Time for a Break

Great Grandma's lilac bushes were in bloom during my last visit!

July 21, 2018

My "Things to Do" list for the house in Mesa is still four pages long, typed (not even kidding), but we've accomplished so much since May 31st that I'm feeling pretty good about it. Finally, I feel that I can step away and give myself a break from the continuous stress (six trips to Mesa in eleven weeks), leaving the burden in Jacob's capable hands for a time.

I returned to Mesa last Thursday to help with the property cleanup for the second weekend in a row, and we made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, since we didn't have any "helping hands" come by on Saturday, I did have to extend the roll-off dumpster's stay for another week. However, we're close enough now that Jacob and Julien (my nephew, who is Jacob's new roommate) should be able to finish up the yard this Friday and Saturday. I won't be there this time, but I know they'd still welcome assistance from anyone who cares to drop by!

During this last visit, Jacob and I noticed that his Great-Grandma Helen's prized lilac bushes were in full bloom. It made us smile, thinking how happy she must be that one of her adored great-grandchildren has moved in and undertaken the transformation of her home to the well-maintained place it once was. As we peel away the layers of filth, we're really beginning to see the house and yard it used to be.

We tossed every damaged, nasty item we came across into the dumpster, including the ratty rattan screen that used to hang in front of the living room window (top photo). Now you can clearly see the half-cocked job they did to repair the busted window, using a too-small pane. The new window we ordered seven weeks ago is supposed to arrive this week. I hope it'll be installed in the next week or two. And Jacob will be buying a new window-cover soon, because when the afternoon sun hits that westward-facing window, the living room heats up, fast! It definitely needs a cover.

BEFORE: Jeff and Julien tackle the large "landfill" pile.

My brother Jeff and two of his children, Burke and Brinley, were at the house and ready to work at 7:45 a.m. on Friday. Due to other commitments, they had only two hours to give, but they made it count. I'd really thought we'd be able to finish everything in that time, but it turned out that the "landfill" pile was far more extensive than we'd imagined. It also turned out that it wasn't the only one in the yard.

AFTER: That disgusting pile of trash is gone!

I've been puzzling over the "why" of people turning their home into a dump. Literally, in this case. Then I remembered one of the former "tenants" telling me that they'd basically "camped" in the house for a couple of years because they couldn't afford to turn on the electric. The city offers all utilities as a bundle, including electric, water, sewer, and trash. This means that, during the no-electric period, they didn't have the weekly trash pick-up that most of us take for granted. Obviously, their solution was to simply pile all their trash in the backyard and ignore it.

Jeff, Burke, Julien, and Jacob spent most of their allotted two hours on removing that pile. Despite the other tasks that had to wait, getting that landfill removed was an enormous and satisfying feat. What a huge difference it made to have that area cleared! 

Sadly, Julien discovered a second landfill in the far corner of the yard. What we'd thought was just another pile of garbage was, in fact, merely junk piled on top of a hole these people had dug, filled with trash, and layered with dirt. I suspect this was their original landfill site, before it filled up and they started on the other. At least they'd tried to bury this one, but that just means more work for Jacob and Julien to unearth it all this weekend. Thus, the reason we needed the dumpster for another week.

Spills happen! Burke looks in dismay at the junk that spilled off the cart.

While the guys tackled the backyard, I asked Brinley to help me in the front. We'd mostly ignored it the previous week since the clutter there was minimal. This time, though, I wanted to be sure everything that needed to be hauled off was placed in the huge dumpster while we had it. I really didn't want to pay any more for future trips to an actual landfill. The dumpster itself has cost me a total of $560. That's quite enough, thank you!

So Brinley and I loaded it up with concrete blocks and garden borders that Jacob didn't want to keep, as well as the goofy garden gnomes, fairies, and cherubs we found under the lilacs. We removed a hose-caddy and a broken-down, rattan lounge chair, along with several cracked flower pots and smashed buckets. 

Brinley tackles the pottery-shard "creek" in the front yard.

And then there was the fake "creek" that "flowed" across the yard, lined by shards from broken pottery and tiles. I admit, I kind of liked it. In fact, I'd been thinking of doing something similar in my own yard for years, except mine would have been an actual creek during monsoon season, carrying water from the rain-spout to the ditch by the road, having been dug about a foot deep and lined with river rocks. (I like to dream big...)

