Where Does the Time Go?

Although we are working hard, it seems I can't FINISH anything. Guess this house is finally getting to me ~ should I even say it... sometimes I wish I had never done this. Ok, yea there it is... crash course in Negativity 101. We all do it, some more than others, but I really try hard not to. Try as I might, all this work, all this money, no rest for a year ~ yea it's gotten to me. But that's it, I guess it's ok to complain a little... or is it?
Immediately after my last blog, my power was turned on, the flooring guys finished my floors (oh yea - they look fantastic).

My dad and I had to change the layout of the kitchen cabinets, install them, uninstall them, change the layout again, install them again, return some and re-order others. While doing that, I bought the kitchen appliances... had to return the stove and get a special one (triple the cost - dangit!). We are waiting on a cabinet to come in and then the counter top guys can come in and make the template for the Corian (which will take another 10 days to make & install). Word of advice - if you dont know what you're doing ordering cabinets... dont trust HOME DEPOT to know either. I had a major blonde moment with those, but at least I know better now... yea... now... that the cabinets set me back a month.
SIDING - not sure if I mentioned this in previous blogs or not but I have to rip off all the hardie board siding that was already on the house and re-do it - apparently the guy that started this house didn't know you have to seal and paint it right away or it absorbs moisture and ruins it... yet another non-budgeted item to fix! That's being done this week and yes, I hired someone to do this. BATHROOMS - I installed all the rock/cement board on the floors of my (3) bathrooms to prepare for ceramic tiles and my dad and I continued to work on the porch - it looks good.

Christmas Vacation???

I know, Christmas is gone but I'm still trying to catch up from Christmas vacation.... can I call it vacation if I didn't get a break? My brother and his family came to visit and we put them to work - ha ha you got that right, no one is safe! We started and finished the roof that covers my porch, come to find out my sister-in-law has got a pretty mean hammer arm and my nephew does pretty good with a hammer too! I told you, no one is safe... my nephew is 11yrs old and when he wanted to help up on the roof that is 20+ foot off the ground I said.... there's the ladder! Ha Ha! They were a big help and we got that chore out of the way

Light at the End of the Tunnel

It is December 8 - Friday -one week from my last blog. Over the weekend and this week we managed to get all AC vents, outlets, switches, faceplates, lights and fans in. Everything looks great - is that the light at the end of the tunnel I see, or just the bathroom light ha ha!
Partial electrical and HVAC mechanical inspections were approved (everything is good) 5 minutes ago - My final power will be hooked up Monday.
Once they hook my permanent power up (Ive been on temp power), I can turn on my heat so my wood floors can "cure" and the wood floor installers can come back and sand and finish the floors.
My kitchen cabinets were delivered yesterday. We are installing the top cabinets this weekend. Once the wood floors are finished, we can install the bottom cabinets then my Corian installers can come in and make a template for my countertop.
Turns out, the siding guy was right and I have to tear off and install new siding and trim on the entire exterior. That's only $6K I didnt budget, but at least I won't have to lift a finger with that! It's been kind of nice hiring people to do the "labor". I've hired people for the drywall, wood floors and siding - that's not too bad that my father and I have managed to do everything else ourselves (with a little help from friends - I LUV YOU GUYS, all you who have helped me!)
Also this weekend I'll be installing rock board on the floors in the bathrooms so I can install my ceramic tile next week -keeping busy...Gotta Jet - PEACE OUT!

Where Are We?

Ok, so the last post was about footings - my how the time has flown by! We've got half of the porch done - not the top planks just the footings, support posts and "joists" I guess that is what they are called. It was tough work, the wood was heavy (pressure treated 2x8's in various lengths). The longest peice was 16' and assembled it was a double 2x8x16 with a 2x6x16 underneath (don't ask, I can't explain it but it's how it is done). We had to use my dad's tractor to lift that and put it into place. Dad and I worked all weekend and busted out the largest part of the deck, we'll begin work on the remainder after we get some stuff done inside.

