12/30/10 end of year wrap-up

from across the back field

electric hook-up

well/pump

back of house

across the field, again

from the front

Our best worker!

Well, the house survived its first snow.  Hopefully this will be the only time it snows inside the house! We missed a white Christmas by one day as big fat snowflakes fluttered down early on 12/26.  The entire event lasted about 3 hours - just long enough for Jacely to make and throw a few snowballs.  Since the roof isn't on the house yet it did indeed snow inside.  Actually, this has been a slow week for the Dublin house...time off for the holidays, followed by Tommy's killer head cold (that put him out of construction commission for 5 days), and the loss (hopefully only temporarily) of our framing crew...made it a slow go.  Todd tries to do it all but it's hard when he's alone.  On the up side, we do have all the roof rafters in place and you can really see what the house is going to look like.  This week they've been working on getting the outside walls up and it's going well.  The pump has been connected to the reservoir tank in the garage; the attic stairs in the garage are up; the guest bathroom bathtub unit is inside; we're plugging along.  Can't post this without a word about Christmas..we celebrated at Brin's house, our house, and Tommy's sister's house.  Jamie was in town for 3 days - hurray!  Jacely's first reaction to Santa's visit at her house was,  "Santa left a big mess!" But it didn't take her long to jump into all the presents...yes, she got her "man" (which was part of a truck, trailer, horse toy).  Sweet baby JD enjoyed playing with the wrapping paper most of all.  On Christmas day, Jacely called baby Jesus on her iphone (play) and spoke with Mary and Jof-set.  She wished Him a happy birthday.  A good day was had by all!  Todd told me today that he's hoping for a March completion date on the house.  I was sort of aiming for June so anything before that will be a bonus.  I'm not counting days just yet...

12/19/10 December doings

going up!

overview of site before garage

breakfast room walls

back of house with view of shop

My apologies for not updating sooner.  Let's see, I never really got over the "crud" I had at Thanksgiving and now have a whopper of a head cold.  Also spent a week in Denver.  So now I have a lot to tell you.  Things are really moving along.  The shop is up and roofed and the outside walls are wrapped.  Progress has slowed on the shop and we've turned our attention to the house.  After the trenches were dug around the perimeter (allowing the house to be built on a crawl space), cement was poured and cinder blocks laid for the foundation.  Next came the floor joists and floor.  I'm beginning to get a sense of the space... Outside walls went up next which meant we had to make some decisions about windows and doors.  After all, they have to be built into the walls. Tried to standardize the windows at either 3 ft X 4 ft. or 3 ft X 5 ft. and  all the outside doors are 3 ft wide to accommodate a wheelchair, if necessary. Other things come into play too - like the minimum size window for a bedroom.  It must be of a size that, when open, will accommodate a fireman in full gear (i.e. 5.7 sq. ft.).  Plus, I wanted the windows placed where they will not interfere with the furniture in the room.  Have to think ahead about bed placement. etc.  That accomplished, we tackled two large beams that support the span across the open living/dining/kitchen area and cathedral ceiling.  Very heavy.  We've been lucky to have the help of a framing crew (3 guys) who are experts at all of this.  Cement truck returned to pour the front porch and garage, then the outside walls went up on the garage. The inside walls of the house were framed up next and then the ceiling joists.  Last Fri. a boom truck came to lift the massive beam that spans the garage - meaning no support poles inside the 28' X 26'  garage. Rafters have been started on the garage area - but then the rains came.  The last two days (Sat. and Sun) have been pretty much non-productive.  In a way, it's good to have a chance to catch our breath.  Tommy's muscles are sore!  He's over at the work site every day by 8am and stays until dark.  Todd is a hard worker too putting in more hours than Tommy.  On Fridays, Tommy gets to be the paymaster and claims to be the boss. Every other day he's just one of the workers.  One guy out there is 67 years old and has been building houses for 35 years.  He knows his stuff!  I check in every day or two to keep everything  smooth (yeah - more like riled up!)  I try not to second-guess our decisions and make changes...but poor Todd has had to move the master bedroom toilet 3 times already.  I think I'm finally happy with the arrangement but now wavering about the guest bath tub/shower.  Todd will have to remove part of a wall to get the pre-formed acrylic tub into the room.  I should have made that decisions sooner.  He says I need to go on vacation again so they can make decisions and move ahead without me changing my mind!  Oh yeah, on Fri. we also drilled a well.  Technically, "we" didn't, the pros did but they found water at 195 ft - which was 100 ft less than they expected.  So that's good news - hopefully, lack of water will never be an issue for us.  We've picked out the windows, outside doors, bricks, vinyl siding and roof tile.  But it's only just begun.  It seems like we've made huge progress but everyone assures me that once we get to the inside (plumbing, wiring, etc.) visible progress will slow down.  I'm not living by any schedule and know it will be many months yet before another moving day.  My goal this week is to get Christmas up and running (and over with), including a visit from Jamie.  The tree is a little cramped in the apartment but it's up and Jacely is pleased.

