Building Buddies

When we last left our studly builder-men -- which was undoubtedly during daylight hours -- they were digging holes in the dirt. They've since filled the holes with concrete to make sturdy piers to hold the new shed, and today (and tonight) they've been building the foundation and the floor.

Tom and Peter have been tinkering around building (and dismantling) everything from pinewood derby cars to motorcycles to boats to small buildings for the past 20 years. They have an incredibly tight connection that goes beyond father-son, right to a deep friendship that's nurtured by their mutual love of...well, tinkering -- and when Peter moves five hours east to Washington State University in Pullman in just over a week, I predict a sad, forlorn Tom who won't really know what to do with himself. Right now, though, it's late and dark and I have a feeling their muscles hurt, their clothes are caked with dirt, and they both want nothing more than a nice, cold beer -- or a nice, warm massage.

Tomorrow morning, while Elisabeth, Claudia, Sophia and I head into Seattle for our traditional "tourist day" downtown (Space Needle, Nordstrom, Pike Place Market, a ferry ride, etc.), Tom and Peter will be at it again, framing the new shed that will house Tom's new workshop. This is a bittersweet experience for them (well, certainly for Tom) and as much as they want to just get the dang thing finished, I have a feeling they'll both be just a bit sad when that last nail is driven.