Real walls, real feelings

We have walls...real walls.  Not the 2 x 4 variety, but the wall board in place and ready to be taped variety.  Exciting to see how the rooms shape up, the nooks and corners we didn't see before.
Of course, it all looks so very small to me.....2,100 square feet just isn't what it used to be!
The wiring is basically done with just the hook up of fixtures and the put it all together part in the basement.
We have bought lights, a door bell, and security lights for the outside.  Once the drywall is taped, mudded, sanded, mudded, sanded, sprayed....and the rooms painted, the actual outlets will go in and the fixtures will be installed.
The basement is another story.  I have gone no ceiling, drywall, tile, no ceiling, tile, drywall until I am blue in the face.  I can't decide what the ceiling will be.....I wanted the loft look, but there are a lot of pipes and it just may not look good that way.  Time will tell, I guess.
We have a little space under the stairs in the basement that will be my tornado shelter...so if a storm hits, look for us in the basement under the stairs.  I have enough fat to survive about 3 days, so don't take too long.
The outside is progressing as well.  Siding is up on most of the walls, the porch ceiling is in place, the doo dads look nice.  We are happy with the colors...everything seems to go together.  Our last house was dark...this is the opposite.  Many people go with a trim lighter than the siding, we did the opposite. The cedar shakes in the peaks also give it a little style.
If we figure drywall taking this week and probably next week at the least, then a week to paint, a week for flooring, three or four days for trim, a couple days for cabinets and carpeting.....maybe about 5 weeks until move in day?
Then I have to decide about the boxes....about 100 of them in Emily's basement.  I can't leave them there.....that was made clear!  Wonder why she thought that?
And I do have all winter to go through them.  Of course, I've had 20 years to go through them.  We see where that's gone!
And now some pictures.

Wednesday work

From the dining room to the front bedroom

Dining room ceiling

Cedar shakes and stylistic doo dad on porch peak

Someone is using our dumpster!!

Thursday...wall completed

Toward the back of the family room

Jackie on the porch

Let there be lights!

Our inside and outside fixtures arrived today.  Only one was broken, which was not bad!  We found these on line.  The fixtures are made in the USA, all parts are from the states, and they were a reasonable price.
Funny thing, when I called the company I talked to a man named John.  He is the owner and assured me all the pieces, from the wire to the screws to the glass, are made in the states.  Kind of like it when the owner of the company answers the telephone.
We liked the prices too.....much less  than similar products we found on line.  Hopefully they turn out to be quality products.
The exterior walls were foamed and filled this week.  We have 2 x 6 construction, so our exterior walls should be at an R-24 or so, hopefully this will keep us extra warm.
When we first had the idea of building, I wanted a home with some solar, wind or geothermal options that would reduce our energy use, and reduce our negative impact on the environment.  Then I learned how expensive it was.
Most people will look at payback periods.  But when you hit the mid 60s, payback periods tend to have a different meaning.  It may take 10 years to pay back a solar system....that means I'd be 75 or so to recoup my investment.  Did I mention how initially expensive it was?
So, I opted for smaller steps.  We have 2 x 6 walls, which make the home easier to heat and cool.  We have high energy efficient windows.  Gas fireplace is pilotless.  All the appliances are Energy Star certified.  High efficiency washing machine.  High efficiency two stage furnace.  And an on demand water heater.
Would I have liked the solar powered heating and air conditioning unit?  Yes, but financing the $24,000  unit was not a possibility.
I know there are some tax incentives, but the units have to be paid for now.
And I don't mean to get political, but here it goes.  We, as a nation, need to find a way to make solar and wind power affordable for individuals like us, and you.   Not giant wind turbines in the yard, but smaller roof mounted units.  (Google Jay Leno's garage for an idea of what I mean.)  We need to design and build houses that use less energy.
We are a nation that has always risen to a scientific challenge: the atomic bomb, a man on the moon, the space shuttles, the Mars rover....all of these because as a nation we dared to dream the impossible.
We can do the same with energy.  We need to find a way to make it affordable and practical for people like me, and you.
Anyway, here are some photo updates.
Hope you like them.

We included some doo dads to give the house character

front of the garage....

Our shipment of lights...plus a bag of bubble wrap.  Still have my Jimmy Buffet leis!!

One exterior light.....hope it's not too big

That white box is our on demand water heater.

Walls are insulated....drywall appears to be next.

Keep your mouth shut!!!

OK, that is a hook in the terms of creative writing.
The first part of this little epistle has nothing to do with the house, or almost nothing.
I went for a bike ride tonight, using the path in town.  After reading the excellent article on Greg Query in the latest InVironments, edited by my buddy and great over all person Renee, I was inspired.
I went about 7:30.  Strapped on my helmet, put my lanyard on, (ok, I carry a lanyard with an identity card in case of:  heart attack, fall, fainting, car accident, or I just forgot who the hell I am and where I am from) forgot my water bottle and headed off into the sunset.
All was fine until I hit the area near Kyte Creek.  Shall we say it was a bit buggy.
Now I have a deviated septum which makes it hard to breath through my left nostril.  Yes I could have had it fixed.  ("Give me just a few minutes and you'll feel a little pain for a couple of days but I can fix that," Dr. Frankenstein said, unaware of my fear of needles, pain, surgery and anything else related to a doctor.)
Bearing that in mind, sometimes I have my mouth open to get air.  Otherwise I might hyperventilate and have to use the outdated ID card in my lanyard.
Not good to do that when there are a lot of bugs.  They got in my eyes,  My nose. (except for my left nostril, of course) and my mouth.
But the worst was when this gigantic Mothzilla creature flew out of the roadside and smacked me in the face!  This thing was huge!  It had a hard shell, because I could feel it on my tongue.
It hit me right on the mouth and on my left facial cheek, then bounced off my helmet with a loud thud.
Like a Weblos, I wobbled but did not fall down.
Did I mention it had a hard shell??  And it went into my mouth before ricocheting off into the corn?  I think my tongue was bleeding and now it has a small  cut.  I had no water to rinse out my mouth.
And I can still feel/taste it ......all the wine in the world won't kill that sensation.
When I got home I was relaxed.  Nothing like riding for a while to take away your worries and give you a mental vacation.
But next time I will keep my mouth shut.
To the house.
When the siding went up, I kept looking at the bedroom area and wondering what was amiss.  Then it hit me.  I pointed out the omission and it was promptly corrected....a miscommunication.
See if you can see what was changed.
By the way, our last house was dark....going for a Tuscan color scheme here.

bedroom side

bedroom side redux

If you said shingles, you win!!

No cement shoes for us!

The sidewalk and porch were main points of progress this week.
The porch was poured midweek and the sidewalk was poured Friday.
We did not write our initials in either, although I was tempted.  I have a really neat red rock that has  a strange shape....almost a perfect equilateral triangle...and would have loved to have put that in the porch. But I can't find it.  I know it is in Emily's garage, but I am not quite sure where.  (Also can't find my cinnamon/sugar mix I love on toast, but that's a different story.)
So be it.
When we talked about a porch we decided we wanted it larger than six feet.  So we have an eight foot wide porch.  It looks like a honkin' freeway lane.  But I will be able to sit out here when it rains and not get wet, unless the wind is blowing out of the north.y
Speaking of the wind, we are using standard fiberglass insulation in the walls.  This stuff comes in rolls and is crammed in between the studs.  With the 2 X 6 walls, we will have an R-19 wall, which is ok for this area.
On Friday we were presented with an option:  blown on foam layer followed by loose cellulose that will seal all outside leaks and put the walls to an R-24 rating.  Of course, this is an option that costs money.  Despite my good looks, astute mind, kick boxer shaped body and my rapier like wit, I still get charged for extras.
Now you all know I am pretty cheap.  We are watching our money on this because no one knows if there will even be a pension system next week, let alone in 5 years.  So when it come down to spending money, we are hesitant.
But I think this is worth it.  You married folks can see the dilemma approaching like a freight train in a tunnel, can't you?
We have until Monday to decide.  My mind is made up.  I just feel like I need to do the most I can do to  save on energy use to protect the earth.
Now I just have to find the money to do it.
Here are some photos.

Obviously, the front porch

Slower traffic keep right

Yes, the concrete was dry

The road home

A smooth operation

Hustle and a bustle

Wow.  Sometimes I stop at the house and it looks like a used truck lot.
There's an electrician, couple of plumbers, carpenters and maybe an ice cream salesman, I'm not sure.
Siding started going up today.  Jackie and I were a little worried .... neither of us has a color sense.  I think the siding looks good, and it looks like it goes together.  But the proof will be when it is all done.  If people drive buy in hysterical laughter, then we'll know we didn't match colors very well.
The garage floor was poured today.  No, I did not put my initials in the wet concrete, although I was tempted.  I might on the porch, however.
We also have seen lots of wiring going in.  I did not know the wire has different colors for a reason.  The wires are color coded by gauge....so a 10 gauge wire is orange and used for things like electric oven,  cook tops, driers.   and a 14 gauge wire is white and goes to outlets.  Yellow is 12 gauge, and is used for appliances.  The reason for the coloring is so inspectors can see right away if the wires are sufficient for their intended use.
Pretty cool.
We could do cars the same way.  yellow cars are idiots who don't use signals and talk on the phone when they drive.  Red cars go fast.  Blue cars are polite and obey all the laws.  Black and white cars are special and award prizes to bad people.
Just a thought.
We sited the front sidewalk also today.  That will be formed out and poured fairly soon.
The driveway is the next big decision.  Our bid calls for a pad, but the path from the pad to the street needs something.  I don't want to be out with a snow blower and shooting rocks all over the place.
Of course, that is better than the winter we lived on Mill Pond.  It snowed a lot.  We had a dog, Snooty, a great dog with a huge tumor.  The snow was so deep, old Snooty sometimes pooped on the not so deep snow in the driveway.
I found that out in the spring when I looked up on the roof of the garage and saw all these brown droppings oozing down as they thawed.  Seems that little Toro could throw snow quite high!
But the driveway.  When we entered this project, we did not want a mortgage.  I think we are now up to $450,000 or so.
Guess I better buy a lottery ticket and win.
That could be the only way I get a real driveway.
Here's some pictures of the progress.

trim on the back of the house

still wet garage floor

sideways stories....wires look like spaghetti

Something still made in the USA...few and far between

A shocking development

We are meeting with the electrician tomorrow...Thursday.
This is a big deal.  This means we are one step closer to drywall.  One step closer to moving into the house that keeps me awake at night.
But first, electricity.  Now some of you may know I am a bit paranoid.  I have bells on my front door.  There is a chair propped against the basement door.  I check and recheck and often re recheck the doors into the house to make sure they are locked at night.
So Jackie should not ask me where I want motion activated lights.  I want them everywhere.  Above the garage, in the front, on the side, in the back, on the other side, on the other side of the back......light is security.
Needless to say, she does not see the world through my eyes.
It probably just hit you.  Bells on the front door?  Yes, if someone breaks in the bells will allow me to wake up, call 9 1 1, lock the bedroom door and wait for police to arrive.  Yes, I know that does not make any sense.  Yes, I know by that time I could have been sexually ravaged by a lustful 21year old gymnast....wait, wrong dream channel.  Yes I could buy a gun for protection, but did I mention we've been married nearly 43 years?
So the lights are my panacea.  They will make me feel secure at night, except when an animal goes by the house and we light up like the Lincoln Memorial.  Beside the point.
The various crews have been out putting up walls, changing walls because I did not explain myself correctly, running plumbing, measuring for ducts....all sorts of tasks that don't photograph well but still get done and mean progress.
One person said to me, "You've made a lot of nice choices here."  I think we did too, but the end result of all those choices will be what they look like together and how many days I have to sub and articles I'll have to write to afford vacations ever again.
But tomorrow we meet with the electrician to go over the plan to be sure everything is what we think we are wanting.
And I may just ask him what he knows about security systems at the same time.

More gravel.....garage fllor has been leveled