Thanksgiving Holiday just didnt take place for me. I spent the entire holiday (Thurs, Friday & Saturday) priming and then painting the interior of the house - it is done and looks fabulous! Thursday I kept forgetting it was Thanksgiving... managed to get (2) of My Cafe Misto's from Starbucks before they closed at 3pm and my only meal of the day consisted of FRENCH FRIES! Yea, Whataburger was the only place open, being a vegetarian, I didn't have a huge selection to choose from. Thurs & Fri it was me, Ray and my parents and we got A LOT done. Saturday, my friends Wade and Amber came in and helped. My mom stayed home to watch the Seminoles get beat by the Gators - ha ha ha! I find watching sports extremely boring (of course my opinion only - and I absolutely love to tease my mom when her precious Seminoles get beat) My Dad spent most of the day trying to clean up his tools and get things in order for Sunday. Sunday, I finished up the last bit of painting then cleaned the house for the wood flooring guys who were coming in on Monday. After taking a look at what it would take to install my wood floors... i decided to hire someone for this task.Take a look, it's a lot to do http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/flooring/flooring-wood-hardwood/hardwood-flooring.htm
It's now Friday again: Wood Floors are in (but not sanded and finished yet). most of the outlets and switches are in, I've got to go buy my light fixtures and those go in this weekend. Kitchen cabinets are supposed to be done Dec 4th, I should get them by Dec 7th??? Trying to get all electrical in so I can get final sign off and get AC on so floor guys can finish the floors. I'm not sure which direction I am going in, lots of stuff happening at once so everything is a blur! I bought the ceramic tile for all my bathroom floors - got an excellent deal, which is good because I just found out that I have to rip all the siding off the house (it had 3 sides completed just not painted) because its Hardie Board and if you dont paint it, it can absorb moisture and ruin in - the vinyl siding guy says its ruined - yea, and he wants $7K to replace it with vinyl siding. So, that's where I am... where I'm going... not sure yet - probably crazy! ha ha! Gotta Jet - PEACE OUT!
ps - Special thanks to Ray, Amber and Wade for helping me paint, I know I am a bear to work with! Luv you guys!

Footings are not FUN!

Had a fun time Friday nite (11/10/06), went out with Amber and her friend to listen to a band. Good band, kinda scary place. Not too bad, just an older crowd - fun to laugh at! Well as the night progressed, drank a couple beers and a shot of Patrone (yea, I LOVE tequila) and had an interesting end to the nite - CODE OF THE ROAD ha ha!
Needless to say, saturday morning as I was digging the footings for my wrap around porch, I was not in "tip top" shape. none the less, the footings are done and Friday I will start building the porch - hope to have it done this weekend.
The drywallers are mudding the house now and I'll primer it Thurs & Friday and then start painting Saturday. Luckily I have a small group of friends to help paint - hopefully they can all make it.
Other than that, I'm buying my outlets, switches, face plates and electrical fixtures so I can install them all after painting and be able to work at night - yea I cant wait... i know, you can just feel the excitement hee hee.
Well that's all I have - oh, other than I had the BEST massage EVER yesterday. It pretty much kicked my ass and I feel goooooooooood.Gotta Jet - PEACE OUT!

It's Really Moving

The drywall is 6 boards of being completely hung, then the mudders come in. They didnt work today, but they will be done Monday morning. I am trying to finalize my paint and electrical fixtures, take measurements for flooring, tile and cabinets... oh my goodness things are really moving now - there is much I can do all at once. Our next step is the porch (while the drywallers are working). Tomorrow we dig and set the footings and then we build the porch structure... we need to get the siding on though - only one side. I have given myself an Xmas deadline, it would be nice to meet it - wonder if I can acheive it. I'm going to try. Wish me luck, hopefully I will have enough time and evergy to update my blogs...GOTTA JET - PEACE OUT
ps - Una and I did a nice trail run in record time today, 25 minutes... now I just need to see how far it is!

Drywaaaaaaaaaaaaall

Yea, its really happening - drywall is going up Tuesday. This weekend was spent doing odds and ends finish framing... some areas around the windows... hanging the rest of the green board in the bathrooms (where the tile is going to be) and cleaning. We took down the scaffolding - after we reinforced the ceiling nailers with screws. The house looks much bigger when there isnt a lot of crap in the way. I think I'll take a pic tomorrow to remember what it looked like pre-drywall.... do I really want to remember that?I had to insulate the little closet/room where my air handler is - didnt really have to the thing is quiet as crap as it is.. but i guess a little extra insulation cant hurt. Although it DID hurt because I didnt have my mask or goggles and I am seriously paying for that shit now. Oh well, this too shall pass. Heh heh that phrase always makes me think of something else....Well its late, Ive been working all weekend - crap Ive been working since March ha ha! I'm tired and Im going to sleepPEACE OUT! Next time you read this will be POST drywall - wish me luck!

Through Rain, Sleet or Shine...

