Countdown Times Two

March #SOLC15 Day 30

This week I am looking at two countdowns that are very different from one another.  Two more days of slicing and two more days until our condo garage project begins.  I’m not sure which I dread more!

Our garage, which parks more than 250 cars, will be closed for construction beginning this Wednesday night for TWO months.  Yes, you read correctly…TWO months.  We have attended a number of meetings on the subject since January.  So many unanswered questions.  Parking in the city is neither abundant or cheap.

“What about people with special needs?” a man carrying an oxygen tank asked.

“What about pregnant women?” a woman just weeks away from delivering her baby asked.

“What about crime in the neighborhood?” we asked.

“What if the roof caves in?”…..my mom asked that one.

These questions continued as well as the frequent gatherings in the community room of our building.  The most recent meeting we attended included a police officer from the local district a half a mile away.  Officer Panick.  Good name, huh?  She told us not to panic (I am not kidding!) because the criminals were usually still asleep at 5:00 a.m.  She also told us not to walk around with our phones in our hands, ear buds in our ears, or a wad of money in our hands.  So very helpful.

As a result, we have been busily preparing for this extravaganza.  Removing our bikes that hang on the wall in the garage.  Unfortunately we haven’t used our bikes in about 3 years, so the dust was overwhelming.  The tires were also very flat.  Cleaning, pumping, breaking locks with an electric welding thingy (because we couldn’t find the keys), and moving them to their new storage closet in the basement took an entire afternoon.

We also needed to pull all of our balcony furniture out of our storage lockers before this project begins, as we will not have access to those for two months, either.  Another entire afternoon down the drain.  Now our third bedroom is filled with outdoor tables and chairs.  Hopefully it will warm up in the next two months so we can put them out!

I made a little list as I contemplated all of the things I need to plan for and worry about over the duration of this project.  We will have to…

• Prepare to lug our groceries back and forth
• Be careful what we bring with us to and from work – nothing too heavy
• Run to get the car and bring it to the lobby in order to take my mom out
• Duck for cover when it’s raining
• Hope for no crime to take place in the wee hours of morning when Kathy goes to work
• Wake up extra early to walk Kathy to her car
• Hope for no crime to take place in the hours after 8 pm when we come home late from work and/or being out
• Hope our dog walking neighbors show up in those cases
• Stock up on the heavy items at the grocery store

I’m sure there is more that I’ve not yet realized.  Sadly, the time I have spent writing over this past month will now be consumed in these upcoming months with getting to and from my car and planning everything out.

I’d rather be writing.