Our house has been under siege for the last several weeks:  construction workers pounding on the walls, floors, and ceilings, as well as running mechanical equipment from dawn until dusk, every day of the week except for Sunday.  Quite aggravating.  I understand that it's all stuff that needs to get done; but Lord, I pray that it gets done very, very soon!

Today, the siege was taken to a new level as they asked for us to open up a number of our doors and windows on the back side of the house, so they could sand and paint the woodwork.  It made things colder and louder, of course, but what could we do?  We could only grin and bear it.  Try to make the best of a bad situation.

But then, around lunch time, I went in to use the toilet and was taken quite aback to see the face of a balding, bespectacled Polish construction worker smiling back at me through the small window, which is situated quite high on the wall and typically closed (with distorted glass to maintain privacy).  Awkward, embarrassed, I smiled.  "Excuse me, sir," I said, in Dutch.  "I'd like to use the toilet."  He smiled and nodded.  And kept staring at me.  "Excuse me, sir" I tried it again in English.  "I'd like to use the toilet."  He smiled and nodded.  And kept staring at me, apparently not understanding a word I was saying.

"Please close the window," I motioned with my hands.  "I need to use the toilet," I pointed.  He smiled and nodded.  I wasn't getting through to him.

"Listen, I" -- pointing at my pants -- "need to pee" -- pointing at the toilet.  "OK, OK," he said, finally closing the window with an awkward grin.  I did my business and then opened the window again, revealing that he had apparently been diligently waiting.  "OK," I said.  "OK."

I'm ready for the end of these renovation projects.