Here we are, October and I'm still trying to get my inspections to pass. Re-did the drain plumbing. Our errors cost only $300(ish) bucks, but it was the best we could have hoped for - I mean, it could have been the copper & that would have cost an arm and a leg... no seriously, because I'd have to get money from a loan shark. I must say, the error in plumbing allowed me to learn drain plumbing. Dad did the majority of the stuff we had to remove, so this time I was doing it right along side. I had upstairs and loft and he had the basement. It looks so much better. I'll attach some pics soon. I also had to get up on the roof and put that stack in - HOLY CRAP - scary as shit! I had to scoot up on my butt in a sitting position bcuz it was so steep, i was just sliding off. I did it though... part of the time my dad stood at one peak and then held a hammer on the roof and I propped my foot on the hammer - yea, that was my foothold! Then after he almost slid off, he decided to put a 2x4 up there. Definitely a video moment - I gotta get this stuff on tape! Plumbing passed, and HVAC mechanical passed. But check this out - I've got to get an elevation certification - yea! $350 to have someone tell me if my basement and 1st floor is high enough that my shit won't flood. I know, you're saying "well misi, that's kind of a good thing to know". But you see, where my house is, its not in a flood zone - got the flood letter that says it. But noooooooo since I have a body of water at the back corner on my property (3 acres mind you), i've got to have this. Bad thing is, if I get bad news, I'll have to rip out one of my stairwells, any wood I have in the basement (I have a bathroom down there), move my water heater and electrical panel. This could be bad - I'm trying to remain positive... ha ha ha! Now, I bet you're thinking - what is up with the title - where are you going with this? Well the good news is... my dad and I were able to remove the window in the spare bedroom, cut out the wall and install the header and framing for the french door. Then, some very good friends of mine from work came out in the rain and helped me install my heavy ass french door. Yea, good peeps! It was so nice to have help and so much easier than when dad and I have to lift everything. We had a good laugh when the scaffolding we were on (yes, still raining and we're holding the door up) happened to slip off one of the blocks it was on... we almost went tumbling. Another video moment ha ha! All in all, inspectors are tough, but I guess they gotta be - I'm just ready to get the drywall in. Gotta Jet - PEACE OUT!

Inspections

Here we are electrical rough-in, plumbing rough-in, framing, insulation, HVAC mechanical, Plumbing tub sets all these things are done and ready for inspection. It feels gooooood. The electrical inspector comes out, gives us a few tidbits to finish then signs off approved. There is an incredibly long and aggravating story about the main inspector (who will be doing our framing and HVAC inspections) but Ill sum it all to say that he is curt and condescending. He advises me at 9am that he is coming late in the afternoon, then shows up at 12pm and leaves a nasty gram saying that since the plumbing hadnt been done yet, he wont do the framing, HVAC inspections ASS! Anyway, plumbing guy comes out late and to make a long story short we gotta re-do all the drain plumbing (thank goodness the copper supply is all good). So, were doing well, dad cut out the drain plumbing today and well get back at it on Saturday. Worst part, I gotta get back on the roof. Even higher this time and there is no extra hole or valley roof to prop myself against. I gotta drill and its steep and scary. I think this time I will rig some type of safety rope I could really get hurt if I fall Not looking forward to this weekend ha ha!

Roof Day - Scary

I spent 2.5hrs on the wet roof Sunday morning. The roof is a 12/12 pitch laymans terms steep as shit. One hole for vent is already cut in. I have to increase the size of that one and then cut a whole new one in. I started with the hole saw which went freaking dull after cutting thru the shingles. I had to cut it with the Jig saw (I think that is what its called) I hate it, it vibrates a LOT and I just dont feel like using it. But I had to, and I did and I looked like Spiderman up there one foot in the already cut hole and the other one perched on the adjoining roof valley. Slippery, wet, scary SUNDAY The rest of the day was spent cleaning for inspections Tuesday.

It's Almost Time

Were completing the drain plumbing and its a bear. After a tough day of barely getting this stuff together its finally done. Time to test drain plumbing. Picture this... since we completely connected all drains to the septic, we had to plug the pipes. Dad grabs this shirt, puts it in a plastic bag and proceeds to shove it into the pipe (this was his bright idea on how to plug the pipes). It was working well, mom can almost see the water at toilet level pipes are almost full no leaks. All of a sudden, the pvc shudders quite strongly too, then whoosh yup, drains work, make-shift plug is on its way to the septic tank hee hee

Thar She Blows... Jets... Whatever, it's H2O!