I asked Brinley to remove only the loose shards laying on top of the ground, telling her that Jacob could dig up the rest later. Then I went to take care of a few other things, such as making an ice-run to Circle K (since I forgot to get some the night before). When I returned, I found Brinley hard at work with a shovel, digging out every last shard. I reminded her that she didn't need to do that, but she said she just couldn't start a project without finishing it. OCD remains alive and well in the Butler genes! (And now that faux-creek is a thing of the past!)

A peek into the patio while Jeff, Julien, and Burke work on the "landfill."

When it was time for Jeff and crew to leave, Dana and Callie stopped by to have a look at the progress before they all headed home. They had a lot to do, since they were leaving on a family trip to Texas in just five days.

Now it was just Jacob, Julien, and me for the rest of Friday and all of Saturday. Not that I provide an enormous amount of help (other than paying for everything, which is enormous enough!), but I did put in a lot more physical labor during this trip than I'd thought was possible. I ached for days afterward, but it felt good.

At one point, I turned away from Jacob and he exclaimed, "Mom! You have back-sweat!" As I've explained before, my sweat glands don't operate properly, leaving me prone to heat exhaustion, so this was a surprising observation. It was a small spot compared to the wringing-wet shirts everyone else was wearing, but I was very proud of that patch of back-sweat!

Jacob and Julien prepare to tackle the mess in the enclosed patio.

Later in the day, while hauling wheelbarrow loads back and forth, Jacob paused to tell me, "I didn't know there was a mobile home park behind Grandma's house." I was surprised, so I asked him, "In all those years, you never noticed the trailers on the other side of the fence?"

I suppose he was a lot shorter in those childhood days, too, but he offered another explanation. "Grandma had all those trees by the fence. You couldn't see the trailers through all the leaves." Yet another sad fact of the nearly six-year occupation by folks who were basically squatting on the property. When she died, Helen left behind a healthy pecan tree and a couple of citrus trees. Now there's only bare earth along the fence. Jacob looks forward to replanting some young citrus trees and watching them grow.

Jacob and Julien start in on emptying the refuse from the patio.

After the departure of Jeff and his family, Jacob and Julien were able to empty out the graffiti-covered shed and the illegally-enclosed patio on Friday. Seeing the patio empty was especially gratifying. Of all the trash and filth and damage left by the squatting "tenants," I think the desecration of the patio--where we'd enjoyed so many barbecues and birthday parties and other family get-togethers, which often included my own siblings' families and our parents--this was the thing that angered me the most.

Jacob hands trash up to Julien to be tossed into the dumpster.

It was about 10:00 when Jeff's family had to leave, and Julien had to report to his job three hours later, at 1:00, so that meant the two guys had only about an hour and a half to work on the shed and patio. They got both all cleared out, though. At around 11:30 they came in to shower and get cleaned up, and then I took them out to lunch at Subway. After several hours in the sweltering heat, they'd both decided that cold sandwiches sounded better than anything cooked!

BEFORE: Inside the enclosed patio before the guys cleared it out.

AFTER: Look at all the empty space in the old patio. 

Notice the silver vent in the bottom right corner of the above photo, and the black tubing diverting it to the plywood "wall." When Jacob's new washer and dryer were installed, he was told the dryer vent was "out of code." I couldn't figure out why, because I remembered that it was vented directly outside back in Helen's day. Now I see the problem. Grrr.

AFTER AFTER: This is how the patio looked on Saturday, after I worked on it.

After Julien went to work on Friday, Jacob and I relaxed awhile and discussed what we needed to do while I was there this time, in order to enjoy a six-to-eight week break from these Mesa trips, which I truly needed. Then we made another trip to Home Depot and Walmart to purchase everything Jacob will need to keep working on the house during my sabbatical, now that the yard was nearly free of rubbish.

Then, on Saturday, while the boys tackled the newly-discovered landfill at the far side of the house, I worked on removing all the things still on the shelves in the garage. Next, I got the electric drill and worked on taking down the bizarre things that had been screwed to the ceiling of the garage (possibly to hang things from?).

Another view of AFTER AFTER on the patio.

Once the garage was cleared, I went after the patio, electric drill still in hand. The heat inside the patio area was always oppressive and humid, even when I first walked through it back in early April. Obviously, they hadn't bothered to insulate the room. Add to that the east-facing sliding-glass doors that magnified the sunlight coming into the patio for several hours every morning.

