Grump Central Archive: Week of 5 May 2019
Saturday, 11 May 2019
This is what it's like waking up here (yes, the image is deliberately rotated). Not hard to take, and all the more rewarding given how long and hard the road has been to reach this point. Even with so much left to do on the house, I feel as though I've arrived at my goal.
Friday, 10 May 2019
This morning I awoke in my home for the very first time. It was at once strange and wondrous. Granted, I'm not supposed to be living in my home until I have a TCO, but no one needs to know (and the Township has been fine with me living on the property when technically I'm not allowed). I'd also done some dishes in my kitchen sink, using the very first hot water produced. Now, while this may seem supremely mundane to anyone else, it was a genuine thrill for me. Consider: this is the first time I'd done something like this in years, and I was doing it in a home I built myself using plumbing I installed myself. And it was a long, long time coming—seemingly an eternity. Which made the achievement all the sweeter.
Thursday, 9 May 2019
About three years ago, a notoriously unpleasant neighbor complained to the Township that the porta-potty servicing truck, which showed up weekly, was causing excessive wear and tear on our driveway. Not only was this a totally bogus claim, but it overlooked the fact that I was required by law to have one on the property until such time as I had a flush toilet (the Township ignored his complaint). The man died March 2018, a year and two months before the removal of that which seemed to vex him.
Wednesday, 8 May 2019
Today I bid the porta-potty farewell and good riddance. Meanwhile, it's raining yet again. Seems it wasn't all that long ago New Jersey was experiencing a drought, and now the weather is more like that of the Pacific Northwest. While it's nice to know we're no longer short on water, this wet weather can get to you after a while...
Tuesday, 7 May 2019
Tomorrow the porta-potty makes its departure from my property—I won't miss it, but I will raise a glass to toast that happy milestone.
Monday, 6 May 2019
After 24 hours of continuous heavy rain, I need a day or two to dry out. Meanwhile, I'm taking great pleasure in the joys of indoor plumbing. Sounds silly, I know, but after going without for five years, it's like a whole new world for me.
Sunday, 5 May 2019
Yes, I now have indoor plumbing, at long, long last—something I haven't had since September 2014, so it's quite the landmark day. It will actually take some getting used to, but trust me, I won't miss the porta-potty one single bit. For the cost of its rental all these years, I likely could have bought three or four of them. Ah well, it's not like I had a choice. And the bathroom sink is working too, so things are going like gangbusters.