The stucco job is complete and looks great. It's called cat's paw and was applied entirely by hand. About 8 people were working at any given time applying a total of three coats to the house. The look is very Spanish and we are pleased with both the cat's paw look and the bright white color.

Our floors have now been scraped and sanded and a coat of sticky goo has been applied which will provide moisture vapor barrier protection. Ken and Jerry applied the goo with trowels and killed their backs and their hands. Blisters erupted all over the hands, backs were aching from bending at the waist to do it and both of them have goo stuck on their skin - knees and hands. It wasn't an easy job. I worked just ahead of them cleaning the floors with brooms and a string mop. We had a long day on Saturday.

Today, I spread straw out under the eaves, under the drip line so that if we have rain, splashes don't bounce up and stain the stucco. I also applied the moisture protective paint to the unprotected fascia around the roof, on the deck and on spots round the house. We called a number of people to come out and give us landscaping bids and contacted the iron men to come and
and adjust our Bali railings so we can install them on the deck and on the stairs.

We decided to go ahead and use the "faux slate" tiles instead of the real thing. The faux slate does not require sealing, doesn't lake and cause other problems. The look is close to slate - in fact, I had to tell the tile man that it was porcelain..he thought it was slate.

Tomorrow will be busy with roof guys, painters and we are having the grove picked - a size pick which will keep Richard busy all day. I'll be handlin the construction stuff - Ken will be laying down more goo and working on the remainder of the finish carpentry...the base boards and trim.

JORGE LIVES

Our tiler is alive! We hired a young man to do the tilework and he turned out to be wonderful. Creative, a hard worker and a genuinely nice man. Last Thursday he was supposed to show up for work and didn't. His wife called on Saturday to ask if we had seen him and we were shocked to hear he was missing. Today we were relieved to find out that he had been arrested because of having an illegal in his car. That would be his assistant.

Many of the construction workers were/are illegals and we haven't been checking them. I think I have sympathy because of having been an alien myself, albeit a legal one. I sympathize with their eagerness to work hard and make a living. I have yet to meet an immigrant that wasn't interested in the freedom to work hard and succeed. Jorge - the tile man - included. All they really want is a chance and when I think of the attitudes of most of the young people in this country, who all want to be rock stars and fashion models and who are encouraged to follow this dream - I'd put my money on the illegals to be the ones who make the wheels turn, the crops grow and to build the future. From their children will come the great new ideas! Not from the dopes worrying about their eighty dollar haircuts, fancy cars and European spring breaks - all provided to them by stupid or unwitting parents too undisciplined themselves to take the time to teach their kids about work.

Maybe Jorge will be able to continue on the job after all.