Elf Update -- the Final Report

Happy to report that the elves arrived on time in their extra-long Dodge Ram diesel truck with the trailer holding all of Elf#1's tools and shop materials.
The small cedar board seat is being attached in the fuzzy blipfoto today. Elf#1 is drilling and #2 assists by holding it in place. Elves hate getting their images captured, so the camera had to be snuck in for this documentation without their knowledge. they approve of fuzziness.
It was a short visit. Elf #2 is not doing well with his brain. He is grumpy, taciturn, and (I guess )worried that now he has four young daughters to support on a contractor's helper income. So, yes, the baby and mother are still living with him. He is not sure if he likes her. And that's all he could say because he had to work out how to attach the light switch covers to the walls (2 screws each).
But Elf#1 is cheerful and his old enjoyable self. When I asked him how things are going he could not answer with his usual "horrible" and "I am doomed" because he is working his way back up financially with an abundance of work to do for the rest of 2013. Although he probably has cancer of the thyroid (!!) it explains a lot of his health issues to him. He has been taking steroids since 5th grade for an itchy, skin blistering/peeling condition. This medicine has supressed his thyroid issue until now. Anyway, our elf has 4 lumps on both sides of his thyroid gland and it will be biopsied soon as he gets a call from the consultant with an appointment. He is relieved to find out what's wrong with his weight loss as well as his skin condition and that it can be fixed. His mom has something like this and his long time girl-friend had hers removed for a some reason. He throws his head back and laughs at the image of their taking their thyroid replacement morning pill together. So, he probably has cancer, yet he's happy.
All is also happy at his home now that the 2 little girls are together again. [Because this was a two month blipped Saga, I will not go into the details. To follow the story line, it is an authentic docu-blipped series-- start reading around late January, I think] Elf#1 is thrilled to be back with his girl-friend of 10 years-- who did wipe out his bank account of $40k and did other unpleasant things to him when she left and took her daughter with her. Elf #1 is a good family man all the way, yet poor #2 is not. He has created a pseudo-family anyway that continues to cause him misery. Grumpy #2 sat in the hot truck waiting for #1 and me to finish chatting. But they drove off and I now close the final chapter on the Renovating Elves in my Life.

To answer someone's question about the cats who had lots of difficulty during the 7.5 weeks of noise and destruction: they did very well because they could run outside in the sunny garden not in to a foot of snow and cold as before.
Oh, and to answer another interesting request: no, I do not see publication of a book: "The Elf Renovators-- the True Story with Blipped fotos"!
Thanks to everyone who enjoyed reading the series. I enjoyed every new day to see what else unfolded with them, their lives, and then sharing with you.