I’ve done a weeks worth now. I seem to be getting by on 5-6 hours sleep. That is one very cool thing about being fit from racing bikes. You can work at an accelerated pace for quite sometime.

It is strange getting up at 5 for such a long duration. Driving in the dark with the moon up and being at Lowes at 6am. I then stop at Starbucks for a Venti coffee. I see the same people there everyday. And they are buying nearly the same stuff everyday. I would hate being in such a routine. I am in such a routine, but not forever for sure. This “project” is like Groundhog’s Day. It never seems to progress. Everyday I find something new that I wasn’t expecting to do that takes another day. There is no way there is going to be a roof on this structure before it is predicted to rain next Monday. So, I bought enough roofing felt to cover the whole thing and make it pretty water tight. It was a few hundred dollars, but it is good insurance. So, three more days of nearly 70 degrees and then, I don’t know.

There is a Cyclo-X in Topeka at Heartland Park at night. I’m going to go and watch, but I haven’t ridden forever it seems. I thought my hamstrings needed a break, but I cramped in bed at 3 am this morning, so I thing that this time off the bike isn’t quite the rest they were hoping for. Okay. I should get going if I want to keep up the schedule.

I was going to haul my espresso machine down, but had this instant espresso from Europe. It is pretty much the only way to get through the day. I am drinking enormous amounts of coffee.

Yesterday was my record, lifetime at that, for working for one day. Over 20 hours straight. It might have been 21, but is anyone really counting? It was supposed to rain today so we worked well into the night, last night. Into the night enough that I had to have a little chat with the local police about the project. He was pretty cool about the whole thing. I explained that there was 5000 square feet of exposed roof and there was almost nothing he could say or threaten me with to make me stop making noise. It’s not like it’s in the middle of a residential area or anything.

Anyway, around 3 am, I decided that I wasn’t being too effective, so I decided to wait until sunrise. So, today started once again at 6 am door opening at Lowes. Things were going great. The rain didn’t look like it was coming. Everything that needed to be done was getting done. And then we had a huge weather change. Within a half hour, some crazy unpredicted thunderstorm came. We had started putting felt down, but weren’t very far along. Normally it would of taken less than an hour. But, it started raining. And, it rained and rained. There were 6 of us and we weren’t getting anywhere. There was lightening. It was virtually dark. I lost at least 5 utility knives. I even lost my hammer for 10 minutes of so. I resorted to using a stapler, but it also broke ( I dropped it 30 feet onto concrete). The weather got worse (could it?) and eventually turned into a complete deluge. It was like the scene in Forest Gump where Lt. Dan was up on the mast of the shrimping boat challenging the Lord. But, more rain.

Pretty soon, I was the last man standing. Everyone else froze. So, we finally called uncle. It is pretty water tight. Tight enough that I am not going there again tonight. I’m ready for the insulation and rubber membrane. I need a break. I’ve put something over 200 hours into the roof in last two weeks. I haven’t gotten sick yet, but my regular life is a wreck. More than a wreck. I don’t think a day will fix that, but maybe it will give me a chance to step back and access the project with a fresh mind. And body. Might ride my bike awhile tomorrow. That would be the best thing I could do for myself.

Before photo.

Current look. New walls, bare decking etc. Before the deluge.