Another Slightly Post "BEFORE," but not quite "DURING" shot

Slightly post "BEFORE," but not quite "DURING" shot

If you compare these shots, you can see that some minor cleaning and clearing out of the house has taken place. No real work has started yet, though, as the work permits have not yet been granted.

Bob the Homeless Man Gets Rid of the Fleas and Saves the Day

I have heard tales of Bob, the semi-homeless Polish man since I was a kid. Bob, forever unable to stop drinking, was an extremely hard worker when sober. He worked for lots of workshops and factories on 3rd Avenue in Gowanas, Brooklyn, including my father’s ironworks on occasion. He couldn’t stay stober long enough to keep a job, though, and was always sleeping somewhere in the open, like Prospect Park, or an underpass near the Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge. Tales of his fights, accidents, and home remedies which often involved duct tape and alcohol, were common at our dinner table. “I saw Bob by the pier in Bay Ridge” my father would often say, “But he was so drunk I didn’t stop.” My favorite story was the one of Bob backing up a truck off a pier and into the Gowanus Canal, long before the canal had been designated a superfund site and started to be cleaned, when the canal was thought to be deadly to go in even for a second. Right before the truck started sinking underwater, Bob partly opened a window and, when the truck hit the bottom of the canal, he was able to get out and swim through the black water to the pier. The police wanted to rush him to the hospital, but he called them crazy, cursing at them in Polish, washed himself off with a hose and went back to the park. Bob has worked on everything my father was engaged in, mostly doing demolition, since his cognitive functions have been damaged by the alcohol and my father won’t let him do anything without supervision. But his strength is legendary, even now, when he must be in late middle age. Bob, even today, remains a mythical figure. In another time, stories of him would be turned into famous legends and fables and cautionary tales.

Maybe the gods of the new house sent Bob to help with the fleas. He ripped out every single insect ridden carpet in 50 Duffield Street, bare-chested no less. My father gave him a ventilator to protect him from the fumes of the insecticides, but he threw it to the side. “What this? I no need this! Open window.” He rolled up each carpet, swarming with fleas, and carried it out in a cloud of bugs on one bare shoulder. Bob did this for three days straight. When he was done with the carpets, he started on the old moldings and cabinets, breaking them all down into small pieces, bundling them, and carrying them outside until, finally, 50 Duffield Street was rid of the fleas and a lot else, too.

Bob, my flawed hero, has saved the day!

Revenge of the Pit Bulls

The pit pulls, though now gone, have left behind a huge number of fleas, all lodged in the carpets. When fleas don't have their usual hosts around they settle for what's available to them. In the case of 50 Duffield Street, that means human beings.

Self Modulating Condensing Wallhung Boilers

I've never shopped for boilers before, but find it surprisingly interesting. I am leaning towards three of the Baxi Luna HT 380's. They are highly efficient, provide on demand heat and hot water, and don't emit as much CO2. Plus, you can squeeze them in a closet so they don't take up much space.

http://www.wallhungboilers.com/prod_baxi_condensing_380.html

Turtles in the Bathroom

I found two very hungry turtles in a bathroom at 50 Duffield Street today. After frantically Googling "turtle food," I called the seller's son, who said, "Oops. I forgot to take my turtles." The turtles have now been fed dried shrimp and are with their long lost caretaker. At this point, if I open a closet door and find a sloth hanging, I won't be too alarmed.

RIP Pit Bulls #2 and #3

Sadly, the other two dogs belonging the seller's son were taken to a "kill" shelter yesterday. Perhaps it's for the best. One of the dogs has cancer, and they are both not likely to be adopted. The owner's son can now start his life over, and will have more housing options available to him.

The house renovations can start in earnest now that the people and dogs are gone. We are now 2 1/2 months behind schedule, but I'm relieved a huge legal mess with the seller was narrowly averted, thanks to their vacating the house. Better late than never, I say.