Yes, we’re kickin’ ass-phalt here today at Maples at the Sonatas. Or rather, our contractor is. It’s seal coating day for half of our driveways. We’ve grown so much that it now takes two days to complete the job.

As I sit in my sun room watching them work, I can’t help remembering another seal coating day four years ago. It was also my moving day…

But let me start at the beginning. A week or so before my closing, I was invited to attend a homeowners meeting. Our builder, Jamie Wilcox, was introducing us to the staff of the property management firm that would be working with us.

Near the end of the meeting, Gary, our project manager, reminded residents about the date for seal coating. I was trying to keep a low profile, not being an owner yet, but I couldn’t help blurting out, “Oh, no, I’m moving in that day!”

I received sincere apologies from Jamie and Gary and sympathy from my new neighbors. Gary offered to ask the workers to do my driveway first to give it more time to dry. I couldn’t reschedule my friends with pickup trucks, but I changed the time until later in the day. I also bought some painters tarps to lay down between the trucks and my garage to keep us from tracking in the black gunk.

The day came, and my two-truck caravan was ready to roll. I led them the five blocks from my old home to my new. When we arrived, workers overseen by Phil, one of my former students, were laying asphalt on the street in front of my home. Fearing the worst, I turned into my driveway to find it … completely clean. Not one drop of black gunk.

I flagged down Phil and asked when they were going to do my driveway.

In two weeks, he said. Gary asked us to skip you today and come back after you’re moved in. And that is what happened. They came back to do just my driveway.

That was one of many days that I realized I had purchased my home from the right people.

•••

Yesterday, I am happy to say, I had the opportunity to pass along the favor. There were two closings in our community. In my role as resident trustee, I was able to call our property manager and request that those two driveways be seal coated on our second work day, Friday, rather than today.

And that’s how we roll at Maples at the Sonatas — where you do not have to kick asphalt to move into your new home.