So I removed every single screw I could find in the wood planks and plywood sheets surrounding the patio, hoping it would simply fall away. I was glad to find that very little of the wood was actually attached to the two main posts or the beams supporting the patio roof, but less glad to see that the structure was still held together by plenty of nails. Jacob and Julien will tackle those "walls" this weekend.

However, removing the screws was enough to free the sliding-glass door and the little window in the corner. As soon as I realized this, I enlisted Jacob's aid. We soon had the door and window pulled out of their slots, and the guys carried them to the dumpster. Literally, within thirty minutes, the temperature on the patio dropped fifteen degrees or more. It was once again a shady, outdoor refuge from the sizzling summer sun. It was also a good place to stash the doors and other supplies Jacob will be using to make repairs and improvements over the coming weeks.

These are the garage shelves I emptied while the guys worked outside.

At the end of this trip, I finally felt like we had a handle on the repair/replace/improve situation, so I knew it was time to give myself a break. My own home in the mountains had been pushed to the back burner for nearly four months, and it was time to turn my attention back to the needs of my little house. Jacob will take care of his place now, and it's all good.

I believe these shelves were built by Mark's grandpa, Lyle.

Almost There...

July 14, 2018: How the front of the house looked late Saturday morning!

Finally, real progress! The front of the house in Mesa looks like it used to back in its glory days--except for needing a new roof, a new garage door, a new paint job, a new lawn, a new screen door, a new front window and screens, a new gate... But the point is, the rubbish is gone! 

July 12: A reminder of how it looked when I arrived on Thursday.

Alas, that's only true when viewed from the street. There is still some work to be done beyond the back gate, but I have such a huge sense of relief to see that this battle can be won and there is an end in sight.

The roll-off container was in place when I arrived.

It began with a phone call to Mesa's solid waste division on Monday afternoon to order their largest roll-off container and have it delivered on Thursday, the day I planned to arrive. That way, it would be ready for us to begin on Friday morning. I'd debated whether to get their largest, a 40-yard dumpster, which has eight-foot walls (the walls on the other two options were six-foot and four-foot). Did we really have enough trash to fill such a large bin?

Thank goodness I did, because it held only about two-thirds of all the trash left on the property. It was pricey, at $307.50 for up to fourteen days. However, I decided it would be worse to pay less but find we needed more space. And need more we did. In fact, today I called Mesa again, this time to request that the dumpster be emptied and then returned tomorrow to be filled once more. This time the cost will "only" be $252.50.

Our team on Friday morning: Maryhelen, Thomas, Jacob,

Elyssa, and Genevieve. Julien arrived to help soon after.

We were a little nervous about how much help we'd have. Clearly, it was too big of a job for Jacob and me alone, even over a rental period of two weeks. Especially for me, with my back, hip, and knee issues, plus the fact that I'd be in town for less than three days. I'd posted our plans online, with the dates we'd be handling this project and a request for volunteers, and there were a few responses, but we didn't know for sure whether anyone at all would show up.

Then, around 8:00 on Thursday night, I got a message from two of my nieces, asking for the address and saying they'd be here the next morning. We were so happy to know we wouldn't be alone! Genevieve and Elyssa arrived about 8:30 on Friday morning, followed not long after by their younger brother, Julien, who is Jacob's roommate (and the same age as my son Dylan). Then Mark's cousin Maryhelen and her thirteen-year-old son, Thomas, came over from the house next door, where Mark's Aunt Wilma lives. Now we had a full team!

I taped a big sign on the side of the dumpster to remind us of the rules

and what isn't allowed inside, like tires and batteries and such.

We began with gathering tile, block, and other rock-like materials, since the rules stated that they must be in the bottom of the bin, and no deeper than twelve inches. I helped gather block and load it in the wheelbarrow I'd brought along. I lasted for about twenty minutes before the knee began protesting. At that point, I grabbed my camera to chronicle the event. And, of course, I supervised and made helpful suggestions (at least, I thought they were helpful), while keeping the ice-cold water bottles available.

Genevieve, Thomas, and Maryhelen start in on the backyard.

It seemed like a slow process at first, almost insurmountable, but we gradually began to see results. I was worried about our crew being largely made up of young females, lifting heavy furniture in the oppressive heat and suffocating humidity (without a rain cloud in sight). Soon, though, I was less worried and more impressed by their stamina and determination.

Genevieve, Elyssa, and Jacob start out, one block and one tile at a time.

