Tick, tick, tick....

It's not like I'm sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Really. Between planning the barn construction, finishing remodeling projects in the main house, and getting in a variety of workouts, I've got PLENTY of things to keep me busy. Last week, Lisa and I went to Grand Marais (she had a nursing gig at their hospital, and I was along for 'moral' support). While hanging around Lake Superior attempting to have some fun, I can't get my mind off the fact that I should be putting up roof trusses by now! Feeling completely dead in the water, I came upon the quote, "When your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it." How ironic that I come up with this while watching ore boats putt across the big lake. Applying it to my predicament, I have tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to set up a meeting with the Building Official (who is 2 hours away). I've offered to drive to his town anytime to sit down and work this out. We've had numerous phone conversations plus I've answered dozens of questions via email in the past few weeks. He is smart and thorough, I'll give him that! But he ranks poorly in the "timeliness" category, and seems to be precisely oblivious to the fact that I've now got only 3 good months before the pumpkins freeze and the snow shovels come back out. He assures me (every time we talk) that my permit will be approved once he goes over a few more details. And so I wait. Longer. Tick, tick, tick.