I have concluded I should stop talking about sheetrock since we still don't have any. But the framer's trip to China apparently paid off for we passed our framing inspection last week without any problems.
A few folks raised questions about his trip to China. While the details of the trip should probably remain with him, I too found the whole concept alittle unusual.
I've known him for four or five years and have worked with him on several office building projects. I also know he, after a great deal of effort, got unmarried a year or so ago. Earlier this year I was talking with the lumber salesman who asked who I was going to use to frame the house. I mentioned this framer and he looked somewhat surprised and asked, "don't you know he is going to China?"
Actually, I didn't know that. And, when you think about it, scheduling the framer to come frame is an important piece of the house building puzzle. So I immediately sent word we had work and would be needing him to frame.
In the end all worked out well as he had time to frame the house before the plane left.
He apparently met the new Mrs. Framer (and her nine year old son) on the internet. And love came a-calling. I hope the rest of the story, which has yet to occur, will have a "happily ever after" ending. And I hope she learns to speak English without too much trouble.
On an unrelated subject, I think there are times in every ones life where they wonder what it is all about and what exactly is their purpose in life.
I received an email from my sister last week about the blog that may help shed some light on that topic for me. She wrote:
"After reviewing your blog last week, it occurs to me that not only can you do math, you also write. My next thought is why do I recall many home challenges during the third and fourth grade years with you "not working to potential"?"
I will admit there were some challenges in my educational career, which I am not proud of but did occur for many years (more than just the third and fourth grade). These challenges were usually triggered by . . .
- a note home from a teacher
- a phone call from a teacher
- a test or paper that had to be signed by a parent and returned to the teacher
- a parent-teacher conference or
- a report card
Invariable, the phrase "not working to potential" would come up, at which point my parents would implore me to work "up to potential". These sessions were usually traumatic (at least for me) and in the end I would agree to try harder, which unfortunately would only last for a week or two before I was back to watching Hogan's Heros and reading Popular Mechanics (where I could learn cool stuff about the tensile strength of bolts and how to bend wood and stuff like that).
(I should also add that once you saw the teacher do a problem a few times on the board, why did they have to beat it into the ground for the next week? We already saw it! And what's with this trying to find the symbolism in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis? He's writing about a man who turned into a six foot cockroach! I still don't know what to make of that!)
My thoughts on the world of education not withstanding, my sister went on to write:
"You provide hope to those who have children who aren't working to potential!"
So there you have it. My new found purpose in life is to provide hope to parents whose children are not working to potential!
Hopefully, by this time next week I will have something exciting to report.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
not much to report
Well, not much visible progress to report from this week.
We failed the framing inspection on Monday. Nothing major, just some minor stuff but the framer had gone to China to get a new wife and was accordingly unavailable. But rumor had it he was to return shortly so we waited and then waited some more.
But return he did and he was in fine spirits. I asked him if he got married and he said he thought he did but had to sign his name so many times on documents (all of which were in Chinese) that he really didn't know what all he did. But regardless of what he signed, he made it back and hopes to be able to bring his new wife here later in the year. (Note to the English majors out there; I know using the word "he" six times in one sentence is a bit much but I had a complex thought to express. Please submit some alternative wordings if you'd like.)
And he fixed the framing issues. Or at least I hope he did; we will find out for sure tomorrow when the inspector comes again.
The "not one word of English" siding guys brought their ladders back and finished up what they lacked too. Looks good.
And the smurf tube is installed, so we can now pipe smurfs throughout the house.
Someone did ask about the kitchen saga. As you may recall, when we left it last we had assembled a "kitchen design team" consisting of a kitchen designer (the one who does all the work), the sales person (the lady with the makeup and jewelry who gets the commission) and the installation coordinator (the guy with the tape measure). After two weeks of scheduling conflicts, we had the big meeting where the guy with the tape measure measured with great precision and deliberation. After 30 minutes of detailed measuring he asked to borrow a pencil which then became the official marking pencil and put marks on the floor, which happened to be on top of the marks I drew a month earlier. So success of sorts; after weeks of preparation it was determined that yes, our kitchen would work better with cabinets and yes, cabinets would fit and yes, they would take our money and order cabinets and request the tree be cut down. Of course we would be advised shortly of when they are to arrive (of which we are still waiting to be told when they might arrive). (Actually I made up the part about requesting the tree be cut down. I'd like to think it has already been cut down).