Its time to test the water supply lines... major pressure. I did the supply lines, I sweated the pipes, now Im the one sweating. It's a week night and starting to lose sunlight... kinda has that eery "gettin' dark" look outside. My dad and I make sure everything is where it needs to be, then we turn on the water.

We're waiting for all the pipes to fill with H2O, just watching and listening.... I felt like Michael Myers was waiting up in the loft for me it was downright scary/suspenseful! So all looks good on the first floor, so I head to the loft yup everything is DRY awesome! Then I hear it... is that what I think it is? Yes, that's definitely WATER apparently with all the fittings I soldered I forgot one - Found two drippers on these tiny connectors -quick & easy fixes then all was good. Its dark by this time and Im traveling floor to floor with the shop lite, no leaks. All is good MM aint in the loft. Supply plumbing is a success!

Burn, Baby, Burn.... Not

Back at it, its coming together. A few months ago, I had someone come in and clear trees, 14 to be exact. These trees were pine trees and were precariously close to, what my daughter refers to as, our "work house". The trees are BIG, I hated to cut them down, but knew it would be a safety issue w/ storms and they had to come down. To add to the sourness of the situation, they left the trees in two piles. One pile was impressive in size, with large 20-foot sections of these TREES. Ok, long story short we're burning them and we'd already done the initial burn where the dried needles and tops really burned high and hot - yea, scary ha ha! Now were burning the logs down, we had it going fair with trash we'd thrown in there, but it was reduced to a smolder, and its 1:00pm. A neighbor calls in a complaint and the fire dept came out two fire trucks, lights flashing and all. I felt like an outlaw ha ha ha! They put out the fire - apparently because they are required to do so, and I got a lecture about having a burn permit. Now I have my burn permit you know I can burn anywhere in the State of Florida mwa ha ha ha ha

Finished Yet?

I feel like its been months since I wrote something down and now I have to remember too much stuff that happened. Lets go back, oh maybe 4 weeks. Its hot and its only 9am we're wrapping everything up: drain plumbing, framing (that seems to never end), just finishing all the things on the "To Do" list. Feeling pretty productive until I arrive at work Sunday to my dad informing me, he had to cut out my supply plumbing for him to run his drain plumbing. Ok, wait a minute. Yea. What? Whats up w/ that? Im happier with the product 2nd time around, so something good came of that ha ha! All we're trying to do, at this point, is get this thing to the point of inspections then transition to finish work after hiring my drywallers of course like I said, Im not lifting that stuff

High Heels Don't Make Good Hammers

sooooooo lets start this one off right. I head out in the sweltering florida heat to start another work day, one of many, they have become endless. "Today" - my dad states - "we're going to cut the holes in the main supply pipe so we can hook up the ducts. I'll do the first one and then you do the rest". Ok, I think to myself... this cant be that hard. That was my first mistake - assuming makes an ass out of u and me or in this case - just ME! So, dad proceeds to try to puncture the sheet metal with a screw driver, after about 5 times he figures that aint working - of course I was just sitting there wondering how many times he was going to try it before he made that realization ha ha! He finally abandones the screw driver for a drill - much more effective. Then he pulls out these rusty little snips... I'm thinking - WTF! He begins to snip away at the sheet metal, gets about halfway done then hands them over to me. "Here ya go!" then he adds... "it may be a little tough, these snips are 30 years old" Yea, whatever. After the 2nd hole, I bail to Lowes to buy new snips - come on, you cant build houses without tools and I learned long ago, high heels dont make good hammers! With my new snips in hand, I cut through the remaining metal like butter ahh to quote Langston Hughes - Life is Fine, Fine as Wine...
So we're getting ready to physically hang the main supply pipes in the rafters and dad realizes he put a wrong size collar on, he put an 8 where he needed a 9. Ok, so I make the worst mistake and laugh at him.... yea, come to find out, I messed up too! Aaaaagggh! "It's the heat", I cry and curse myself under my breath - that's what I get for laughing at him.
We're almost done with HVAC, and soon the county inspectors will come out and (hopefully) approve all our hard work so we can wrap this crazy shit up and hang drywall. I'm so ready to get to easier stuff... like tiling WOO HOO!
Oh yea, I go to the Doctor tomorrow to find out if that damn hammer broke my wrist - yea ha haha ha ha laugh all you want - karma is a beeeyatchGotta jet - PEACE OUT!

