Construction Everywhere

We are doomed. We are surrounded. Forget about finding parking. It’s bad on an average day and is even worse when the whole neighborhood is under construction. It’s a never ending nightmare that never goes away. Once the equipment, noise, and aggravation ends, it starts all over again. Not only is the street behind us and down the block being ripped up - again - the building across the street is having some major rework done. The equipment alone blocks up sorely needed street parking spaces. Aside from those projects that have nothing to do with us, there is now an extensive water mediation French drain renovation surrounding our building. Every morning I am awakened by tapping and drilling and feeling like we live in a fishbowl because the workers are right in our windows. Access to the courtyard is limited, our patio is destroyed, and it’s taking a very long time. Hopefully it will accomplish what is necessary to maintain and protect our 1890’s building. This is one time being retired and living at home during the day can test your patience. We could leave the neighborhood for errands, but we will never find a place to park on our return. We won’t have a choice sooner or later. I will never get used to it even after living here twelve years. 

French Drain

I wish I had taken more recent photos of our patio and garden. We didn’t tend to the garden as much this year because we knew there were plans to put in a French drain along the foundation of our 1890’s building. And that would include ripping up our patio and digging a trench three feet from the house and at least that much deep. That means several plants and small trees and vines would be lost. We have been through all of this before. When we moved to DC twelve years ago, another project like this was done soon after - and we had just had the garden professionally landscaped. I’m not sure exactly what the difference between this mess is from the last one except sump pumps are going in. The foundation of the building needs shoring up and tuck pointing. For most people who live in the building it may be a minor inconvenience. But we are in the middle of it for eight to ten weeks. And when they are done with the backside of the building, they will be doing the side and front as well. So our apartment on the front side will lose all the privacy bushes and we are in for a lot of noise from 7AM to whenever every day during the week. All I care is that it doesn’t rain so the work can get done as soon as possible. These old buildings are really charming, but they are a major maintenance headache - especially if you live on the first floor.