Ground Zero

I keep telling myself 

that this will get better.

The landscaper ripped out ALL 

of the shrubbery

in front of the house today.

It was so over-gown

it looked more like a jungle.

Not to mention the fact that it

was preventing us from getting anywhere near

the house to start working on it.

But now the house looks naked.
There is nothing to hide

the peeling paint, cracks, rotting wood, and missing shingles.

The front deck which served
as a porch was obviously

falling down and had to be removed.

The second-floor balcony

on the side of the house

had to be torn out as well.

The siding and gutters
will need to be replaced.

Some of them are barely clinging

to the house.

The wood trim needs to be capped.

We need all new windows.
The landscaper said the railroad ties holding back the dirt on the front

of the lawn were not pressure treated and are now rotting.

The only salvageable structure

seems to be the roof.

So far.

It might start leaking at any moment.

I'm beginning to get nervous.

How much money and work

is TOO much?

Will we live long enough

to see the house finished?

Would a jury of my peers

actually convict me if I

burned it down?