The House

It's done at last. As of the last day of our Ocean Springs stay, the errrant contractor is gone! He is out of our lives! Now we just have minor things to attend to from a distance, which would be true even of a brand-new house. Setting all nasty commentary aside, the errant contractor did do good work when he worked. The house is beautiful. It has gone from being an eyesore to the crown jewel of the neighborhood. Seeing the house finished was an emotionally overwhelming experience which left Jennifer in tears much of the day. Part of it was the release of two years of stress and aggravation. Most of it was knowing the house now looks better than my dad ever dreamed it could, and he isn't here to see it. While we know he would have been more fired up about the contractor woes than even we were (and we were pretty darn fired up), we also know the house would make him swell with pride...and it makes us feel his absence in a way we hadn't felt as yet.
Thank you to all who have offered and given moral support during this ridiculous process, not least to Mary who has repeatedly housed and fed us and listened to the griping throughout. Without further emotional ado, here it is:







We hope to settle in for a good hiatus from Ocean Springs now, planning to return by fall next year to visit friends only (and not deal with any house issues, inshallah!). In January, the house will be on the market for renters (no good trying to sell in this market, even if we wanted to), so please keep your fingers crossed we get some good ones. Of course, if you have a hankering for small town life with good community and a family-friendly atmosphere where the weather is lovely this time of year, you know who to call. There could be a brand-new, fully inspected and certified four bedroom house on the bayou with an amazingly huge back porch with your name on it.

The Latest Antics

With one more stateside day to go, I thought I'd post some pictorial highlights of the visit.

Is there anything better than a Tatonut doughnut? The answer is yes: a Tatonut DOUGHNUT with CHOCOLATE and SPRINKLES eaten as part of a PICNIC at the PLAYGROUND (words in caps are Ellie's emphasis and must be said with a tone of joyful reverence).


Just in case you were wondering what the start of month seven looks like:


And tonight's entry to the history books: Crazy women crash a Christmas party. The Muses had their annual pre-ride get-together tonight. Most ladies were dressed in smart casual holiday party attire, but nothing so simple for the ladies of the title float. Oh no. We had wigs (white girls in afros, black girls in Farrah), glasses, disco ball earrings, and beware the tie-dye. See if you can spot Jennifer "Where's Waldo" style hiding amongst the 'fros.

Up Down Baby

One of Ellie's all-time favorite pasttimes is a game she calls "Up Down Baby", which involves Markus tossing her into the air and catching her over and over and over again. I was lucky enough to catch this sunset shot today.


Ellie has been soaking up every second of having Papa on holiday with us, and she is a happy critter all day long. It's obvious someone feels this is a vacation, and that adorable laughter is awfully contagious.

In the time since I originally posted this photo, it has been viewed by hundreds of people all over the world, who enter the blog directly onto this page. Somehow, this photo is circulating the internet. Is it a mass, generic email? What does it say? Please take a moment to leave a comment as to what brought you here. I'm very curious. Thank you!

Mystery Solved

The week we gave the contractor is up, and yesterday we went to the house to meet, preparing to let him go. I let Markus do the talking while I chased Ellie, and the ultimate result of his conversation was that the contractor now has until Monday morning for another evaluation. The contractor had crews hired for Saturday and Sunday, as well as a load of supplies freshly purchased. Our new contractor couldn't start til next week anyway, so Markus gave him more time. He swears he can finish everything completely by Wednesday, which cuts it fine for my liking so we are meeting Monday to evaluate. He has accomplished more in the past four days than he's done in months. It's very odd, though appreciated.
Last night, we learned the truth behind why our contractor is working harder than ever to finish this project. While I'm under orders not to reveal details, let's just say it's good to know people who know the right people in a small town...and having a belly on in a Southern gentleman's world doesn't hurt either. There is still a lot to be done, and we have many little meetings and appointments to attend to before we can go. However, at the risk of jinxing it, this house might actually be completely finished by the time we leave. Stay tuned.

Why We Do This

In case you are wondering why we haven't jumped ship on this house ordeal ages ago (a question we often ask ourselves), know that during the last week of November, we've gone to the beach or playground or both every day...and today we played at the beach in short sleeves. It was a gorgeous, warm and sunny day, and look at the day's beautiful conclusion:



That alone is worth the flight.

Head Scratching

First thing Monday morning, we met with our contractor. We did a walk through, and without really nit-picking, we still came up with four hand-written, letter-size pages of items that needed to be finished. He walked through with us and agreed to all items. It was a very polite and relaxed exchange. Then we sat down to talk, and we told him point-blank that we had no confidence that he would finish the job. Given all the delays, he is owed no further money at this point, and there will be no more coming from us. If he wants to try to finish, he has until Friday morning, at which point we will hire a new contractor. If he wants to walk now, the end result is still the same, since we will pay him nothing more whether he does more work or not. I've never seen him so quiet and pale. He clearly wasn't angry; he was stunned. After months of abusing his position with us, he just didn't see this coming. We weren't angry or rude, but we were united and firm...and he knows he doesn't have a leg to stand on. In his shock, he even signed an agreement I wrote up on the spot setting our terms in writing. Now here's where the head scratching begins: he still wants to keep working. He doesn't think he can finish by Friday morning, but he does think he can finish by Monday. He wants us to meet with him Friday to evaluate his progress and consider allowing him to finish completely, even though he acknowledged he wouldn't be paid either way. This is most puzzling. The best we can come up with is he wants to somehow preserve his reputation and avoid being reported to the state as an unscrupulous contractor (thereby risking loss of his license and insurance). Honestly, we want him to walk so we can get another, more reliable crew in there ASAP, but we'll give him the week. Our back-up, highly recommended contractor (who was not available for over a year after Katrina because he was too in-demand) can't start until next week anyway. Still, it is all very strange. He is working. He even has a crew over there, doing detailed paint touch-ups and who knows what else. There's no sabotage. He really seems to be trying. I don't get it, but there it is. We'll keep you posted.

