Man, what a full day! All kinds of things going on. (And I found out that more than just a couple of people are reading this, so I have to be careful!)

Didn't start off too good. Jonny's radiator blew up, so he got to spend almost $300 to get it fixed. Luckily, the shop was right downthe street, and they got to it pretty fast, so it wasn't a total loss. I told him that if he needed a car, I could let him use the water truck. He was thrilled, to say the least.

I thought that we would forego spraying today, as we were really using up the paint. We don't have much left from the first shipment, and I don't expect anymore until Thursday. We've got to make it last, so all six of us worked on parapets today. (You didn't hear this from me, but rolling those walls is tough work!)

Good news: two more people showed up today! Both are from Lexington, KY, and believe it or not, came on their own free will! Even after looking at these pictures! Let's raise a glass to Sherrie Branson and Linda Huddle.

(BTW, Mickie hs figured that by this weekend we will have 15 people here. Wow. she's been busy!)

Well, I will say this, I almost lost a couple of people today. JoHanna got a little too hot rolling those parapets, so Jan had to take care of her. Put a cold drink on her head and told her to go sit in the truck with the air-conditioning. JoHanna wanted Jan to slow down a little bit, because it was wearing her out! Remember those pictures of Jan? SHE'S the older one, right?? There are a few jokes here, but I'm going to leave it alone for right now.

Oh, and speaking of Jan, it seems that the gnats thought her to be especially tasty today. No matter how much bug spray she put on, they wouldn't stay away from her! Kept biting her on the butt every time she bent over to roll some paint! I guess I should have told her that Jonny and I had just power-washed that particular wall an hour or so before, so the ground was still wet. Guess it kind of drew them in. Oops.

I will say this for JoHanna - man, can she cook! She made some homemade chicken gumbo last night that will knock your socks off! Say what you want about her Cajun accent, but she can cook for me anytime!

And you need to ask Jan about that cop that drove through here looking for someone driving a pickup that matched hers. Seems that someone complained about this particular truck cruising their neighborhood, looking real suspicious. Jan - shame on you!

I want to take a moment and issue a special request to the "original" crew: Hey guys, we would love to have you back! NOW we're having fun!

Here are some pix from today:


Poor Jonny. Not a good way to start the day. But look on the bright side: the water truck is available for double dates!











We figure that not too many kids are going to stop by for Halloween, so Mickie decided to at least keep us in the spirit. She only had her hat. Her broom was in the shop for repairs.

















Say "Hi" to the newest renditon of the crew! (Mickie's behind the camera) Kim started us with the pictures, so we need to keep this up!












Does this look good or what!? I'm tellin' you, it was fabulous! All the way from N'awlins!


















When Jonny and I aren't on the road playing with our band, we practice by playing "air rollers". I would say we are going to take our show on the road, but we are already there!
















Ok. Now this was a sight. It almost makes me want to have a contest for the best caption. I know! How 'bout this: "Hey, Chris, the TDOT inspectors are here to look at the walls."











I have no idea what these guys were up to, figuring that there was nowhere for them to go. As we got closer, we found out: they simply took off! Man, those turkeys can really fly!

What can I say? We kicked butt today! In fact, Jonny and I covered one entire wall in just one day! The other crew almost got finished with one of the longest parapet walls. I say this like once it's done, it's done. But of course, this is only the primer coat. Once we're done, we have to go back and do it again! Well, not exactly the same, but it does have to be painted again. Only next time, it will be a lot more fun. More colors, a little more creativity, etc.

Our crew now consists of six, plus one on the weekends. Tomorrow, things start to heat up. Two more show up tomorrow afternoon, three more Wednesday, and then I think at least another 3 on Saturday. And maybe more. It's hard work, but I tell ya, it's really fun. I think because the [roject is so different, and so many people are so interested in it. At leat that's what I keep telling myself.

Lunch today was fabulous! It was the place where Mickie was SUPOOSED to take us yesterday, but got her directions mixed up. Great food, sat outside and ate, and listened to a jazz duo, a couple of older gentlemen, one on electronic keyboards, and the other alternating between a trombone and a bass trumpet. Pretty good, actually. Much better lunch than yesterday, that's for sure.

