ABQ Sewing Studio Plans Disrupted?

Or, the rise and “fall” of my business empire

It’s Friday as I am writing. It’s been a week of finishing up some things at the new ABQ sewing studio, like the interior painting. It’s taken eight coats of paint in places where black chalkboard paint was applied by the previous owner. With the interior painting done, I started painting the outside of the building around the front door this morning.

But the wind picked up and I thought I’d best leave off till Monday or my paint tray might take flight and splatter the parked cars in front of the building. The bathroom vanity became my next indoor project, it’s getting a distressed finish with a linen colored chalk paint. As you can imagine, I’m becoming something of a painting expert at this point.

Mother Nature lets loose

At home

It was about 2 pm and the wind was really howling outside when I received a message from my neighbor Bonnie that the mini greenhouse in my backyard was becoming airborne.

Rushing home, I found Bonnie’s husband Dan and together we roped down the roof of the greenhouse to the heaviest things we could find – what would I do without my bestie neighbours?

We were also alerted by the neighbours behind us that shingles from my roof were lifting and flying away. Living on the outskirts of town, there is little in the way of a windbreak between us and the fields surrounding our home. Dan and I had secured the greenhouse and headed to the front yard only to discover that one of the century trees across the road had split in half. Over the howling wind, Dan and I had not even heard it fall. The vulture colony that resides there were high above the wild windstorm circling lazily, considering their housing options. Down below more of the same was happening with the human population.

…and at the studio

I had left my brother Ralph back at the new studio when I went to rescue the greenhouse, so drove back into town to join him to finish off our work day. We had just stopped for a snack when we heard the most terrific rumble and roar right beside us. It was kind of like a train going by. It didn’t sound like a tree breaking, there were no trees out there. What could it be?

There are a couple of ladies that live across the road. They spend a lot of time outside on their front porch crocheting. They were out there gesturing like mad pointing to the side wall of our building. The bricks had dropped off the wall and collapsed in a heap. Some were hanging dangerously from the top of the building, but the rest was now a pile of dusty rubble.

Calendar Lane, which runs against and beside the building, was blocked with a pile of bricks. A good many people walk by that area and cars are constantly using the lane. Thank goodness nobody was hurt when the wall collapsed. “What happened?” I asked Ralph. His theory – the wind had reverberated and built up strength as it filled the attic above us and this caused the sidewall to pull in and out. So while we were enjoying our chocolate pastries, 5 feet away our studio wall collapsed!

I jumped into action and called the police to block the area. There were loose bricks that might still fall at any minute. My landlord, Hans, is out of the country and I don’t have his number. It’s unlikely he is even carrying his cell phone. Some frantic sleuthing turned up his insurance agent.

A call has been placed by them to a restoration company, and when our name comes to the top of a long list of storm claims the wall will be fixed. Hopefully, plans for my business have not collapsed with that wall. I’ll let you know what happens.