Got My Half
Sun, Oct 26 2008 04:35
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This busy week began with a surprise introduction to a snake. I was reaching down to pick up trash on 2012 and got lunged at by a copperhead. I sort of lost my civic drive for litter control after that.
The stone, fire bricks, chimney lining bricks, sand and mortar mix are on site. I have exchanged a couple of voice mails with my mason, but no sign of his guys on the hill yet. The chimney structure itself will be built by one team and the dry stack by another.
The originally intended drywall team came out on Tuesday, looked around and said “no thanks”. They had other, lowered ceiling homes to do! LOL Mike got the same guy that did the foam insulation to do the dry wall. They worked furiously Friday and were still out there on Saturday going strong.
The roofing sheets are in Walnut Springs, and Mike was rigging up a contraption on his 40-ft trailer to be able to slide them over the top, since some of the sheets were 50 feet long.
The lost windows for the sun room were found and have been delivered. The sun room is filled up with stuff from all over the house, to make room for the dry wall team. Still waiting on the replacement windows for the ones that were built incorrectly for the back wall. Mike put in the horizontal beams for the corner window and has ordered the glass.
I toured Drexels's cabinet shop on Wednesday and got to see all the cabinets for the house. They are really beautiful. We compromised on molding- no crown, but a simple step down trim. I cannot imagine what it will be like to have so much storage space.
So! I got my half of what was expected this week, and I am happy. It is Sunday noon; I am on a plane to Chicago for 4 days for work. I hope to have a metal roof and some dry stack when I get home.
I had a city planning meeting this week and then went straight over the Citizen’s Center to help fight the battle against a rock crushing operation on Chalk Mountain. I wish that Mr. Davis would go find a less beautiful and beloved mountain to “take down”. We shall see.
Saturday Diane and Jerry Cassell came down to Glen Rose and visited with Tracy and me before they went to Rough Creek Lodge. We toured the home site and had a muey delisioso burger at Big Cup Eatery. Then we went to Lord's Acre, where I donated a windmill tail that I painted a Texas flag on and bought a European mounted buck. Quite a country exchange.
Saturday evening we joined Linda and Karen at a Friends of the Brazos River fund raiser at M & W Ranch on the Brazos. It was a good but short weekend and a productive week on the hill.
The stone, fire bricks, chimney lining bricks, sand and mortar mix are on site. I have exchanged a couple of voice mails with my mason, but no sign of his guys on the hill yet. The chimney structure itself will be built by one team and the dry stack by another.
The originally intended drywall team came out on Tuesday, looked around and said “no thanks”. They had other, lowered ceiling homes to do! LOL Mike got the same guy that did the foam insulation to do the dry wall. They worked furiously Friday and were still out there on Saturday going strong.
The roofing sheets are in Walnut Springs, and Mike was rigging up a contraption on his 40-ft trailer to be able to slide them over the top, since some of the sheets were 50 feet long.
The lost windows for the sun room were found and have been delivered. The sun room is filled up with stuff from all over the house, to make room for the dry wall team. Still waiting on the replacement windows for the ones that were built incorrectly for the back wall. Mike put in the horizontal beams for the corner window and has ordered the glass.
I toured Drexels's cabinet shop on Wednesday and got to see all the cabinets for the house. They are really beautiful. We compromised on molding- no crown, but a simple step down trim. I cannot imagine what it will be like to have so much storage space.
So! I got my half of what was expected this week, and I am happy. It is Sunday noon; I am on a plane to Chicago for 4 days for work. I hope to have a metal roof and some dry stack when I get home.
I had a city planning meeting this week and then went straight over the Citizen’s Center to help fight the battle against a rock crushing operation on Chalk Mountain. I wish that Mr. Davis would go find a less beautiful and beloved mountain to “take down”. We shall see.
Saturday Diane and Jerry Cassell came down to Glen Rose and visited with Tracy and me before they went to Rough Creek Lodge. We toured the home site and had a muey delisioso burger at Big Cup Eatery. Then we went to Lord's Acre, where I donated a windmill tail that I painted a Texas flag on and bought a European mounted buck. Quite a country exchange.
Saturday evening we joined Linda and Karen at a Friends of the Brazos River fund raiser at M & W Ranch on the Brazos. It was a good but short weekend and a productive week on the hill.
Comments
R Factors
Mon, Oct 20 2008 04:00
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My insulation guy tells me he doesn't even know what my R factor is for the ceiling, it's so over the scale. That makes me happy. He and his wife were out on Sunday blowing insulation on top of the hard kind. The house should be tightly sealed.
We burned more stumps this weekend. The weather is so nice these days, perfect for fires.
On tap for this week- construction of the inner chimney, dry wall installation, completion of insulation, roof material delivery, rock delivery, start of the rock walls construction. If half of this happens I will be one happy future home owner.
We burned more stumps this weekend. The weather is so nice these days, perfect for fires.
On tap for this week- construction of the inner chimney, dry wall installation, completion of insulation, roof material delivery, rock delivery, start of the rock walls construction. If half of this happens I will be one happy future home owner.
Windows!
Mon, Oct 13 2008 01:15
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Finally! I have windows- lots and lots of them! I LOVE the outside- the anodized dark bronze, with a simple straight-lined, clean look.