The girls took the day off. JoHanna went with Mickie to Sam's to replenish our supplies for the week. Lot of folks coming. Have to prepare. And also starting tomorrow, it's back to the caterers! We don't have to worry about lunch and dinner anymore. That's the reason we went with them in the first place!

Here's a couple of pix from today:



We had to gas up the lifts, so why not just pull up to the pumps? Felt weird, but what the hell?












Really nice weather. Highs in the high 60's, beautiful sunshine, hardly a cloud around. And the leaves are starting to change, too. All in all, not too shabby.











Jonny, having too much fun at the tanks.

OK. Back to business. As the day went on, my ankle actually felt pretty good. We covered quite a bit today. Picked up three new painters, so we really are starting to pick up speed. In fact, we willprobably have an additional - are you ready? - 13 people this time next week. at least. We shoould really be slappin' some paint by then.

Mickie was back at the office today, working on three days of backed-up office stuff. Everyone else was getting white paint all over them. Beautiful weather, lots of tourists. We were getting our fair share of honks today.

Here is the latest....


Time to get a little lunch...here with new members of the new crew. Mickie found a cute place to eat. Last wime we'll go, though...took FOREVER to get served, and the food was at best mediocre. Not that that matters to any of you, but I felt like sharing...










Things move pretty fast when you've got a lot of people painting. Just like this: five people on one parapet. By the way, can you see the next one? That might take a day or two, ya think?











Jan learned well from Mickie - best way to get from one site to another. Less walking to do as well. And these walls are really spread out, over about 2 miles, actually.










Jonny and I really covered some wall today. In reality, we just finished our first one. It took over 125 gallons of paint, just to put on the first coat. Whew!










In progress, not much left to go. Really getting into a rhythm. Hey, someone's got to keep the buckets filled!


















The day is done, so what better way to vegetate than in front of the tube, watching the Hallmark Movie of the Week. Whoopie.

Man did we get some paint on the wall today! The girls finished priming another parapet, Jonny got most of a 45' retaining wall, and Mickie and I...well...how can I say this...we spent the afternoon in the emergency room. That's why no pictures today.

Seems that as I was getting out of the lift before lunch, I forgot that there was a drainage ditch underneath me. Caught the edge, and let me tell you - it hurt! Twisted my ankle real good. I couldn't tell if the crunching I heard was from the grass and twigs or simply my bones, so I thought it best to be prudent and check it out. (Luckily, just a sprain.) We had to go all the way into Sevierville, because the EMT told us that he didn't think that anyone had an X-ray machine in Gatlinburg!

While there, we called Shelley (back at the office), who had printed up some maps for us to the hospital, just in case we needed them. (I just didn't figure it would be me!) We told her that we were at the ER, and the first thing she said was, "Did the map work?" Thanks for your concern, dear. BTW, you'e fired.

On another note, Mickie is really pissed that we didn't remember to bring the camera with us to the hospital. I'm thinking that she knows that she missed a perfect blackmail opportunity.

Anyway, back at it tomorrow. I figure a little ice, some rest, a few Advil, and I should be just fine. No worries. Right?

Oh, hell. Who am I kidding? It's going to hurt like a ..............................

It's official: we're exhausted. Actually, it was a pretty fun day. We got a ton of paint on the wall. Well, not quite a ton, but I am counting 11 empty buckets. That comes to about 55 gallons of paint. Over 800 pounds. Not bad for a relatively small crew. I'm tellin' ya, everyone worked their BUTTS off! Not slavery-wise, just really focused! We had a new face show up today, JoHanna BonVillan (sp?) form Louisiana! Took her two days to drive here. And wouldn't you know it, she gets here about 3:30 in the afternoon, and instead of going to her room and settling in, she wants to paint! So we put her with Mickie and Jan and off they go! Now THAT'S what I mean about focused!