11/29/10 shop walls

trenches for the house foundation (top) and shop walls (bottom)

view from the road

rafters going up

inside the shop

Lots of progress last week on the shop.  Concrete was poured on Wed. for the slab floor.  Thurs. we gave thanks (Thanksgiving) and took a break from building.  Fri. the concrete form came down and Todd began working on the house foundation.  Since the house will be on a crawl space, he's digging a trench around the perimeter of the house for concrete and concrete blocks.  Got about half way around before dark.  On Sat., we had an extra hand with Kyle (Todd's brother-in-law) joining Tommy and Todd  with wall building for the shop.  Got all four walls built and up and only forgot one door.  Failed to provide access to the bathroom!  Minor glitch...got that fixed.  The shop is shaping up and looking like a building  now.  Weather has turned cooler and rain has made the site muddy.  Just try telling Jacely she can't play in the dirt!  Yesterday, her mom dressed her in 3 layers and rain boots and sent her down to help Dad and Poppy (Todd and Tommy).  She has her own tool box with plastic hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, etc. and even a pink shovel.  She says she's a "worker girl."  In spite of her help, the guys got the roof joists finished.  Todd spent the day balancing on the beams while Tommy player go-fer and propped up from below.  Time to make some decisions.  Need to order the siding and windows for the shop, which in itself isn't a big deal.  But the choice affects the house too as we want to tie the two buildings together visually and colorwise.  I think we've decided on a very light gray/green with white windows and trim.  Going to pick out the shingles today (for both buildings).  Also, thinking about the house front door...to side-light or not?  Need lead time so have to get that ordered soon.  Also, bricks.  Lots to think about.

11/22/10 Movin' dirt

digging the foundation for the shop

plumbing for the shop

Need to do a little catching up here - and get some pictures loaded.  I spent all of last week sick with the crud so I had little energy for the house.  After 2 doctors' visits, 2 x-rays, and 5 prescriptions...  I'm finally feeling better. We (well, actually, Todd) have been moving dirt around getting the site ready.  Todd is a wizard on the bulldozer. We have more or less finalized the house plans.  Thank goodness, Shawn (the builder and expert) and his dad came by to help us "visualize" and stake out the house.  Funny how it looks big on paper and small on the land.  I'm sure it will be plenty for us.  We decided on a 3 bedroom/2 bath ranch with a very open floor plan.  But of course, the shop is going up first.  Tommy has convinced me that he and Todd need that space up and running in order to work on the house.  So today, they are working on the framing for the concrete foundation.  The shop will be 24' X 40' with a concrete slab.  In addition to a shop, the space includes a 12' X 24' room along one end for a sort of "man cave" space.  I'm not crazy about that name for it - but what else can you call a place that will house a small bar, pinball machine, jukebox, barber's chair...recliner (of course) and TV.  Tommy sees it as very rustic and sort of his space.  Fine by me.

The weather continues to be just beautiful.  Today should hit 75 degrees.  Once we break ground on the house itself I'm sure it will be rainy and cold.  Still finding my way around Dublin.  Found out the population here in "greater" Dublin is just about 20,000 so getting from one side of town to the other is pretty easy.  There are some beautiful old homes in town...lots of character.

11/11/10 Zap!

Got powered up today!  Electricity arrived on site.  As I understand it, we used a neighbor's box as a junction and ran our line underground for some-odd 600 feet to the corner of our lot.  There stands a green box that we can tap into for the time being.  Eventually we will "underground" it to the house.  Today marks one week of residency here in Dublin.  So far I've learned this..."relax" is not a word you can use in the same sentence with grandchildren!  But it's so much fun.

