All’s well that ends…

In any project there are special indicators that signify it’s really over.

In the world of business, project completions were clearly delineated by unmistakable signs. At some companies, it was the awarding of commemorative T-shirts. At other companies, it was the shift from non-stop activity to quietly orchestrated layoffs. Any other activity could be safely disregarded as a minor distraction, because there was more to be done.

On the home front, as in our recent roof repair project, the signals are more confusing.

Absence of activity may only mean that the contractor is working on somebody else’s house or even visiting his girlfriend. Absence or presence of tools and equipment is likewise misleading, because contractors can be as absent-minded as you or I.

Making the final payment to the contractor is a good, but not absolute indicator, because there is the inevitable cleaning up that can go on for days.

The best indicator that a home project has gone to completion is that life returns to normal and the woman in the family says, “Let’s paint the hallway, now that the kitchen is done.”

Well, we have been there and done that. The kitchen is clean, Gretchen is using it, and she has already laid out the next project for us to tackle. This project is over.

The entire family recognizes that there is a change in our operating basis. The cats have emerged from their secret hiding places, cautiously inspected the new kitchen, and found it acceptable. They are now supervising Gretchen as she prepares a Sunday night meal.

We have completed another interesting chapter in our lives.

We have managed to finish a construction project, the results are eminently satisfactory, and we are still the best of friends.

The next project will be easier. We are already looking forward to starting it.