Genevieve and Elyssa carried their share of large items, but they also worked out a system for the smaller items in piles throughout the yard. Moving furniture isn't nearly as tricky as transporting thousands of small bits of junk. After two rickety but workable carts and a slew of crates had been unearthed, they used those to systematically move each pile to the dumpster. Once they got rolling, we really saw the improvement begin.

Jacob, Maryhelen, Genevieve, and Julien hard at work.

After most of the large items were in the bin, it was time to empty the garage. Unfortunately, the garage door was too badly damaged to open. It would have been a nightmare to move everything out through the broken side door, so I looked at Maryhelen and asked, "Where's your sledgehammer?"

Her eyes lit up. "Really?" The door was going to have to be replaced anyway, so why not?

Julien and Jacob take one panel of the garage door to the dumpster.

She and Jacob took turns waling on the door segments and soon had them broken free so the door could be dismantled and removed to the container. Once that was accomplished, the mounds of trash in the garage were quickly subdued. The garage wasn't entirely emptied on Friday, but it was finally possible to walk through without getting your feet snagged by trash. And all the large pieces of furniture were gone.

The roll-off container is starting to fill up.

While the work was ongoing for both days, several people driving past the house stopped to ask if we planned to rent out the house. I guess they assumed we were loading up the dumpster because we were moving out. Each one appeared to be disappointed when they learned the house wasn't available. At least I know I wouldn't have had much trouble finding a renter (or buyer) if Jacob hadn't moved in!

Julien empties the garage while Genevieve and Elyssa employ their system.

After a full two hours of hard labor, we called it quits. The heat was getting worse, topping out at 104 degrees that day, with 52% humidity and no rain to bring relief. But the property was noticeably less cluttered and on its way to being cleared. It was a great feeling when we all went out to Subway for an early lunch together. It was great, and I owe everyone so much for all they did!

Elyssa and Genevieve show their womanly superpowers!

When we were ready to start again on Saturday morning, the dumpster was quite full, thanks to having gotten nearly all the large furniture pieces loaded up. However, there were still many spaces between the large items, which we planned to fill up with the smaller stuff.

The dumpster is pretty full by the end of the day on Friday.

Again, we weren't sure if we'd have a crew for day two, so we waited nervously. My brother Jeff had said he could come over with one or two of his burly sons, and my nephew Justin had volunteered, as well. Since I hadn't heard from them recently, though, I wan't 100% positive.

Mark's Aunt Wilma looks on while Jeff, Marcus, and Brinley clear the garage.

We were so happy to hear a knock on the door at 8:00. It was Jeff with two of his sons, Marcus and Burke, as well as his second-youngest daughter, Brinley. Before too long, Jeff's firstborn, Justin, also drove up with his own son, Aiden, a youngster just five days away from his tenth birthday. After Justin arrived, my nephew Dallin (married to my niece Mariah) pulled up on his motorcycle. Another big sigh of relief. We had another great crew!

Jacob helps his Uncle Jeff load the roll-off container.

The heat was slightly less oppressive on Saturday, due to heavy cloud cover. (But still no rain.) The temperature topped out at just 102 degrees, with 45% humidity. Still not very comfortable, but any relief is welcome. The heat is particularly hard for me--especially when it's humid--because I don't sweat, which means my body lacks the capacity to cool itself well, leaving me prone to heat exhaustion. Every person there was literally dripping sweat, their clothes drenched from their hard work, while I had a bit of dampness inside my elbows and along my hairline. Except for Brinley, who may have inherited my lack of perspiration gene!

Burke, Jeff, and Jacob clear debris from the side of the house.

I am so impressed by my nieces and nephews. These are kids who know how to work hard, and how to do it effectively. On both days, each one barreled through the mess and made it yield before them. After just two hours on Saturday, the garage and side-yard were utterly empty of garbage and the backyard was more than half cleared. It felt almost like a miracle to see the difference.

Jeff, Justin, Aiden, Jacob, and Dallin bring more loads to the dumpster.

While working, members of our crews kept asking the same question: "How could anyone live in such filth?" It does seem hard to fathom. We found so many interesting "treasures," from a toilet and a urinal, to eight tires (each a different type and size). At the end of the day, the tires were stacked out by the curb, when a man driving by in a truck stopped and took two of them. He also asked permission to look in the dumpster, from which he took a few items on top. Jeff shook his head. "I can't even imagine what he could use that stuff for."

In the garage, amidst the rubble, we also found one of Mark's old high school yearbooks and a photo album that looked familiar to me. Inside were Mark's baby pictures and childhood family photos, which I'd put in the album when we were married and gave to him after we divorced. Thrown on the garage floor and buried in the rubbish. Go figure. I'm glad I could rescue them.

