If you want it done right........

Do it yourself!  Yeah, this is a "pat yourself on the back" post! 
     I fired the idjit contractor, and tackled the rest of the front porch project myself, and I'm rather proud of what I accomplished, in spite of some health issues, and so on.  He left a mess the last day he worked, leaving and telling a neighbor that he'd "be back when he has the paint".  A: I had most of it already.  and B: It wasn't ready for painting yet, ANYWAY!!!  I spent three days caulking, sanding, replacing poor quality work/materials and general sloppiness.  I had to spend another almost 200$ out of my own pocket, which finished emptying my savings.  This morning, I got my LAST unemployment check, and may have to sell the house if either Congress doesn't approve extensions in the next vote, or I don't find a job by the end of the month.  I'm already behind on the house payment, because of this jackass and a couple of other reasons, and can't let them take both properties.  I only had a window of 7 days to get the funding to buy this, back when I was renting it, and the only way to insure that was to use Mom's house (which was paid off) to get a home equity loan to cover this one.  (My bank's Board of Directors that decide such things only meets once a month.... and that was three weeks away.)  We tied the two property titles together in both names by doing that, and I will NOT let her lose her home because I'm unemployed.  That would hardly be fair, nor could I live with myself.
    Anyway, on the job situation, I had a couple of REALLY strong leads yesterday for 2 full time jobs yesterday, and on four part time ones.  I also (GODS, I hope I find something else first!) have a couple of friends in management at the local WalMart, who told me to fill out the online application (45 minutes!   My goodness, that thing is LONG!!!!!! *which is usually a good thing, but NOT in applications !  ;-)  *  Keep your fingers crossed, pray to your Gods, or to Ceiling Cat, or to the Flying Spaghetti Monster , or whatever you do for me!  LOL!!
     Just a coupla pics of the house.... I still need to restain the front door, rebuild the railings that the contractor didn't, clean the lead paint that he heat stripped off the skirt out of the flowerbeds (idiot... and it wasn't even necessary, that part just needed another coat of paint to "freshen" the color like the rest of the house! *shakes head*), and replant the flowerbeds, but, I AM rather proud to see the old girl looking happy again!