your prison sentence ends no later than 4pm ...

I feel mildly imprisoned; the street crews are repaving my street today. Yeah, I guess I could sneak out via The Alley, if I just can't stand it anymore. For the past year, the City has alternated patching parts of my street, then applying slurry to the cracks, until they finally decided that a new coat of asphalt was the only way out.

I was first alerted to this by a door hanger last Friday:

PLEASE PARDON THE INCONVENIENCE
YOUR STREET WILL BE CLOSED
FOR STREET SURFACE TREATMENT

Barring equipment or weather delays your street will be closed as noted above to all pedestrian and vehicle traffic for approximately 4 to 5 hours while surfacing work is being done to extend the life of streets in this area. Should weather or unforeseen problems arise, your street work will be rescheduled the following work day, weather permitting. The City of Dallas Street Services Department has contracted for surface treatment to be applied. Depending on weather conditions, the material sets in 4 to 5 hours and then will not track when walked or driven on.

Work will be scheduled between 8AM and 4PM. Vehicles left in driveways may not be accessible at times during the project. All vehicles parked in the street must be removed from the street by 8AM on the work day listed.

Your understanding and cooperation while this work is being done is appreciated, if you have any questions, please call the City of Dallas Dispatch Center or the Pavement Surface Improvement Division of the Street Services Department.

So, this morning (at exactly 7am) they ran one of those low-speed/high-noise vacuums to clean up any debris, which sent Beta (the Wonder Dog) into hysterics. I'll keep the shades drawn for awhile, until she understands that The Boogie Man isn't coming to take her away.