the way things are

This is the way things are:
The plasterers are slogging and slopping away.
My brother is packing up.
The window casings are done.
The doors are hung.
There are a few things left to do. Downstairs floor. Cleanup. Urethane. Cleanup. Painting. Cleanup. Fireplaces. Cleanup. These things will probably not get done until spring. The painting alone could take me a year (window casings, doors, interior walls, floors, stairway, exterior trim, railings).
I am going off island on Thursday to take my bro to the airport, then to NY to see the subway singer perform that evening.
Kathleen Mock will be at Makor, 35 W 67th Street at 7:30 on November 2, for those who wish to see her. www.mockmusic.com
Then I am coming back to the island to see how much I can get done before I have to shut down.
That is the way things are.
Superficially, anyway.