When the guy from Cranesville finally got here and started pouring the concrete, everything went wrong. First, pebbles started coming out, and then overly thick concrete started coming down the chute, which soon got totally stuck at the top of the chute. The Cranesville guy kept hosing water up and into the chute while Charlie used a hoe to try and dig out the concrete. This eventually worked, and the whole time the Cranesville guy was hosing the concrete so what we got was a mix of too dry and too wet. I wasn't impressed with the guy's troubleshooting ability. The next day I checked the concrete and it did have small cracks in it. I am hopeful that when the tree is cable to the loop that it will hold. I think it probably will. Marc Briscoe welded an apparatus with a loop on top to be put in the concrete, which went into the hole that Darren and Jean Jean Dug. To that hook would be attached cable, the other end of which would be put around the trunk of the tree that's crushing my barn studio. The Cranesville kept saying they gave him a crappy truck, and that it wasn't the truck he was used to, and it was making him look like a rookie.]]> Today was Charlie's birthday. He is now 29 years old. I gave Charlie a long list of things to pick up on the way, so here about a half hour later than usual. We were waiting for the man from Cranesville Block Company to come and pour concrete into the hole that Darren and Jean Jean dug. Marc Briscoe welded an apparatus with a loop on top to be put in the concrete. To that hook would be attached cable, the other end of which would be put around the trunk of the tree that's crushing my barn studio. When the guy from Cranesville finally got here and started pouring the concrete, everything went wrong. First, pebbles started coming out, and then overly thick concrete started coming down the chute, which soon got totally stuck at the top of the chute. The Cranesville guy kept hosing water up and into the chute while Charlie used a hoe to try and dig out the concrete. This eventually worked, and the whole time the Cranesville guy was hosing the concrete so what we got was a mix of too dry and too wet. I wasn't impressed with the guy's troubleshooting ability. The next day I checked the concrete and it did have small cracks in it. I am hopeful that when the tree is cable to the loop that it will hold. I think it probably will. When he left Charlie and I had pulled pork sandwiches (see next Charlie Smith entry (September 29th 2017)), after which we went up to help Cathy in her studio a little bit, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon working on the site. The reason Charlie and I work on the site together is because he types much much faster than I do.]]> The two delivery guys brought a washer/dryer that we had ordered from Best Buy. This was the second delivery of the washer/dryer. The first guys were not sent with the piece of equipment needed to stack the appliances. Who's fault that was, it's hard to say, although these guys should have had that piece of equipment because I told about 10 people at Best Buy "don't forget to bring that piece of equipment". This time, I had the guys (different guys from last time) hook up the washing machine and put the dryer in the garage until we could get the installation straightened out. I called Best Buy and intensely whined at them because I was pretty annoyed, and I don't want to go to the laundromat again. They called back the next day and said that the item needed was not in GE's warehouse and needed to be backordered, and won't be here until October 19th, but they won't charge me for it because of the problem.]]> These two guys came to deliver a washer and dryer we had bought at Best Buy (See "Two Authorized Home Delivery Specialists", September 27 2017). For whatever reason, they did not have the piece of equipment necessary to stack the washer/dryer, so I sent them away and didn't let them drop of the appliances.]]> Charlie has come back after being away for 3 weeks. He was working on a project at the Kohler factory for an artist. He got here today after we had left to go to the dentist, so while we were gone he dismantled Catherine's (Murphy) setup for her "Becalmed" painting. After we got back we all had lunch, put away the groceries, worked on a couple of other things, and now we're working on the site.]]> Christina was asking about our crabapple trees because she was trying to find a kind of tree to fill a certain spot in her yard. So, I said she should come over and see ours and have lunch. So she did.]]> Tim and Dana came over to remove our washer and drier because the washing machine broke. We thought (and Tim thought) that he was going to have to remove the whole window frame to get it out. But, it turned out he didn't. The new washer and drier is being delivered this Saturday, the 23rd.]]> When Charlie came over this morning he did his regular routine, plus a few other things. Then, we had lunch, after which Charlie set up for Cathy's (Murphy), painting by the pond. When he was finished with that we got to work on the site, which we are typing on right this minute. Then Ralph (Arlyck) arrived, whom is filming right now (more about that later). And so, Ralph and I are going over to the studio, and Charlie is going to go to another part of this site and work on putting things in chronological order. When the site was split into two sites and reformatted, most of the entries fell out of chronological order.]]> I left the house at 9 for a meeting at school with John Collier and Abby Gunnels about the sorry state of the computers in the computer lab in New Hackensack, at Vassar. The meeting only lasted about 20 minutes, which was a good thing because I got to rush home to get the thumb drive I forgot to bring for my 10 o'clock meeting with Betsy (Bradley)(The new president of the college). Charlie got to our house at 10:15 and did his regular stuff, and then went to work on this site. When I got back to school for my 10 o'clock meeting with Betsy it turned out the meeting was September 18th, not August 18th. I went to Adams Fairacre Farms and when I got home Charlie helped me unpack the car and put everything away. By then it was almost time for lunch. We are now sitting at the computer and working on this site.]]