11/10/10 Mailbox up and running

official mailbox

lay of the land

cutting the driveway

It must be official...we have a mailbox and got our first mail today!  Still working to finalize the house plans but we're getting close and groundbreaking could be as soon as next week (or maybe not!)  We've had very cooperative weather for the moving part- hope it holds.  Still getting the apartment organized and learning to live in close quarters.  Tommy's mom has been up here (no, make that down here because we now live south of her!) helping us sort through boxes, pack boxes, unpack boxes, etc.  Our second bedroom is mostly storage so space is really tight  for an overnight guest.  So guess where we put her bed?  Yup - in the closet!  She's so great at adapting to whatever gets thrown her way - I hope I can be half as flexible and always in such good humor when I get to be 80+.  Thanks, mom!

11/6/10 Day One - welcome to Dublin

The moving part is almost over...tonight is our first night as citizens of Dublin.  The whole last month has been a blur, a nightmare and a dream come true.  Now it's time to plant ourselves in a new place.  Here's the back story...our house was on the market for almost 3 years.  I was beginning to think - no - make that believe, that it probably wouldn't sell for another 2 or 3 years.  Got a little complacent and comfortable about that idea.  Then, whoosh, in a flash, the house sells.  We were on our last day of extended vacation (see blog about "the roadtrip") when we get a call from our agent that the house is being shown.  A week later, another visit, three days more and an offer.  Since this is only the second house I've ever sold I was expecting it to be a lot more complicated with multiple roadblocks.  Everything sailed along...financing, appraisal...and next thing I know, we're scheduled for closing in 10 days.  That's when it really hit me - we're leaving this house.  We had less than 30 days to pack up 30 years of stuff.  Fortunately, the buyers extended us up to 30 days to vacate.  We're trying to finalize everything before the 15th of Nov.  I'm exhausted, unreasonably emotional about leaving this house and Jonesboro, ecstatic about being practically next door to my grandchildren and feeling very weird about living in an apartment temporarily.  The house closed without a hitch on Oct. 27th.

We're renting a place about 5 miles from where we're building.  Hope to be able to keep a close eye on things.  It's also about 5 miles from Brin, Todd and grandkids.  Yeahhhh!!!! (I think!)  Hope we all don't get on each others' nerves.  The rental is cozy (shall we say small) and Briggs, Tommy and I are on top of each other.  The living room is so small that when  we sit in the couch/recliner, our feet are practically IN the TV.  With a big screen, hi-def television, Tommy says he feels like he's in the front row at the movies.  Space limitations have required us to put the freezer in the dining room alongside the washer and dryer.  Tommy's desk is now a folding table and the second bedroom is floor to ceiling storage.  The hallway to the back door is currently filled with Christmas boxes and decorations.  Brin insists we put up a tree and I'm sure Jacely would be hugely disappointed if we don't.  On side note...Brin & I took Jacely and JD to see Santa tonight.  She was so excited and full of bravado until it came time to climb up in the the guy's lap.  Nope, wasn't happening!  She watched several other kids go first and she kept saying, "I need a minute."  Finally, finally she agreed to go up there for the required picture but she still wasn't sitting on his lap - JD had to do that.  The ice broke a bit when she asked him where his reindeer were and finally, after much prodding, announced that what she wants for Christmas is "a man."  I kid you not!  She's 2 1/2.  Have no idea what that means or where it comes from...she wants a trailer, a horse, a truck, and a man.  I foresee a lot of years living that down!

So anyway, this is supposed to be about the new house and the process building it.  I predict a few ( okay, maybe a lot, but I hope not)  detours along the way. I hope the story will be worth telling.  So far, we have the land...a nice two acre spot in the middle of a pasture.  The road is lined with a stand of pines about 20 feet deep.  The land is mostly level with a gentle slope toward the back where the property line parallels a grove of mature hardwoods.  Just through the "woods" (as I call them) is a small fishing lake.  While we don't have a view of the lake, it's mighty close.  We think we want to orient the house slightly askew to the road line, with the front facing south.  Tommy plans to build a large workshop first on the rear corner of the property, to accommodate his wood shop and a "man cave."  He also wants a two and a half car garage with a bonus room above for our car, truck, and "soon to have" golfcart.  There just might be a little room left on the property for the house!  I'm trying to think in terms of downsizing but I have my doubts about Tommy!  So far, we've cleared a driveway, got a mailbox and an address, got a building permit, perk test for the septic tank and put in an order to run electricity.  We have a long way to go.