One of the fun things that I discovered today was sprayers! I hapened to have a couple of attachements with me (OK, they came witht eh units) and I asked the TDOT guy if I could try them instead of the power rollers. I figure that the paint is environmentally friendly, and if there wasn't much overspray, what the hell? Guess what? These things are a blast! They really work! We covered a TON of wall space in a fraction of the time it took to roll.

More from today...



This is Jonny really getting into the sprayer. Not as easy as it looks. OK, I lied. It really is easy, but the weight of 100' of hose does tend to get to you after a while. "Why?" you say?? Check out the next picture.









This is why. Because we have to go up so far, we have to carry the hose with us, and it does tend to weigh you down. No problem. Tomorrow I'm
adding another 100'. Enjoy.










I even got Mickie to go out and paint today. Hell, the office can wait.














Yes, they worked hard. Turned into a real team, real fast. And doncha love that little chair??? Push her down the sidewalk, and you got yourself a stripe!












OK. This is pitiful Well...not really. It's actually quite ingenious. As long as Jan didn't pop a wheelie or anything. And, truthfully, I wouldn't want to pull that thing uphill after such a long day, either!










Now, while they were working on the ground, WE were working up a little bit higher. Here we were just about to finish up in the waning daylight. Just HAD to finish that little strip









The girls were busy, too. JoHanna jumped right in. They might be hamming it up here, but they really covered some wall.





















Speaking of hard days, what better way to cap off the evening, huh? Or was this during lunch? Hmmm....they WERE gone a long time...

We got paint today!!!

OK, it was late this afternoon, but we got paint nonetheless! And we actually got some on the wall. It took a while to get the power rollers working, but it seems to work fine. Just a bitch to clean afterwards. Had to thin the silicate just a bit to get it flowing better, but I figure today was just a test run. Tomorrow is really going to be the test. We'll see hopw far we can get with a good day behind us.

Here's a few shots of the day.

Best looking truck I've seen in a long time. It's like, Now, it's official: we can paint the walls! I was thrilled!!!....

















...until I looked inside, and remembered that it was US that had to unloiad the stupid thing - all 5900 pounds of it!













Nice and neat. Stack the pails so we can get the trailer inside to load what we need as we need it. Well, it sounds good in theory, anyway...












Mickie worked so hard moving these buckets. And just think: only 70 pounds each! OK, I lied. She showed up just as we off-loaded the last one. Perfect timing.
















Maybe Jan can figure out how to work this thing. I figure all we have to do is read the directions, right?






















OK, maybe it takes Jan AND Jonny to figure this thing out. Ya ythink?
















I figured that we could load the sprayer in the trailer with some paint and just drive it to where we need it. Right? That sounds good, doesn't it? Look. I'm just trying to figure this thing out as we go. Jonny was just happy he didn't have to walk.











See? I TOLD you we got some paint on the wall today! I can still hear Jonny, telling me, "Show me just one more time, OK, Mike? I think I've almost got it."

Finally! Tomorrow we will have paint! I tracked the shipment (all 5400 pounds of it) and it's in Jackson, TN., so we should have it in the morning. This is not all of it, mind you, but plenty to start with. The rest of the white(base coat) should ship from Canada tomorrow or Thursday.

I thought that this would be a good time to share a few more pictures with you. It really has been a weird and wonderful week.



This is a typical day - washing walls. Hey - you know how it is: prepping the wall is a bitch, but it still has to be done, regardless of the size. Luckily, these walls weren't that old, so they only had to have a rudimentary cleaning, although there were some areas that needed some downright scrubbing.








This is Ron Porter with Graco showing us how to use the new toys we have to play with. I bought a couple of Graco 5900 GMAX II gas powered sprayers, with two 150' hose attachments each. But we aren't going to spray! (We'd have to set up a containment system - too much trouble) We are going to use them as power rollers! Should save a ton of time. All we need to do now is figure out how to work the stupid things...






See? I told you the work was hard! I told everyone, if you need a break, take it! Well...I guess they needed a break!