> Darren and Jean Jean possibly were working on the hole to be filled with concrete so that the tree crushing the corner of the barn could be restrained.]]> On his way here I asked Charlie to pick up some Benecol at Adam's (But it was out stock) and paper towels at the supermarket. After he did his regular morning routine, we worked on the site. Periodically when Charlie is not here, I input data on the site (since I've become quite comfortable with the interface), but when Charlie is here I like to do it with him because he types 10 times faster than I do. After lunch, he went back out to get blue painter's tape at Davie's Hardware, cadmium yellow from Catskill Art and Office, and some medicine for Cathy (Catherine Murphy) at CVS.]]> When Charlie got here earlier this morning, I was out having some tests done at the doctor's. The first thing he did was bring one of the cars into Al's Garage to have an oil change because I had not been paying attention and was 2000 miles behind changing the oil. After that he did his regular stuff, and then went back to work on this site, putting images in the right order (which had gotten messed up in the transition from the old site to the new site). At this moment, we are adding more recent photographs to the site.]]> Maria came to clean the house.]]> When Charlie got here this morning, he did his usual first things. Then we got right to doing this. On the 28th and the 25th of July I forgot to take Charlie's photographs, which really annoys me. On both those days, whatever else we did, we worked on the site, getting ready to launch it, which I was able to do on the 1st of August. Today will be divided between working on the site, Charlie painting the bannisters, and possibly setting up for Catherine (Murphy).]]> (See Tim Liefer, August 3rd 2017) Tim came to continue working on the damage done by Alec's air conditioner, and will probably be working on it for weeks.]]> Tim came over to continue work on the windows in my studio and some other stuff. When he went to paint the window, he noticed that the wood had turned green in only about a week. On further investigation, he discovered that Alec's (Levinson, our tenant) air conditioner had been leaking down the wall, possibly for years. Now we have to replace Alec's window, the frame, insulation, some outside siding, and some inside wall, in addition to my window (see Tim Liefer, August 4 2017).]]> Andrew and Trevor came to mow the lawn.]]> Ralph is at the beginning of working on a new documentary. It will be about coming to terms with getting older and mortality (more or less). He came over to scope out the light during Cathy's painting time out by the pond. He'll probably interview Catherine (Murphy) while she's out near the pond. I asked Ralph where he wanted to interview me and he said wherever I want, so I think we'll do it in my studio. He had asked us if he could film us cooking a dinner together, which we thought was not a good idea. Now, his new proposal is that he films us eating together, but since I don't think I can be as witty as Wallace Shawn ("My Dinner with Andre"), I'm not sure I'm keen on that idea either.]]> Darren and Jean Jean continued work on the rock wall in front of the dutch barn. Every day people stop by to admire their work. It came out terrific.]]> Maria came to clean the house]]> Email from Roseman, Harry 5/23/17 To George Rush:nI see that you are going to be in a group show in Kent CT. Are you coming in for the show? It would be great to see you.nnBest,nHarryn----------nEmail from George Rush on 5/25/17 to Roseman, Harry: nHarry!nCathy!nnHi!nnToo long, it has been, and I have been meaning to at least WRITE for months and months. But of course the days sweep by. SO thank you for reaching out!nnI'll not be at the show in Kent---Khara, Elliot, and I will be in Paris for a couple of weeks right then. I'll also be in a show in Brooklyn in June (I'll send you the email announcement that I just received). We're super excited for Paris...it'll be E's first trip abroad and really the first time the three of us will travel together without a family or holiday engagement. Elliot's almost nine now, so he is at an age when we can all enjoy the trip together, and he is getting excited and doing research, reading about the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and talking everyday about pain au chocolat. nnWe will be going to Vermont at some point this summer, and I always imagine coming down to see you on our way home, and if it is at all feasible would love to do that. I'll let you know dates and stuff, and if it makes sense for you and us maybe that could finally happen.nnI think of you both often, and I've been meaning to tell you, Cathy, that I had the OSU library acquire a copy of your monograph when I earned tenure -- as a gesture of the accomplishment we are asked to name a book for acquisition. nnLife here has been swell. I made a show in Cincinnati last year (see attached images) and am working steadily in the studio. I've been chair of grad studies for the department for the past two years and enjoy that a lot, and teaching classes is good if at times a chore. I'll be on sabbatical spring of 2018, and really looking forward to it. Not exactly sure what I'll be doing---I'm applying to a couple of residencies but most likely I'll just work in the studio and try to come to New York a bunch. nnKhara is well, working at a small interior design firm and enjoying the work. She has been elected to a neighborhood advisory commission so is starting work on that---they advise on local matters such as zoning and development. It's just starting so we're still unsure what it'll entail (I'm more nervous than she is, being part of a faculty and knowing how crazy and petty people can get about some things). Elliot is finishing 3rd grade and is super fun and full of personality. Attached, too, is a pic of him in the woods near our house.nnI really hope to see you sometime soon! nnWith much love,nGn----------nEmail from Roseman, Harry on 6/20/17 to George Rush: n Dear George,nnCatherine reminded me we are going to a party in the early evening on Saturday, which means she will not get to work on the sunny afternoon painting anyway.nnWhy don't you get here at 12noon, then you won't have to hurry getting ready and you can have lunch here.nnHow does that sound?nnAlso, send me your phone #.nnLook forward to seeing you.nn----------nGeorge and Elliot and Khara got here around 11:20 AM. We looked at work and then ate lunch. I made my favorite shrimp salad from the Barefoot Contessa, which I think I may make every time someone comes for lunch, and Catherine made a watermelon salad.]]