Repairs

For the past few weeks, our house has been in different stages of this:

What is going on? (you are probably wondering).  Well, the basement right window (most bottom right window in the picture) has been leaking almost ever since we moved in.  It doesn't leak a lot, and it doesn't leak everytime it rains, but it persistently leaks a few or more times per year.  We reported it to our builders before our 1 year warranty was up, and ever since then, they have been trying to fix it.  I have to give them credit for ALWAYS coming over when we call and trying to fix it again and again and never charging us a dime.  Bless their hearts (as we say in the South), they must have thought it was fixed 5 or more times, only to find out that it still leaks.  We have kept towels on the window sill for literally years. 

Finally, this past November, we thought they finally got it fixed!  But, not so.  We took the towel off the ledge for the first time and it wasn't 1-2 weeks before it leaked again (all over the carpet underneath).  Early December, John came over (one of the owners of the construction company) and said they are embarrassed and fed up with trying to fix it and never getting it right.  He said they were going to go big and find the leak for certain.  So, they removed the deck, removed all the brick on that side of the house.  Then, replaced the leaking window and the patio door above where the leaking was originating.  Now they are in the process of wrapping, flashing, taping and hopefully bricking soon.  Then the deck will have to be put back together.

I really can't complain because they are footing the whole bill, which I know is costing them thousands of dollars.  I almost feel guilty since it seemed to be a small leak, but it had already damaged and warped the window and trim and the wood under the brick was damaged and moldy (as we found when we pulled off the brick). 

That said, I am getting a little sick of the pounding all the time.  And then there is the guys walking by my windows at all times of the day.  This morning about 7:30 or 8:00 am, I heard music, talking, and laughing in the backyard, so I went and looked out the window.  There was this big group of brick masons(see picture below) listening to Spanish music and laughing and having a good time out on my back sidewalk.  I guess they were waiting for the guy that was wrapping to finish so they could start bricking.  (And there were more than you see in the picture.)Not counting the other guys working on the house.  I couldn't help but laugh  thinking about how outnumbered I am.

Unfortunately, when they were taking the brick off, all the pounding knocked one of my precious moments shelves off the wall and about 6 of my collection of precious moments broke.  I was pretty bummed.  I was already able to repair most of them with super glue, but the one little boy with his arms stretched out saying, "I love you this much" was broken in many pieces and didn't come back together very well.  It was one of my favorites, so I think I will try to find a replacement.

Amidst the construction, my flowering pear trees are blooming!  In fact, I also saw red buds and magnolias blooming today around town as well.  I love the flowers in spring and I love that it comes early here.  It was up to 79 yesterday and supposed to be 81 today.  I was shocked the first year we lived here when it got up to 80 in March.  It has happened at least a few days every year now.  Spring is beautiful here when it isn't stormy.