Houston, We Have the Glass

Because of all the delays back in January when I was being strung along by the Dematerializing Glass Installer, I'd been told to expect my glass to be delivered in November. There's an eight month lagtime between laying down your first deposit until the glass finally ships. Whew. That'll cool your jets. And then, out of nowhere, I got a call in July telling me the glass would be shipping at the end of August. Holy cow. Now that changes things! Hence my mad scramble to firm up the mason. You see, my part in all this was having a concrete foundation with monolithic footers poured, and having the supporting walls done before the glass got here, or Florian Glass simply would refuse to deliver the glass. They have no place to store it and everything has to be dead ready when they ship.

The problem is, I didn't know whether the glass shipment would take hours, days, weeks, or months. It was all a big mystery. As the weeks wore on, I began to wonder if it would even arrive before frost. Some nights dipped into the upper 40's. It was invigorating, but also concerning. Creole Lady is way too big now for me to easily schlepp her in and out of the house. She's way taller than I am, and in a huge pot. Arrgh.

On September 20, we finally got word that the glass would arrive at 9 AM Sept. 21. Well, that's not quite the end of August, but it's better than November. I'll take it.

 AJ Johns hustled out with his skid steer to shuttle the glass from the semi truck to my house. Nobody showed up. First it would be an hour late, then two hours late. AJ had to go to another job. He told me to tell the driver just to drop it off at the driveway turnaround, and he'd be by to get it into my garage in the next day or two. 

Instead, the semi just came roaring right up the driveway around 11:45 am, and the driver jumped out to start unloading it. 

As it happens, I was trying to leave for a talk I had to give in Columbus that same evening, but instead I (of course) started helping the truck driver to unload the glass and metal framing. It was a JOB. Lord, it was a job. I wasn't prepared for that much exertion  in 80 degree heat before leaving for a talk (I'd already loaded my car full of heavy books and stuff). But it had to be done, and NOW. 

He was such a nice guy...how could I leave him to do this alone? We had to cut this whole skid apart, steel bands and all, because the glass was too tall to go into the garage. Good thing I have a boltcutter.

I gave him quiche and cold water, and he got to relax a bit and tell me what it's like to be a long-haul trucker. He'd been on the road for two days, bringing this load of glass from South Carolina. Now his truck was empty, and he was going to comb the Internet for loads he might take back on his way home to Titusville, Florida. As he sat on the new greenhouse pad, he said he loves this weather and wants to live in a place like this. We talked about the real estate market here, and I could see him dreaming of living in Ohio. It was nice. For me, living here is a continuing dream.

The glass all fit in one bay of the garage, thank goodness. That right there is my greenhouse, just not yet put together. A heady thought. I don't even let myself look at it, or I'll get too impatient.

 I'm told the glass installation process takes about five days. I can understand that, looking at all the parts we schlepped into the garage. 

Again, for weeks on end I had no idea when the glass might arrive, or when installation would happen,  but I've learned to expect nothing, to bide my time and wait for weeks, and to be happy with whatever happens. I just have to work on keeping the big picture in mind. I started working on this in January, for goodness sake. I can't lose my cool now, eight months later. If the weather freezes up (and it did) before the glass gets here, I'll deal with it; I'll lug the plants into the house and somehow keep them alive. I suppose I can take a bunch to the tower room. (I did...) When I heard the glass was shipping in late August, I never thought I'd still be waiting in late September for it to be installed, but hey. This whole experience has taught me a lot about perseverance and patience. Or doggedness and indefatigability. It'll be worth it!

It'll be worth it.