It's easy to say the end of an era occurred on the morning of September 11, 2001.

This morning I was chatting with a coworker by one of the few bank of windows that overlook the outdoors and the sun cast an odd light inside. There, coming along the aisle was L, a fellow coworker "

In the last month, I've been full metal to the petal on fixing up my house. I need to have this house ready to sell. This last Saturday was no exception, but very frustrating.

I got a BIPC coworker to help with the kitchen. He comes highly recommended for doing handiwork on the side and he gave me a great price; such a great price I could be skeptical ($200) - to install cabinets, all new plumbing and move the electric. He's also installing the beadboard on one wall.

Last week he gave me a list of materials that I would purchase at the local hardware store (not the Big Box chains) at their annual Customer Appreciation Day Sale (20% off all purchases).

Trouble is, when he showed up, he took a look: "Oh dear, I think I gave you the wrong size" on all the plumbing. So, back to the store went he -- and no discounts on the new purchases.

An hour later, when he had returned, and was beginning to cut into the old vent pipe, first: the metal saw on his jigsaw broke - left for another 45 minutes while he purchased that - and second: gone for three hours when the second saw broke and he decided he had forgotten his sawsall.

Meanwhile, Hugshyhermit has moved all his furniture to the center of the Dining and Living rooms in order to install quarter-round toe molds. Hugshyhermit has enlisted his soon-to-be-ex tenant from next door, who is helping pick up the pieces of his brothers' utility bills that arrived in Hugshyhermit's name.

Tenant: I love my brother, but do you know? L has moved in with him again; they're at his Dad's. He's fucking up his life big time.

Hugshyhermit: Hm. Well. (To self: Thank God he's out of my house.)

Tenant: And now he stiffed you with the light bill! With the way he's been acting the last month and a half, we all think it's drugs.

Hugshyhermit: Hm. Well.(To self:*whew* Not My Problem!)

Installing toe-boards are not difficult. You measure (and measure twice!), then cut using a mitre saw and install them with finishing nails. I've never done this before, but even mistakes can be covered up by mitre-ing a new joint, and once you get into the swing of it, the learning curve for eliminating mistakes is quick. The tenant helps me with the longer lengths of wallspaces, holding the ends while I cut and nail; I will finish the smaller lengths myself later. The tenant tells me about his bad knee and his depression over having to move with his Dad to Florida (which is happening next week, apparently). But the topic continually wraps back to his ne'er-do-well bro.

Tenant: And here I thought I was the one who was messed up.

Hugshyhermit: It's said that folks keep repeating their mistakes, and honestly when I hear about relationships like J & L I'm relieved to be single.

Tenant: Oh man, do you know how long it's been since I had a date?

Hugshyhermit: Like I always seemed to attract the drug and alcohol crowd.

Tenant: Hey I'm not perfect either, I like my beer...

Hugshyhermit: Oh, me too, believe you me. But if I have a problem I'm just fine with keeping it to myself.

Tenant: That's the way to be, huh? I hear ya.

My coworker appears in the door. "Hey, how's it going in there?"

My coworker pauses, "Well it was going just fine until that last joint - and I thought I had another part, but I don't."