Did We Survive Hurricane Katrina or Not?

7:00 am: We are all alone. No people. Just us.
7:27 am: Phone rings. Dean wants to let us know he didn't pick up the tile yesterday.
Now has to wait for store to open...
8:27 am: I wonder when the tile store opens?
8:33 am: Called Dean to find out if we should go get tile. Said he's loading it right now. Remaining skeptical.
9:15 am: Maybe we ordered more tile than we thought... But then again he didn't technically say he was actually coming here after loading the tile - just that he was loading the tile.
9:27 am: There is activity. A van. A knock at the door. Mumbling outside in the garage.
9:30 am: Still no people inside and the mumbling has stopped.. but we have also noticed a truck with a trailer parked in front of a neighbor's house and we have reason to believe that it is somehow involved.
9:32 am: There is a stack of something that could be tile in the back of one of the trucks. I'm not sure if it's the tile I picked - or if I would even recognize the tile I picked at this point. If it's not -- I'll change the wall color and move on.
9:37 am: The first question is asked: How wide do I want the grout? I don't know. I just want grout. I fear this question. I can see it coming - if I answer incorrectly - then this tile man will tell us we didn't purchase enough grout mix. He will make a 'run' to the store and we will never see him again. I'm onto you, mister!
9:51 am: The word is that someone named something like "Clint" has 'run' to Lowe's for spacers and probably trowels and things that I used to believe professional floor installers should have with them when they come to do a job. When "Clint" (We'll call him "Clint" even if that isn't his real name...) returns they're gonna get started...
10:14 am: "Clint" has returned. We saw the truck. No one is here with us inside the house now. They are outside planning something... Oh! Now someone has come in.. Wait.. A cell phone is ringing - they're back out.
10:18 am: They have begun chipping away at the remaining old thinset with hammers and snazzy chisel-like things. I'm feeling deja vu. Didn't Dave and I discover that this method was horribly inefficient several months ago?

"Clint" chips.

10:41 am: "Clint" (I have discovered that his name is not actually "Clint" at all...) had disappeared for a while but reappeared with a nice and noisy power tool to assist in the removal of thinset.
10:57 am: My lips are dry and I have sneezed 30 times in the last five minutes.
11:07 am: The sounds of the power tool have stopped. There is talking. Must investigate.
11:29 am: They are concerned about cracks in the slab. I heard something about linoleum and glue. In the meantime, "Clint" and Dave have unloaded the tile into the garage.

The tile.

11:43 am: After a quick call to someone on the cell phone, "Clint" has made a 'run' to the store for linoleum and glue. He sadly informed us that he doesn't think they're gonna get done today. (!!!) The other guy (who remains nameless to me... perhaps I should name him? I'll call him "Jack") is still making lots of noise with the power-hammer-thing-a-ma-bob.
12:45 pm: Dean arrives. He says we shouldn't expect to see any more work done until 'possibly' Tuesday.
1:36 pm: The first tile is in place.

2:31 pm: More tile.

"Jack" tiles.

3:00 pm: "Jack" is alone now.
4:15 pm: "Jack" is gone now.

The floor so far.

So it's over. The weekend is here and nothing more will happen until Tuesday at the earliest. With Thanksgiving coming up next week - the chances are high that if Tuesday doesn't happen we won't be waiting around for workers til around November 27th.

And so it will be until at least Tuesday.