Deadline dash

We're hoping to get our final inspections next week, and you might have sensed a bit of impatience in the last few days about workers not showing up. Our days have started before 8 and ended after 6 -- often with little done by anyone but us.

But today was a lesson in being careful what you wish for.

In order, we had:

-- Seven irrigation guys, digging trenches for lines, and then roughing the lines in.

-- Five landscapers, getting our planting beds ready.

-- Two gas guys, running the line to our cooktop, and then hooking it all up to our brand spanking new tank and, since the electricity wasn't hooked up to the island yet, testing it with a Bic.

-- Four electricians, finishing up fans, undercounter lights, more switches, the shutter over the laundry, the water heaters.

-- One potter, delivering the dinner set we'd ordered. Turns out Elizabeth grew up with our electrician as a surrogate dad.

-- And at the end of the day, Dave and Deco, exhausted from their regular job, installing our undercounter oven now that the gas line to the cooktop was in place.

So today was 8 to 8, and we crept to the Mexican garden just up Duval for dinner. There were two tables of loud, drunk tourists next to us, and when the waitress gave us a locals discount I laughingly accepted it as combat pay.