Driveway Abduction

I remember a little over a year ago waxing philosophic as I watched my new driveway being installed. I wondered how many years it would be until someone saw the underlayment as the asphalt was laid over it. I figured it had to be at least twenty years and that I wouldn’t be the one watching it unveiled. Those thoughts were soundly dashed yesterday as I walked outside in the morning to find a nice young man cutting through my year old driveway with a diamond saw.

The Unkindest Cut

And Then it Was Gone

I knew the city was planning on re-doing the street but I was truly mystified why this cut was being made, a full third up my driveway, well onto my property. I wandered outside and asked him “WTF!” in much nicer fashion. He explained that the entire sidewalk and this far onto the driveways was being done as part of the project. He promised a “good job” would be done in replacing it. It’s not that I don’t trust our city government and their lowest bid contractor but I know the driveway was installed a little thicker because of the clay underlayment on the top of this hill and I’m envisioning the city replacement not lasting nearly as long. It’s not as if I could do anything about it, I’m not one of those guys.

My Truncated Driveway

Sidewalk is Gone

I was impressed with the machinery being used. The entire sidewalk in front of my house as well as the grass border and my driveway were removed in less than fifteen minutes. I was secretly trying to figure out a way to hijack the excavator for ten minutes. I have a project planned for the back yard that will involve a solid two days of digging with a shovel and I know this machine could do it in less than two minutes. I figured they wouldn’t be up for a sub-contracting offer as they made their way down the street.  Now I’m left to wonder how long it will be before they get around to repairing all the damage done.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn