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.