> On his way here, Charlie stopped by his studio to get supplies to fix a broken chair, and also picked up a quart of milk. When he got here, we discussed his schedule for the next week and I left to do some errands while Charlie glued the chair. When I got back, we all had lunch. Charlie had chicken salad which I had made yesterday, I had leftover Chili, and Cathy (Murphy) had a bologna sandwich. While Cathy was waiting to see which was the weather was going to go (so she'd know what painting to work on), I made Ina Gardner's shrimp salad (witch Charlie's assistance) for George Rush and his family, who are stopping by on their way tomorrow from Vermont to somewhere. Cathy went up back to paint (on the stack of books painting) and Charlie and I got to work on All of Us.]]> Darren called Tuesday night to tell us he had Wednesday off from Vassar, and to ask if we wanted them to come and work on the garden. The last few times they've come, they've been working on the stone wall, and so the garden was falling behind so we said sure. Cathy (Murphy) also worked in the garden for about an hour and a half.]]> I was going to call Andrew Tuesday morning because the grass was getting a bit long, but they they showed up.]]> Charlie and I went to a meeting with Joanna D'Pasqualle and Amy Laughlin. We met at Vassar (as we have been doing steadily for the past year+) to work on the sites. It looks like it's going to possible to launch the sites at the end of this month. I don't know why, but I haven't been photographing the meetings regularly.]]> I think this is the day Antoine (sometimes Bobby, sometimes Robert) came over because I had to leave the house and Catherine (Murphy) needed someone to help move the canvas when necessary for the "Pink Float" painting. He also got a wheelbarrow full of stones (from the woods) for Darren and Jean Jean (Pulver) to use in the rock wall they were building.]]> On his way here this morning Charlie picked up a quart of milk. While he did his regular morning routine and covered my plywood sculptures with plastic, I drew. After, he brought Cathy's painting (Pink Float) down from the coop studio to my unheated studio, where it stays while it's being worked on. Back in the house, Charlie fixed the computer (which wasn't working right) and now we're working on what you see before you. We are now going to stop for lunch, then continue on the site afterwards.]]> Jayne had arranged to come up to visit and discuss with Catherine (Murphy) the ins and outs of Catherine's upcoming show at Peter Freeman Gallery. The exhibition (at this point) is schedule to open January 11th, but there is a problem. The William Louis Dreyfus Foundation has promised "Float" to an exhibition that will be in Europe through the end of May. Peter Freeman has been in touch with Mary Anne about substituting "Float" for a different painting for the exhibition, but was turned down. Catherine is writing a letter to Mary Anne explaining the importance of having that painting for the show in January. Jayne arrived a little after 10 AM so that we could have breakfast and plenty of time to visit in case it was going to be sunny, in which case Catherine would go work on "Pink Float". The day was overcast and rainy, so that turned out not to be a problem. Catherine made blueberry muffins and fried tomatoes, and I made scrambled eggs with cheese and chives for our breakfast. Then, Catherine and Jayne went up to Catherine's studio, and I cleaned up after breakfast and drew for a few hours. When Jayne and Catherine came back down, I took Jayne in to the re-done Dutch Barn and my work in it, which she had not seen before. Then, Jayne and I went to my other studio. Back at the house, Catherine and Jayne talked some more about the show, and then Jayne left to go back to the city.]]> This was Maria's first day working for us. It went perfectly fine. Elizabeth Orlowski, who was our former cleaning person, has decided to move back to Poland in the near future. She recommended Maria to us.]]> Darren and Jean Jean continued work on the stone wall in front of the Dutch barn.]]> Ben came up from Jersey City in order to go with us to T Space space the next day. (See July 8, 2017, Groups: Friends and Acquaintances)]]> Maria came to clean the house]]> I had a lot of small things for Charlie to do when he got here. So, I left a bunch of clues on the kitchen table (see upper left of photo). L-R Crumpled paper towel - for dumping the trash and bringing the barrels up. Bag of coffee - for brewing coffee. Plastic containers - for organizing the plastic containers and emptying the diswasher. Bay Leaf - for moving the bay leaf plant back where it belongs, and rolling up the hose near the bay leaf plant. Empty can with water in it - for the dehumidifier down in the basement. A piece of charcoal - for putting away the barbecue and the bag of charcoal. When that was all done, Charlie set up for working on the site, which we are now doing.]]> Elisabeth came to deliver some blueberries from her and Ralph's garden]]> Darren and Jean Jean spent most of the day working on the rock wall in front of the Dutch barn. They worked a long day and got about 40% of the wall done. It looks terrific. At the end of the day, Darren followed up the tree help regimen we started last week, and added the fertilizer to the three trees we are treating.]]> See entry for Maria Sleboda-Lojek, July 11, 2017.]]>