The lull before the storm

I'm sitting in my office listening to the birds singing in the courtyard. Suddenly I realize that all is quiet in Parish hall. How can this be? Where is the ever-present scream of skil saws and rythmic drumbeat of hammers? I scamper into the hall and find no workers except a lone electrician, patiently disconnecting one outlet after another. My anxiety elevates. "What's gone wrong?" I wonder. Where's Glen, our construction superintendant? I reach for my cell phone. I'm about to hit speed-dial #4 when I notice it's 4:15pm. The workers are done for the day. I relax.

Serious construction activity is about to explode here. The stage is set. The porta-potty sits in the courtyard. Several empty pallets rest on the Jefferson lawn waiting to be stacked with the bricks we plan to re-use in our new courtyard. The stage is stacked with hardwood flooring waiting to be re-installed. The architects, contractors and engineers have been huddling over exposed floor joists, rough-in plumbing and hapazardly labeled electrical sub-panels. Plastic sheeting contains the dust of areas being stripped of their plaster. In one week's time everything is going to look very different here.

It's actually happening. So relax, Ken. Relax.