Ouch! That's Gonna Hurt

As I wrap up August, I realize 5 months have flown by and I'm within 3 months of completing this house! I took a couple days off from my "day job" and began installation of the HVAC ducting. If you ever plan to do this yourself, keep in mind that the tape will slice you like a hot knife in ice cream. OUCH, yes and everytime you will bleed like crazy. I think I have about 15 cuts on my hands and every time that darned tape got me I was thinking "man, that's going to hurt tomorrow" ha ha ha! I'm waiting on the "HVAC professional" to decipher what size supply and return mains are necessary (some crap that he's got to do with his numbers and measurements ha ha). This weekend will be full of finalizing the drain plumbing (yea, my dad has had a time with that, so I am trying to help him - the supply plumbing was my job and thats been done for weeks) and then some final framing to prepare for DRYWALL! The only hurdle in my way of drywall is the county inspectors - yea, GOVERNMENT! Of course, when I finish working on my new house, I come back to my townhouse and work for a few hours there, trying to get it ready to be sold. Can't wait for this weekend - going to hit a Blues hangout with some friends - YES, some social time WOO HOO! Gotta jet - PEACE OUT!

BACK to Work!

Here we are mid-August and where am I? Well... I took a week off to visit my brother and his family in Wisconsin - that was nice. I didn't work on the house for 2 weeks, which means I'm behind schedule ha ha! I finished the plumbing and most of the odds and ends framing for drywall. Getting ready to do HVAC - think I might take off a few days from my "day job" to bust this out and get it done! Once the system is in, I'm ready for my major inspections by the dreaded County Government... man, I hope they don't have any issues! I'm hoping to get drywall within a month, then after that - things should fly like fur in a cat fight! I was quite overwhelmed (to say the least) before I went to Wisconsin, but taking some time off I realized just how much work my dad and I have done. After a week of awesome, cooler, temperatures and doing nothing more than eating, lounging and a couple 2 mile runs - it was difficult to get back to this heat and major hard work. I did a 10 mile bike ride in 90 degree temps to get back in the "swing" of things ha ha! Had a slight mishap this first weekend back at it - I forgot to put my hammer in the hole at the top of the ladder (BIG LADDER) and it fell on me. Hit me on my collar bone and wrist. Both bled and hurt like heck! I almost cried - I can get away with it because I am a girl ha ha! I'm better now, but you can bet I wont make that mistake again! Well that's about it Gotta jet - Peace out!

Twists & Turns

Well, well, things always have a way of twisting and turning - leaving you confused and headed in a different direction than anticipated. It's been some time since my last blog - that's because I'm just barely hanging in there. Building is tough! When I started I wore a size 6 and now, I'm in a 2! But, enough of that... lets get caught up, shall we? Let's start with the changes from the last blog... finished framing my bathroom and closet, stairs are done - but changed... didn't do the fancy rounded landing thing (too much to deal with when it comes time to trim) Finished wiring my surround system (its going to be awesome). Finished insulation (UGH, that was nasty!) halfway done with plumbing (both supply - copper - and drain - PVC). I had to refer to some "web help" with sweating the copper pipes... I just didn't quite get it until I went online... then, I got it. So if you need help, the web is a wonderful tool http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/how-to-videos/plumbing-videos/how-to-solder-copper-pipe-video.htm We've decided to do the heating and air ourselves rather than hire a HVAC person... found a guy who is retired and is going to get us everything at wholesale and tell us what we need to do - should save major bucks! My contract with my townhouse fell through - first time buyer who had no clue what she was doing.... ended up wasting a lot of my time, but hey, that's life. I took it off the market temporarily because I am going to paint the exterior and since my deadline is more like October - I dont want to have to move in the with parents too soon ha ha! Had to rip out a triple window and re-do the header (guy who did it, didn't know what he was doing). Once we finish with the plumbing & HVAC we'll have the framing inspection and then DRYWALL! I'm excited, its moving along, but man it's hot out there! That's about it for now - gotta jet! PEACE OUT

