You must destroy before you can create...

What? Its not all talk anymore?

The project has officially begun...with a thud. That dull thump was the sound of our porch roof eventually falling to the ground.

Don't worry, this is not another epic Josh story of woe...it was on purpose. The saga of our the house project has officially begun with the demolition of our rickety back porch. Saturday, the good-hearted Joe Dolcimoscolo trekked to the south side of the city to make sure I did not rip anything important off the house. Started at 9:30 and by 11:00 a mound built of cast off siding, dry wall, and insulation was quickly rising. Enter Christopher Carr and the rate of destruction increased as the structure walls disappeared. Soon the well-traveled Kyle Wortham sauntered up only 12-hours after returning to these United States from an odyssey (or Ramakien) in east and southeast Asia. Lo and behold, the deck and floor went the way of the $7 movie. All that was left was to yank the supports for the roof off with Joe's truck and we could call it a day...

...but I am learning fast to expect the unexpected...

When the flimsy supports were removed, the roof remained, thumbing its nose to gravity. Thus is the awesome power of two ancient 4" lag bolts and layer upon layer of tar paper stacked like ancient strata of sedimentary rock. We yanked. We stomped. One of us foolishly walked on the unsupported roof... Yet it would not budge. Eventually, the power of an American diesel powered extended cab truck won out and the roof tumbled.

What remained was a very foreign looking rear facade. One with brown paint left from years gone by. And one with gaping holes in the masonry left from 120 year old windows and doors that had long been plugged up with a bit of insulation and wall board. Not really secure or safe, so the day ended with sheets of plywood being screwed into the masonry (who cares about the bricks---in the end, the whole wall moves to make way for a giant sheet of glass) leaving the back of our beloved home looking like just another abandoned crack house...

We are left with a home that looks like any other anonymous crack house, surrounded by a yard that looks like New Orleans in the wake of Katrina. Building materials strewn about and piled up...and a roof reaching up from the grave...

But now the fun begins. Our little family state department will have its hands full as a wall will soon be erected separating the homeland of our house from the independent province of New Kitchenland. Detante will surely follow...afterall, it wasn't long ago that Jo-Elle uttered those famous words, "Mr. Josh, tear down that porch wall." History marches on...hopefully fast.