But this tree nonsense is important for I did not want cabinets that were made out of little more than sawdust and glue. This of course is an extraordinary request, which means you have just catapulted the price range of the cabinets from reasonable past significant to "what did you say?". None the less, hopefully the cabinets will come, made out of real wood that looks like what we saw and will come when we need them.
What we did not order was cabinet hardware. The hardware on the cabinets we saw was, get this, $21 for the handle and $13 for the backplate. For the math majors out there, this comes to $34 per door plus tax plus installation. Just to open the door. Of course the drawer handles were different and were only $16 a piece, once again before tax and installation. While this may come as a surprise to some, I am currently looking for some alternatives. Preferably something on sale. And if they all match that would be good too.
And finally, it was pointed out to me it was actually Bren's birthday last week, so my creative photography was not in waste. Bren, the boy who spent a significant portion of his youth at our house. Bren, the boy who broke out one of our greatroom windows with a rock thrown like a bullet. Bren, the boy who had someone video tape him skateboarding on the edge of the bathtub in the house next door. Bren, who was at the infamous Braves game with his older brother and my son when they were about four or five where his older brother accidentally poured 32 ounces of Coke down the back of the guy who had the misfortune of sitting in front of us. That Bren. How could I forget? So, happy birthday, Mr. Bren, it was good to hear from you. Come by and see the house then next time you are in town.
So, as I have said every week for the last three weeks (or is it four), hopefully by this time next week we should have sheetrock.
We failed the framing inspection on Monday. Nothing major, just some minor stuff but the framer had gone to China to get a new wife and was accordingly unavailable. But rumor had it he was to return shortly so we waited and then waited some more.
But return he did and he was in fine spirits. I asked him if he got married and he said he thought he did but had to sign his name so many times on documents (all of which were in Chinese) that he really didn't know what all he did. But regardless of what he signed, he made it back and hopes to be able to bring his new wife here later in the year. (Note to the English majors out there; I know using the word "he" six times in one sentence is a bit much but I had a complex thought to express. Please submit some alternative wordings if you'd like.)
And he fixed the framing issues. Or at least I hope he did; we will find out for sure tomorrow when the inspector comes again.
The "not one word of English" siding guys brought their ladders back and finished up what they lacked too. Looks good.
And the smurf tube is installed, so we can now pipe smurfs throughout the house.
Someone did ask about the kitchen saga. As you may recall, when we left it last we had assembled a "kitchen design team" consisting of a kitchen designer (the one who does all the work), the sales person (the lady with the makeup and jewelry who gets the commission) and the installation coordinator (the guy with the tape measure). After two weeks of scheduling conflicts, we had the big meeting where the guy with the tape measure measured with great precision and deliberation. After 30 minutes of detailed measuring he asked to borrow a pencil which then became the official marking pencil and put marks on the floor, which happened to be on top of the marks I drew a month earlier. So success of sorts; after weeks of preparation it was determined that yes, our kitchen would work better with cabinets and yes, cabinets would fit and yes, they would take our money and order cabinets and request the tree be cut down. Of course we would be advised shortly of when they are to arrive (of which we are still waiting to be told when they might arrive). (Actually I made up the part about requesting the tree be cut down. I'd like to think it has already been cut down).
But this tree nonsense is important for I did not want cabinets that were made out of little more than sawdust and glue. This of course is an extraordinary request, which means you have just catapulted the price range of the cabinets from reasonable past significant to "what did you say?". None the less, hopefully the cabinets will come, made out of real wood that looks like what we saw and will come when we need them.
What we did not order was cabinet hardware. The hardware on the cabinets we saw was, get this, $21 for the handle and $13 for the backplate. For the math majors out there, this comes to $34 per door plus tax plus installation. Just to open the door. Of course the drawer handles were different and were only $16 a piece, once again before tax and installation. While this may come as a surprise to some, I am currently looking for some alternatives. Preferably something on sale. And if they all match that would be good too.