The first couple of days were really stressful, because we really didn't know what to do, in terms of setting up, where the hoses connected, etc. So I went out and measured every wall, and the distance to the nearest fire hydrant, and sketched out how we were going to set up. Worked like a charm! Before every wall, we simply got together to go over the "instructions", then went about our jobs - it was beautiful!


























Jan looked so lovely in her "wash-the-wall" outfits! I am looking for calls from Vogue any day now!













Sometimes folks got a little giddy - maybe it was the fumes from the motors, or maybe too much time in the sun. Whatever. Let 'em work it out...












I'm sure everyone is wondering where Mickie has been this whole time? Slaving away back at our make-shift office, of course! Except when she is in charge of entertainmet and social events (got to keep the troops entertained!) This is a shot of "the girls" as they visited The Biltmore one afternoon. The trip there was fun. The trip back...? We'll talk later. And where was Jonny? Ask him about his broken toe...





More later...

OK. I'm gonna try this "blog" thing for this project in Gatlinburg. I'll try and recap what has happened so far.




We packed up and left for Gatlinburg on the 7th of October, getting here on the weekend so that we could be ready to go on Monday morning, when the rest of the people showed up. We're staying in a couple of really nice condos that Mickie found, right off of the highway. Each sleeps about 8-10, so there is plenty of room.



Monday morning we start off with me, Mickie, and four workers.
We are supposed to prep the walls so that we will be able to apply the faux finish. Prepping includes pressure-washing, trimming the frass with a weedeater, cliiping overhanging branches, and blowing stones off of the sidewalks in front of the parapet walls. Sounds relatively easy. However...



I had planned on using the fire hydrants to access water to spray the walls. What I didn't know was that most of the hydrants are hundreds of yards apart. However, when we got here, I found out that the contractor had a water truck! That makes us portable! So we hijacked the truck, and ran our powerwasher from the street where we needed it. I still needed to use the hydrants, so I used the water meter from the contractor that attaches to the hydrant. Of course,, it didn't have a hose fitting on the end, so we had to fashion one. Two, actually, so that we could run hoses form two fittings. (You'd be so proud of me - I've developed into such a plumber that my pants have started sagging in the rear when I bend over! )



(This is a great shot of Jonny - he really got onto the trimmin' thing!) Now, most of the highway where we are working is blocked from traffic, so we didn't have to worry about getting run over. I figured that one person could use the powerwasher, one could blow, one could weedeat, and one could trim. That took about 12 seconds to figure out that we would only be there for about two months if we kept that plan.

So I rented three more washers, put two people in each lift (one to drive, one to clean) and used the other two washers with people on the ground.

It took us about three days before we really got into a rhythm. I finally went out one night and measured all of the walls and the distances from exisitng hydrants. I went out and got enough hose to reach where we needed, and, using splitters, actually got to where we could use 4 sprayers off of one hydrant. (Much more pressure than from the truck.)



When we got here, the grass around the walls was extremely overgrown. Strange, because all of the areas around the alls were clean. Just in front of them. Seems that the contractor and the city were haveing a bit of a dispute as to who's responsibility it was to cut the grass. Well, I didn't have time to wait. I just old my folks to go in there with the weedeater and trim next to the wall. Oh, and watch out for the copperheads and rattlesnakes. We were warned that, being a national park, the place is infested with them. Nice work area, huh?

It took a few days, but we finally gave up on the weedeating. It was simply too much. I kept complaining to anyone who would listen, warning of pulling off of the job, the possibility of getting bit, etc., until FINALLY the city came out and cut the grass! We literally stood on the side of the road and applauded as they drove past!

I will tell you this: cleaning those walls was exhausting! Hauling hoses, working lifts, weedeating (we did end up trimming some areas), and with those 3000psi sprayers, it literally put you back on your heels every time you pulled the trigger! (Poor Jan! Let's hear it for large glasses!)



I can't say enough about the folks that have worked on this so far. (Below they are celebrating finishing the cleaning of the walls!) They have been real troopers. Not really what they expected when they signed up, but it has truly been an experience. We are expecting paint to FINALLY come in this Tuesday, so we can get to doing waht we came here for: PAINT!



More later.

Mike