And...I am not crazy about the inside...rats! I am learning that I need to be absolutely granular when explaining what I mean when placing orders. "Simple, straight lines, craftsmen style, no graduations, nothing at all fancy", did not translate as I intended. I suspect the cost was higher as well to get something that was more detailed than I really wanted. The interior side of the windows is multi layered, with no nice, deep, plain horizontal ledge, resulting in what I see as lots of edges to keep free of dust (what are the odds of that?) and no flat edge for cats or rocks or treasures to sit. Plus, 4 of the wall-o'-windows windows are double hung and are supposed to be picture windows. They will have to be reordered. Last, only the top row of windows was to be non-low E, but the top two rows are. This was actually Glenn's first choice, but was changed due to local regulations, so this may be a fortunate mistake.
If I could write an op ed piece about home building, I would definitely include advice to be as utterly explanatory as possible. Draw a picture, literally, if possible, ask for a sample before the whole order is completed- whatever it takes. I just spent a lot of money on windows that I don't entirely love. And that is a shame.
My bad, and I will now work on "loving" the windows I have. They are highly efficient and I do really like the big design of them- as in the picture windows on top with the awning windows on bottom. OK, I am starting to feel better.....
Tracy and I got to see the "neighborhood" owl fly across the valley. We heard him very close by, then saw him pop out of a tree and dart straight across the valley to a perch on the top of the far ridge. I will hopefully see that quite often through my new WINDOWS......
And...I am not crazy about the inside...rats! I am learning that I need to be absolutely granular when explaining what I mean when placing orders. "Simple, straight lines, craftsmen style, no graduations, nothing at all fancy", did not translate as I intended. I suspect the cost was higher as well to get something that was more detailed than I really wanted. The interior side of the windows is multi layered, with no nice, deep, plain horizontal ledge, resulting in what I see as lots of edges to keep free of dust (what are the odds of that?) and no flat edge for cats or rocks or treasures to sit. Plus, 4 of the wall-o'-windows windows are double hung and are supposed to be picture windows. They will have to be reordered. Last, only the top row of windows was to be non-low E, but the top two rows are. This was actually Glenn's first choice, but was changed due to local regulations, so this may be a fortunate mistake.
If I could write an op ed piece about home building, I would definitely include advice to be as utterly explanatory as possible. Draw a picture, literally, if possible, ask for a sample before the whole order is completed- whatever it takes. I just spent a lot of money on windows that I don't entirely love. And that is a shame.
My bad, and I will now work on "loving" the windows I have. They are highly efficient and I do really like the big design of them- as in the picture windows on top with the awning windows on bottom. OK, I am starting to feel better.....
Tracy and I got to see the "neighborhood" owl fly across the valley. We heard him very close by, then saw him pop out of a tree and dart straight across the valley to a perch on the top of the far ridge. I will hopefully see that quite often through my new WINDOWS......
Oh yea! This weekend Linda, Karen and I rode the Paluxy Pedal- along with over 800 other riders. The weather was perfect and the scenery was outstanding. I STILL haven't done the 45 mile route, which is the shortest one you can do and ride up "The Wall"- my home site! Next year I will have less of an excuse, as I will be living on The Wall and can practice a lot more.
Live Where You Are
Mon, Oct 6 2008 09:23
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My sister Mary asked me how I was staying patient watching the progress on my "dream home". I let her know it is by focusing on where I am right now. That means decorating my front porch, planting Fall flowers, involving myself in downtown, being focused at work, staying in touch with friends.
I was recently appointed to a city planning advisory council in Glen Rose. Our challenge over the next year or so is to work with expert city planners to focus on how we want to handle the growth of our fair town, how we can attract the right kind of businesses, keep our unique identity, and maintain a healthy economy all at the same time. Very interesting stuff.
Next week is the Paluxy Pedal. My intention was to ride the 45 mile trek so I could go up 2012, get my "I climbed The Wall" patch and see my house on the ride. I haven't ridden my bike since last summer and have serious doubts about the feasibility of riding 45 miles, rest stops and all.
The green spray foam insulation has been installed. Messy work! A small load of ipe has been delivered, enough for the upper two decks. The treated pine deck base has been stained. The siding still has not been completed in the highest part of the back house. Still waiting on Mike's Foreman to return from an east Texas job with his son.
Mike burned some of the scrap wood this week, but it was way too windy yesterday to finish that job. The good news is that the wind came with a front has has brought us the first rain in 3 weeks and dropped the temperature as well.
One of my Glen Rose friends, Betty Grace, Tracy and I grilled steaks last night. Tracy had to put up wind barriers to keep the fire going. The plastic house wrap around the window openings was so loud, flapping violently every time a big gust came through. But the steaks were great.
I was recently appointed to a city planning advisory council in Glen Rose. Our challenge over the next year or so is to work with expert city planners to focus on how we want to handle the growth of our fair town, how we can attract the right kind of businesses, keep our unique identity, and maintain a healthy economy all at the same time. Very interesting stuff.
Next week is the Paluxy Pedal. My intention was to ride the 45 mile trek so I could go up 2012, get my "I climbed The Wall" patch and see my house on the ride. I haven't ridden my bike since last summer and have serious doubts about the feasibility of riding 45 miles, rest stops and all.
The green spray foam insulation has been installed. Messy work! A small load of ipe has been delivered, enough for the upper two decks. The treated pine deck base has been stained. The siding still has not been completed in the highest part of the back house. Still waiting on Mike's Foreman to return from an east Texas job with his son.
Mike burned some of the scrap wood this week, but it was way too windy yesterday to finish that job. The good news is that the wind came with a front has has brought us the first rain in 3 weeks and dropped the temperature as well.
One of my Glen Rose friends, Betty Grace, Tracy and I grilled steaks last night. Tracy had to put up wind barriers to keep the fire going. The plastic house wrap around the window openings was so loud, flapping violently every time a big gust came through. But the steaks were great.
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