Aiden and Jacob deliver more stuff while Marcus mashes down trash in the bin.

I can never express enough how grateful I am for those who stepped up and helped us out in subduing the monstrous mess left behind by the former "tenants." It's no exaggeration when I say Jacob and I couldn't have done it alone. Each and every one of our awesome helpers is a hero in my book!

Burke and Dallin hand off to Marcus while Jeff heaves his over the side.

Unfortunately, the job isn't finished yet. As I mentioned, the largest-sized roll-off container was still not large enough to hold everything that needed removing, and it will be empty and ready to fill up again, starting tomorrow. I came home to my much-cooler, much-rainier mountain home on Sunday afternoon, but I will be driving down to Mesa again on Thursday evening. Once more we plan to tackle the final piles of junk on Friday and Saturday. We hope to be joined by more helping hands to get this job done, once and for all!

Dallin climbed on the roof to remove two tires and assorted rubbish.

And now, here are some before-and-after photos to show how much our teams accomplished:

The garage, right after we removed the busted garage door.

The newly emptied garage. (The carts and crates along the wall will

also be tossed this week, after we use them to haul the last of the trash.)

The side-yard, as it appeared when I arrived on Thursday.

The side-yard now, all cleared. (The dirt area is Wilma's property.)

The backyard, facing the house and the illegally-enclosed patio, in April.

That part of the backyard as it is now. Just a little more work to do.

It may well be that we can complete the remaining cleanup in two hours or less. There are odds and ends in the backyard that still need to be removed, but really only one big pile of trash by the pool that will need to be hauled by the shovel-load (see below). And we didn't even touch the patio (seen in the photos above, closed in with sheets of plywood--what were they thinking?). However, the patio is a relatively small space with less mess than the garage, so it should go pretty quickly.

I really do see an end in sight, and that's a great feeling.

The backyard area alongside the pool, as of April.

The backyard area alongside the pool now, with one big pile remaining.

A Fifth of July

Dylan, Jake, and Chris during a round of the game IMAGINiff.

July 5, 2018

It's been a whole week since Independence Day. I guess I've had too many other things on my mind lately to be in a blogging mood. And, as usual, we didn't celebrate the Fourth of July on the Fourth of July. Sarah worked late on that day, so we postponed our family barbecue until the next day, the Fifth. Everyone except Sarah and Chris had that day off, and Sarah got off earlier than usual, at 2:30.

Jake, Chris, Sarah (Mark in background) as the game continues.

One of the fun things about this year's get-together was that we were able to celebrate at Sarah and Chris's new house. When Chris proposed the idea, I said, "Really? You mean I can just show up, eat, and leave?" It wasn't quite like that, of course, but I had to give them a hard time. My kids are actually quite helpful about our weekly dinners (except for the dishes afterward).

Homemade ice cream was half-gone when I remembered to take a picture.

Although Chris wouldn't get home until 5:30 to start the grilling, I went on over to their place at 4:00 to help Sarah make the potato salad. I also brought the hot dogs, bratwurst, and buns to go with the chicken Chris was grilling. Later that evening, I made my famous sugar-free homemade strawberry ice cream. Mark tended to the freezer while I played a board game with the kids. We had a great time together, as we always do.

Sarah, Mark, and Dylan relax and watch Americas' Funniest Videos

That was on Thursday. When Sunday rolled around, we decided to go ahead and have our weekly family dinner. Dylan had been hankering after my fried chicken for weeks, so that's what we did. This time, Jake and Chris missed out. Jake had to work the evening shift that night, while Chris was engrossed in on-line gaming with his dad, who lives in Mesa. But we sent chicken home for both of them.

Mom and Sarah wait for the chicken to fry.

I have a pretty great life. Sure, there are always stressful events along with the overall craziness of life, but I have my home, my health, and a comfortable retirement. It isn't perfect, but it holds all the elements for happiness. Above all, I have my family. Every other blessing would seem hollow without loved ones to fill our lives up with purpose and love. And for that, I am very grateful!

Mom and Dylan still waiting for the chicken to fry.

Oh...and yes, I did leave all the dirty dishes for Sarah and Chris to clean up at the end of our Fifth of July Independence Day barbecue. But it's all good. They have a dishwasher!

Dylan did most of the prep work on the chicken, with an assist from Sarah.

Dinner is served!