Well, Crap

So, you know how I'd taken vacation days for all the Fridays left in the year?  Here I was, looking forward to a long weekend off, since they're giving us Saturday off, too.  After work, I went up to get my paycheck, and the receptionist said, "I don't have yours in here.  They must have keyed it in late."
I thought, "That's odd, since I put in those requests in January.  I'd better check."  When I got home, I checked my computer printout of my approved vacation days, and sure enough, tomorrow isn't on it.  I found my request forms from where I had put in for my days, and it wasn't on those, either.

The more I thought about it, the more I seem to remember telling myself that I wasn't going to put in for the 30th, but I have no idea why.  Whatever.  I thought about calling in and staying home anyway, but I don't want to lose my attendance bonus, so it looks like I'm going to work tomorrow.

I got home this afternoon just in time to watch the tree guy and his crew finish cutting my tree down.

When the trunk fell, hit hit the ground so hard it shook my house.

That was a big tree, I'm telling ya.  After they left, I went out and looked at the stump.

I put my hand on it, just so you could get a bit of perspective how big it is.

I hated having to cut down that big old, beautiful tree, but you got to do what you got to do.  I mentioned to the tree guy that I didn't think it would have lasted through another rainy season, and he concurred.  He said it could have fallen at any time.   I feel much safer now that it is down.

They are going to come back tomorrow and finish cleaning up the back yard, and haul the trunk off.  He asked me if I wanted it for firewood, but I said I didn't think I could handle something so big.  They left me a good sized pile of firewood, though, even without the trunk.

Looks like my next investment will be a chainsaw.

The good news is, between this pile, and the wood left by the previous owner, I should have enough to last several years.

More good news, I was standing there chatting with the tree guy, and he gestured towards the crumbled remnants of my patio and asked, "Do you have any use for your concrete?"

I said no, and he said he'd load them up onto his trailer and haul them off for me.  He didn't say so, but from the glint in his eye, he wasn't just going to dump them in a hole. I don't care what he does with them, just so long as they are out of my yard.

Next step, deciding if I want to replace my patio, and if so, with what?  I won't likely get it done before spring, so I have plenty of time to think and plan.

In the meantime, back to working on the bathroom and mantle.