Getting a Little More of the Gate Up

The back felt a little better so I decided to do something after I came back from work. For the past year, I had taken on quite a bit of dirty work around the house. You do not complete a paint job without staining your hands. Even a master painter does, just less frequently. If you are completely clean throughout the job, it simply means you haven't work. Flooring the house was dusty business but it could be much worse if I had unwisely decided to tile. Paving outdoors wasn't too bad, until you have to cut paving blocks to fit nooks and crevices around the place. In fact, anything that involves the cutting of stone, cement, concrete or scorched clay creates great clouds of dust. Believe me, you will not enjoy being right in the middle one of those clouds.


That might be the 2nd last time I had to create clouds of dust for Savvy Steve's house. Certainly hope so. Cut this shitty slab, plant the 2nd post, level it, cast it. When it is set the next day, install the lockset to the gate and complete the fencing to close up the rest of the gap. Once done, lay the rest of the pavings till it abuts the lawn line. That will be the final cloud. You bet I am looking forward to it. It has been nearly a year since I started on this.


One PRC fellow I met in Perth will be preparing to move to the next house, if he is at this stage. He buys houses in near derelict conditions at a steal. Move in, rents out his previous house and repair his new old house regularly, with whatever spare time his day job left him. By the time he has done it up nicely enough, he will either sell it if there is a decent profit to be made or rent it out when his next purchase is secured. The last time I saw him was 3 years ago, he had already gotten himself 4 houses. Not all of them were paid up but I was sure 1-2 of them were. Let's hope he survived the rental downturn. I don't think he will be hit hard. A resilient lot, his kind. They have a lot we should learn from.


I don't think Savvy Steve will have an axe to grind if I propose to sell his house. In fact, the other day when I hinted all he said was, "Suit yourself, just send me money over when you are done." He wanted an inflated sum to his share, as that was part of the agreement. Anything else, if there is anything else, is mine to keep as a pathetic reward to my work. In a worse case, a deficit position will enslave me further to Savvy Steve. The time isn't ripe. I should concentrate in finishing my work.


As I didn't have that much time after I came back from work, I reckoned if I manage to plant the 2nd post, it would be considered a good day. Some men in Singapore do not even have time to change a diaper for their babies after work. I consider myself lucky. 


Cutting the rest of the stone took awhile but the post planting process was satisfying. Once the cement sets, I will be able to proceed with the rest of the work from the next day onward. Soon, Patrick will not be able to sneak into my compound from the side. Soon. Hahaha!




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