young and vibrant… and of course there was a damn sight more of both.

The plants… well, some were stepped on enough by painters to finally die… I pulled others up because they were too ugly to live and I do believe the rest of this mess is going to go. I hate the yellow and green foliage almost as much as I loathe the rocks.

Even rocks wear away with attrition, which means I take them for the bottom of my pots, use them for filling in holes and the neighborhood kids throw them at each other. Which would be all to the good if there weren’t so damn many left. Gah! Mulch is so easy; you simply get in a new batch every spring and freshen things up. Rocks suck. Ever tried to move a bunch of rocks? Every action requires back muscles.

Anyway, here are the ‘areas of concern’ as Suzette would say. At least one bed will be going, as soon as I can feel my legs again. That mess ‘o palms sort of in the middle I’d like to mulch if I can raise the back of the bed up enough.

Suggestions?? I can’t seem to grow hibiscus, though every other house on the street has at least two varieties flourishing. Love crepe myrtles, but I’d have to order what I want, as none of the local nurseries stock much.

Getting a new door and I’m thinking a nice, deep red. Too much? It would make a change from the unrelenting white. But the yellow stuff must go. I am unanimous in that.

Of course I had to take a photo of the flag snapping in the not.a.sea.breeze. And no, those two pictures aren’t exactly the same.

Click to embiggen.

Mr. C boasts the brawn and I control the money, so when a job arises that requires filthy lucre we drive off to wherever I must spread the stuff. Asked if it was fun to spend other peoples money, he said ‘not really’. I would think the opposite, but some people just aren’t much for shopping.

The preferred method of transportation is my truck and I drive. I enjoy not being trapped in someone’s vehicle at their discretion. Doesn’t matter how much I trust them, it’s a control issue.
This morning I had to ride shotgun in Mr.C’s dinky, smelly pickup. Now, I’m not a snot… if a thing smells bad, it just does. Didn’t matter, since the gate would not have fit in Liz.

Either the man drives like a coked up squirrel or I’m just not used to being that close to the pavement… or other cars… He frightened me a few times.

Took this with my cell at the fence company, thinking ‘if I don’t make it back, this will be the last picture I ever take…’ Drama much? Mr. C is there on the right.

Does it bother me that my cell takes a better photograph than a camera I paid $200 for? Why, yes it does!

Anyway, we should have another, much needed, gate in the fence by the end of the week!

The dogs got out last evening and if hubby hadn’t arrived home at the exact moment he did… I can’t think about it. That will not happen again.

Mr C showed up at my door this morning holding a strange looking fruit, ostensibly wanting to show me what it looked like because he’d planted one of the trees right outside my kitchen window.

Oh, and there are suddenly, miraculously, two new pineapple plants in the ‘garden’ area. Must be dirt elves.

Of course, something this strange shouldn’t go unrecorded. And after snapping a picture of the thingamajig fruit, I raised the camera, meaning to get a picture of him… and he bolted and I went into the house.

But I have this big dog snot encrusted picture window… so as he strolled down the walk and started snarfing down the thingamajig fruit…

But I got started laughing… and the jig was up. His head snapped around and I was found out!

…so he hoofed it.

But… you’d be proud of me. Yesterday when he said something about money for the plants and mulch he put alongside the house I latched onto the opportunity to give the man a taste. It was difficult getting started, but once I did, everything pretty much came out.

I told him that he was very manipulative and would make a great used car salesman. That by doing work I didn’t ask for then wanting money for it was putting me on the spot, big time, and not fair.

None of it made an impact. LOL! Have mercy! But has he gotten any additional money? No.