Once more with feeling

Tomorrow, we head back to Ocean Springs for another two weeks of trying to finish the house. This time, Markus will come along to physically restrain Jennifer from throttling the contractor with her bare hands. Of all the times we've said this will be the last trip, this one really has to be. It's silly how close but how far the house is from being done. If someone would actually do his job, it would be ready to go in a week or less. It's insane. But we have to go back to police the work (or get the police involved, either one). On the upside, it is a treat in itself to have Markus with us for two weeks, so we're trying to focus on that. Ellie will be thrilled. She's such a seasoned traveler at this point that as soon as I started setting out clothes, she said, "Packing. Airplane."
Right-o, kiddo.

Last day

Today was our last full day in Ocean Springs. It felt a bit like the last day to get things done on the house, because you know once I leave, the work usually stops...but we won't go there. I've been feeling a bit Milton-esque about the house of late ("abandon hope, all ye who enter here"), but the fact is whatever work has actually been done looks really good. As of today, the carpet and tile are finished, so the remaining work is screening the back porch, all the finishing (repainting dings, spots,etc.) and trim. If the work were to progress in any realistic fashion, there's no way it could take any more than two weeks to finish from here out...but we know reality has had little impact on this work as yet. We shall see. The landscaper is set to begin in mid-October, and I have stressed to my contractor that under no circumstances will I be amused if he is still working on the house then and drives his truck on my brand-new lawn. He will be paying for the landscaping in that event, and I think he may actually understand that I mean business.

Other than that, we're just trying to wrap up. Ellie has been incredibly patient with all the to-ing and fro-ing and dragging around I've had to do with her on this trip. I've been so lucky! I'm very happy to be taking her home to a normal routine, so she can go back to car-free days, music class and playtime in the pool. She has been starting to ask about the latter two recently, so I'm particularly glad I won't have to deny her much longer. And of course, the best part will be being with Papa again! We have really missed him! Although most of the time Ellie readily accepts his absence (she'll tell anyone who asks that he's "arbeit"...at work), she also knows this excuse wears thin at nighttime and on weekends.

Wish us luck for smooth and pleasant flights tomorrow! We'll be back in Holland on Sunday morning!

The House (continues)

Some of you regular readers out there have been asking (and rightly so) what is the deal with the house. As it is, after all, the big reason why Ellie and I are stateside at the moment, I figured it was time for an update.

The good news is when you've abandoned all hopes and expectations, things are a lot less stressful. On previous visits, I arrived expecting progress. After all, the house has been a couple of months away from completion since February! Only two or three weeks away from completion in May! I had intended to come back in July to see it finished. But more delays and more excuses were reported, and I began to realize (and accept) that nothing was EVER going to be done without my being here. So, here I am again, this time without hopes or expectations and therefore slightly more sane than could be imagined. Thank goodness I arrived with these thoughts, because (surprise surprise) nothing much had been done since I left in May. I'm happy to report that now, however, we are much closer to the (apparently unattainable) goal of a finished house. The tile for the downstairs arrived last week and installation began. Once the downstairs is done, the kitchen cabinets and countertops will be installed (the cabinets are ready and waiting), and the bathrooms should be finished off (though I haven't seen any supplies for that as yet). Carpets are scheduled for installation upstairs tomorrow (but as rain has moved in, my faith in that has moved out).

On my end, I've had six trees felled (one VERY fortunate choice there; I had one relatively small one taken out because I didn't like its proximity to the roof, only to discover upon removal that it was completely rotten on the inside and could have fallen at any time). I found and paid for a landscaper for the front yard, and that work will happen at the end of October (by which time one could reasonably assume the house could be finished at long last!). The house has been treated for termites and pests, and yesterday I ordered a houseful of appliances that should be delivered and installed on Tuesday. We're getting there, people. Now all that's left is to show you some pictures, so here they are.

The Hokey Pokey

Our little one has been giving directions and commanding an audience since before she could talk. This morning, Mary's sister and friend stopped by for a visit, and it wasn't long before they were enlisted in providing some world class entertainment! Ellie has been a bit stuck on the hokey pokey of late, and she was thrilled to have two new singers/performers (and a few stuffed animals) to add to the ranks!

Little Shedheds

Last night, Ellie, Mary and I met friends for dinner and "got fed at The Shed." If you know us, you know we are big fans of Shed BBQ, a dedication that brings us under the fan club of "Shedheds." Now we have matching t-shirts to prove our loyalty that proudly proclaim: "I'm a little Shedhed. I only look sweet and innocent."


For some added cuteness, here's a shot of our wee one in her very colorful new shoes.

Way down South

Here we are once again in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The fact that we were in Paris a week ago seems a bit surreal from here, but whatcha gonna do? There are things I have to love about being here: the small-town,community feel; the genuinely warm and friendly people; the manners; the peacefulness of the bayou and the waters of the Mississippi Sound; still being treated a regular at a favorite lunch spot despite the fact that I live an ocean away most of the time; the kid-friendly environment; of course, eating at The Shed BBQ...

But it is all a bit of a trade-off when at age 30, I'm called "ma'am" because I really am that old. Alas.