KAHTHUNK

Flirtatious: Nice hard hat!

Real Mood? Cautiously relieved.

Prediction? At least ten 100 year storms will take place before the 100 years are up.

 

So I guess it serves me right for feigning angst about the idiosyncrocies of  housing development. We wake up this morning to something that onamatopeacally goes KAHTHUNK. First thought?

"Maybe it's one of the new trash companies that do their pickups on every day but our day? Go see!"

That was Peggy talking to me in case you were wondering. Had I said, "Go see!"  I don't even want to think about it.

So I make sure there arn't any holes in my underwear and spread the blinds just far enough to see the road in both directions. Nope!

"No trash trucks."

We've been known to simultaneously hear things, if you know what I mean. So I'm ready to go get some coffee when all of a sudden, " KATHUNK, KATHUNK, KATHUNK."  You can imagine one KATHUNK, but not three. So even before the orders are issued, I slip on some shorts and my moth altered tee shirt, and head out front.

"What's that orange thing out there," I hear Peggy shout.

The orange thing was a four pointed sign with a black striped outline. Inside the outline read, "ROAD WORK AHEAD."

Oh my, here it comes.  I run to the backyard deck and see the generator of the KATHUNK.  It's a pretty good sized front loader banging it's bucket on a short strip of concrete two doors down.

"Are you going to put that road in now just because I poked fun at a few county commissioners and developers? I mean look guys I made fun of all of us. This is not fair. Just let me warn you guys. One of  my neighbors is a patent attorney!"

Well, I had to go to class and when I returned the front loader had been doing some breeding. There were two dump trucks, a cement truck, another front loader, piles of rock and sand and one very official looking guy in a different colored hard hat. They have their own heraldry, you know?  I grabbed my trusty camera and decided to get to the bottom of this. I started shooting like crazy at about 800 speed. I aimed right at the job boss, and he responded like every other job boss I ever harrassed as a reporter.

"You don't want to take any pictures of this," he says.

So many people have cameras any more that most bosses are smart enough to not say, "you CAN'T take any pictures of this!"

 Sure you can as long as you're not trespassing. You would be amazed at what these new cameras on helicopters can focus on from up to a mile away.  Let me say, " just when you think its safe to scratch or pick your nose? Look up and think again."

Anyway, this guy is trying the cheery, friendly approach. He really did turn friendly when he found out I live here. He even sketchily tells me what they are doing. He shows a whole other facial expression when I later casually mention I'm a retired reporter.

As it turns out this project has very little to do with the road they're putting in our backyard. These guys are here to finish a drainage system that was supposed to have been finished thirteen years ago. It didn't get done when one developer sold to another developer. The new developer saw no rush to complete the system, or to inform any residents they were in no hurry. So last year 80 percent of the basements along a two block area became swimming pools following a rare deluge. That's why someone is back this year doing the fix. I say someone because the friendly job boss would only say he was a sub-contractor for the county. Too many developers have come and gone to lock in the blame I'm guessing.

 It's really not clear to me why the county is being so magnanimous. Maybe that patent attorney got to them.

Anyhoo, these KATHUNKS are pretty much a good thing. I say pretty much because these drainage systems are designed for 100 year storms. Since we had one last year, we're looking at the new century before we see another one.  I'm not going to be here a hundred years from now, and the house will likely be bulldozed by then to make way for a light rail line spur. But I suppose I should be happy they're doing something. 

But don't expect me to be happy when they break ground for  that road, and KATHUNK  is joined by RUMBLE BUMBLE, and CHOMP, CHOMP and TATATATATA and KABLUEY and BLAM and STOP THAT NOISE OUT THERE. THIS IS AMERICA.  You might have recognized Peggy's voice on that last one.