And finally, it was pointed out to me it was actually Bren's birthday last week, so my creative photography was not in waste. Bren, the boy who spent a significant portion of his youth at our house. Bren, the boy who broke out one of our greatroom windows with a rock thrown like a bullet. Bren, the boy who had someone video tape him skateboarding on the edge of the bathtub in the house next door. Bren, who was at the infamous Braves game with his older brother and my son when they were about four or five where his older brother accidentally poured 32 ounces of Coke down the back of the guy who had the misfortune of sitting in front of us. That Bren. How could I forget? So, happy birthday, Mr. Bren, it was good to hear from you. Come by and see the house then next time you are in town.
So, as I have said every week for the last three weeks (or is it four), hopefully by this time next week we should have sheetrock.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
more progress! and happy birthday to someone!
Technology can be a powerful tool, as evidenced by this very blog. On the other hand, technology can have its challenges, as evidenced by this weeks photos.
I'm not too sure what I did, but I do know it was cold and windy and I was in a hurry and somehow I've got balloons and a "happy birthday" caption on all the pictures. So, I don't know whose birthday it is, but Happy Birthday nonetheless.
Oh well, progress has been made. On Monday, the siding crew showed up. With many work crews today, English is a second language. With this crew, it wasn't even a second language. What I do know is they showed up for four days, worked very hard, did nice work and then loaded up their ladders and left. The 80 percent that they completed looks good, as evidenced by the photos. What I don't know is when they will come back. But what I do know is they don't get paid until it's done.
(The big sections in the pictures that do not have siding are where the stone will go. They have yet to finish the fireplace end of the house and some porch trim).
On the inside we passed some more crucial inspections and hope to pass one more this week and then insulate and sheetrock.
So, as I have said every week for the last three weeks, hopefully next time this week we will have sheetrock.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
progress continues . . .
Progress is continuing, although it may not be real obvious.
From the outside, things look about the same. But the roof was completed this week, and some HVAC changes were made as well. The fireplace is scheduled for this week, which then means the HVAC people can finish installing the gas lines. The siding has been delivered and hopefully they will start this week.
The electricians are close to finishing and hopefully they will finish tomorrow. The "smurf tube" (which is a flexible conduit for phone, tv antenna and computer wires, that, work with me here, is the same color as smurfs) should be installed this week.
And, after much ado, the cabinets were ordered last week and we have decided on what appliances we want.
So, what's next? We need to have the plumbing, electrical and HVAC all inspected, at which time we can call for a framing inspection, at which time we can do the termite spray (boracare, for those of you so interested) at which time we can insulate and then sheetrock. So, can we get all that done in a week? Probably not, but we are going to try.
From the outside, things look about the same. But the roof was completed this week, and some HVAC changes were made as well. The fireplace is scheduled for this week, which then means the HVAC people can finish installing the gas lines. The siding has been delivered and hopefully they will start this week.
The electricians are close to finishing and hopefully they will finish tomorrow. The "smurf tube" (which is a flexible conduit for phone, tv antenna and computer wires, that, work with me here, is the same color as smurfs) should be installed this week.
And, after much ado, the cabinets were ordered last week and we have decided on what appliances we want.
So, what's next? We need to have the plumbing, electrical and HVAC all inspected, at which time we can call for a framing inspection, at which time we can do the termite spray (boracare, for those of you so interested) at which time we can insulate and then sheetrock. So, can we get all that done in a week? Probably not, but we are going to try.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Still moving along!
Not a whole lot of change on the outside but on the inside we are moving along.
All the windows and doors are now installed and on the inside we've got plumbing and hvac and electrical. We still need gas lines, a fireplace, phone wiring and a bunch of other little stuff. Hopefully by this time next week we will be ready for sheetrock.
The siding crew (which has yet to be hired) will go before the masons, who will stack stone around the foundation. So, the outside may look like this for a week or two.
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