Jack - Something I have Never Done Before

Once again my internet is taking hours for uploads. I can download ok but upload is non existent most of the time. I think spyware will cause problems that way.... I will be calling my internet company. I just did an online test and my upload speed is. . . . Wait for it. . . ..75 mbps. Not even that good I am afraid...

I did something today that I have never done before. Meet my my new friend "Jack." "Jack Hammer." 

I shared with you in a post the other day that I am getting a new house across the street. While they were pouring the cement, my neighbor across the street decided to get a new sidewalk poured. So, today, a backhoe was digging out her sidewalk. I walked over and asked the man for an estimate on my sidewalk that has had a crack in it for a few years since my main water valve went and flooded that area and sank part of the sidewalk.  
 
My neighbor has fallen twice on that lip. Once she broke her hand as the snow hid the crack and the other time, was during Princess one's wedding open house. See that post here. 

After her first fall, I told the city about the problem and they did nothing. I got estimates on fixing it but even with trying to get my neighbors to fix theirs to get a group discount it was out of my reach. After she fell the second time, I called the city asking for them to at least shave the lip of the crack. I had two others come look at it as well. Nothing came of it. 

So, I asked the cement man to come over and tell me how much he would charge to fix that one square in my sidewalk. He said he would have to charge for the cement removal and I asked him if I got rid of the cement in all my garbage cans, how much he would charge. He said a little for labor as he had rented the Jack hammer until tomorrow. I asked him if he thought I could use the Jack Hammer to break it up myself and remove the old cement myself so that he would only have to pour the cement. He told me he thought I could do that. 

He told me that the hardest part was to just get the hammer standing upright and getting it started. To be safe, I put on close toed shoes and still managed to somehow bruise a few toes and I also put on glasses which turned out to save my eyes on more than one occasion. It was fun just to try something new. At my age, there aren't a lot of things I haven't tried other than some extreme things so it was good for me.

My back did hurt near the end as when the hammer gets through and then would sink into the dirt beneath, you would have to keep it running and pull it all the way out wiggling it as you pull it out to release it from the block of cement. I was very grateful to see that last piece break up. I did have to go at it a few more times to release some of the pieces as it was like a puzzle and you had to remove one piece to get to another. 

I will have to put a piece or two of cement into my garbage cans for the next month or so to get all the cement out. I had no idea it was so thick. He did say my sidewalk was a bit thicker than that across the street. He also shared how I can patch my curb near my driveway that has had a chunk out since we moved in and there is another square that has a corner chipping off. I will try and smooth that out and patch that smooth as well.

I was very grateful for the blessing of getting my sidewalk fixed for free and only having to do a few hours work to get it ready. I didn't get one thing on my "to do" list done today but I did get several things off of the "bigger" list of things I wanted to do. 

I scheduled my families Summer camp out which has been forfeited for the past year or two. We decided to try a new spot and I look forward to that. I got the reservations made and got all the emails out for that as well.

I finished up tonight by digging out the grass at the edges for the cement frame to go in. They came over just after dark to put the frames in so they can pour tomorrow. They said they would pour and smooth it for me all for FREE!

What a wonderful blessing. Right after that I ran to the store to pick up a few things we needed and guess what I found on the way out.... Yes, a penny. That is the third this week. I know that God has been watching over me and had me ask the cement guy just at the right time when he was through with the Jack Hammer and the day before he would be pouring sidewalk and would have enough extra to help me out. 

When I look at the past 11 years of my life and all the miracles and blessings that come into my life in the weirdest of ways, I can't help but know that my Heavenly Father must have extra angels out in my behalf.