Just make sure they put a dropcloth ...

Unfortunately, I could not find a video of  the "Schticks and Stones" medley by the great Allan Sherman from which I borrowed the title. The lyrics went:

Oh when the paint'ners
Go marching in
Oh when the paint'ners
Go marching in
Just make sure they put a dropcloth
When the paint'ners go marching in

We did, however, hire a painter for the outside of the house.

Cousin Danny, with whom I burned many a toy soldier, is signed up to paint.

To get your Allan Sherman fix, here is one video of his:

2 cool 2 B 4-gotten

Miked built a wall in the 105-degree attic, so he could put an electric box on it.

Emily and Miked carted wood for burning in our fireplace to a boxes Miked made in the basement and the garage.

And me? I got in a squirt gun fight with my niece and she got my shirt all wet. It is pretty obvious who had the tough job, isn't it?

Team D finished priming all the floor panels for the porch, but the workers haven't started working on that yet. This week they finished the beadboard on the front porch. This is what a website says about beadboarding a porch ceiling:

Paneling the underside of your porch roof with wood is strictly an aesthetic endeavor, of course. But with a little know-how and a lot of patience, it's a way to add a touch of tradition and charm ...

I am all about tradition and charm so I like it, even if I do wish I could call it B Board because I think that sounds better.

The workers also put flagstone toppers on all the pillars on the porches and ramp. There has been some discussion about the best look for the pillars. The flagstones are a nice touch. Little Team D, here, did not help with things. They jusst make for amusing pictures. After we took this photo, they amused themselves by climbing over the erosion fence.

The grading company also had to come back thwart one of my goals for the weekend. I just wanted to go out into the yard and I figured I could because it was pretty solid ground with grass. But then the grader cut up the land again. Son of a ... Wait, sorry, this is not the blog where I can curse. You also can see that the neighbors are building a deck. Our house will still be so much cooler.

Speaking of the grass, it is growing well. I think it will need cutting soon. I should totally be allowed to do it, too.

Forget the workers; I am totally ready for my hard hat

I didn't get booted off the blog yet! Or if I did, Emily and Miked are just too tired to revoke my privileges.

They might be a little tuckered out because they have spent all their free time the last few days priming the tongue and groove flooring for the back porch. Miked was working at his day job when this picture was taken, but he was out there when I walked by with Claren a few hours later.

And aren't I way construction-y with the lingo?

I know more, too. The builders are putting up "B board" on the front porch, covering up the rafters. It is like pre-ceiling, I think.

Interestingly enough, I know tongue 'N' groove because it is what you call it when your bassist picks out the rhythm with tongue. Get it?

I think they are about half done or so. There are 75 pieces, I believe, 75 tongues sound gross.

I did offer to help, just to be clear, but Miked recognized that my talents are better used elsewhere ... like where I can't mess anything up.

We are also getting some bids on painting.

Our true colors are shining through

Turns out the Amish don't work their house-building magic for anyone. I swear they are no better than those "shiftless mennonites." This leaves us mostly with Miked and assorted helpers. This, of course, is pretty good.

He has been doing a lot of stuff, but it is stuff like wiring and pipes that do not really make for exciting photos. One of the city inspectors did say how good the wiring looked and the assistant architect did ask Emily where he got his contracting experience. But it isn't pretty stuff. I left him just minutes ago shoveling gravel into a wheelbarrow to spread under the porches, which I could have photographed but I didn't have my camera. So YEAH MIKED!

Since the last post, the siding is all done, I think. The leftover siding got taken away so I hope they are done. The metal roofs are all up. They look quite cool, take my word for it because I did not take a photo. We are, I believe, waiting for the porch flooring to be delivered so workers can finish the porches.

We are also getting bids on the painting. Here are the two reds and two browns under consideration. I don't know why my freaking camera took blurry pictures, but you can see the colors. You can also see the grass, which got planted on Memorial Day weekend.

After all that, the inside will remain. It'll be like journey to the center of the earth or maybe the Heart of Darkness, when the guy heads inside Africa to find Kurtz and wonders whether he is a madman or a genius. Miked: Madman or genius?

Find the answer to that and other questions, such as "Will Matt get booted from just the blog or the house altogether," next time.