|
 |
My last day on the job was spent like the previous two: scraping, peeling, sanding, caulking, climbing, and painting the exterior of The RE Store in preparation for Saturday's MURAL UNVEILING. I wasn't alone. There were eleven of us there today--Mike, Jeremy, Joel, Marty, Caley, Courtenay, me, Taylor, Sebastian, John, Noel--everybody working at their things, some times together, other times individually, everyone busy in waves. After one impermeable layer and two coats of mineral spirits-soluble varnish, the mural was ready to be hung on the heavy duty substructure designed to support 8 sheets of MDO through rain, wind, and earthquake (or nine RE Store employees climbing on it). As the first panel was being hung, it started to rain really hard, big cold drops left over from winter. By the time the eighth was screwed into place from atop a pulled-to box truck, the sun was brilliant in the sky and we stood admiring the mural for a while before hoisting up the tarp which will cover it until Saturday. It was a nice note on which to leave for sabbatical. We drank beers in the parking lot after work (except for John who is two and a half days into a 10-day cleansing fast). After a while everyone but Noel and Marty left. We lounged on a recently arrived living room set in the showroom (the brown leather couch to which Noel and Lynn had just bought). Oscar (a she), the more aloof of the two store cats, came and sat in my lap for the first time ever. I think it was her way of saying goodbye. Cats sense these things. She fell asleep in my lap. Everyone else left. I petted her. She purred. But I was late for meeting Sarah so I finally had to move her off my lap. I hate to do that. (One of our house rules is if a cat is sitting on you, you can't move and others must serve you.) Wherever I go, I have trouble leaving. I kind of force myself to, and in the end I'm glad I do.... |
|