Leaps and Bounds

Ok, looks as though I have been slacking on "blogging" soooooo back to it. Since last writing, framing is done except the bathroom and closet in the loft - and those shouldn't take too long. Stairs are laid out (good thing I've been doing a lot of math lately.... laying those out was interesting ha ha) - stairs from basement to 1st floor are completely done, stairs from 1st floor to loft are almost done (just finishing this neat little curved landing at the bottom before we can glue and screw (had to write that) the treads in place. Wiring is done - all of it - except my speaker wire.... did the cable and phone but not sure what I'm going to do about speaker wiring. Figure by May 20th, I should be starting the plumbing. Since I mentioned my Algebra exam in the last blog, I'll note that I got an A in both English and Algebra - WOO HOO! guess studying doesnt hurt ha ha! Recently put my townhouse up for sale and within 2 weeks I had a full price contract. Yikes - good and bad - gotta move in with the parents until the house is done. June 30th is the closing date set for my townhouse..... I better "buckle down" and get this house DONE! Other than that - trudging right along. All this contruction is keeping me in great shape (but I dont think I'll add it to my regular work out regime) Gotta bail - PEACE OUT!

Who Needs a Stairmaster?

I can't count how many times I've climbed up and back down ladders - but I swear I've lost 5 pounds or so since starting this project. Well it's either the ladder or the heat of working in the "loft" all day - I have my own sauna ha ha! It's been awhile since I've posted so let me catch you up. The house has been properly "jacked up", the main support beam has been moved to its appropriate position and the house has been properly "supported". All the framing fixes are complete - I've got to buy my front door tonight and install that tomorrow, run a couple outdoor electrical lines and then we can move on to starting the plumbing - Woo Hoo - what fun!

Last weekend was hot and productive - got to start using the nail gun, which packs a pretty good punch, I'd have to say. Although, I do like swinging a hammer better - just kinda makes me feel like I am "working" ha ha! I've been working every weekend since 3/24/06 and I'm TIRED! Working full time, going to school 2 days a week and building this house has been quite time consuming - but there is a light at the end of the tunnel - school is out after next week and I dont think I'll take summer courses. Not much else to report - trudging along - slowly but surely. I'll try to blog Sunday night to let you know how far we got this weekend - PEACE OUT!

Will the Framing Ever End?

The front door is in - and its right this time. The wiring is almost done - Ive got to run my cable, phone and speaker wires but then I am done. Next weekend I start laying down the 3/4" sturdy floor - the final subfloor. Of course that is after we cut the hole for the stairwell that will run from the 1st floor to the basement - got the stairs layed out and they looked pretty darn good! Starting to get a little antsy - ready to get the framing out of the way for good.got some rain out there this weekend - the dogs loved it and they were covered in red clay - nothing a bath cant solve! Gotta get some sleep so I can be ready for my Algebra exam tomorrowPEACE OUT!

Gotta Laugh or I'll Scream!

Well, we just discovered that the house is not quite as it should be - to be exact, the floor is not supported properly! Darn good thing we caught it now instead of later. This weekend I'll be jacking up my house - literally and then fixing the "support" issues ha ha ha - yup, I gotta laugh or else I'll scream. I'll be really happy when we get past fixing all the former owners screw ups and can forge foward with completing the house.

It could be worse.... not sure how, but I'm sure it could be

OUCH!

If you've ever hit your finger with a hammer you know what's up with the subject title - dang that hurts like a buggar!Got the front door ripped out and re-framed to fit the larger door (the one to meet code - becuz the old owner is.... yea, a dumbass!). I managed to almost complete the wiring, only have the outside plugs and lights to finish. Bought my plumbing supplies - yikes that crap ain't cheap! Should be done with framing fixes either this weekend or next, then we start the plumbing. Once we get past all the "fixes" of the old owner's mistakes, things should continue to move forward (hopefully faster than they are now).

Moving Right Along

Last night I did some wiring at the house - not a whole lot since I worked all day and then tried to get some of that done before dark. Only have the bathrooms and my bedroom left to wire (as well as an area that I have to build a wall prior to wiring). Looks good, makes sense, pretty easy so far. Tonight I'll spend my paycheck - oh yes, the entire thing I'm sure! Meeting my dad at Home Depot to buy plumbing and framing supplies. We're going to bust ass this weekend and frame the walls we tore down (becuz the previous owner/builder was... for lack of a nice word - not an experienced builder (see I can ne nice ha ha!). Once the walls are done, then I can install the remaining electrical boxes and run those wires. Then we start the plumbing. Our next headache is going to be cutting a stairwell from the 1st floor down to the basement - yes, I have a basement - not common here in Tally - but it's awesome! We have to move a main support beam to be able to cut the stairwell in - hoping it wont be too hard (feel free to laugh at me anytime). Since I got up at 4am this morning (dont ask) I got to work at the butt crack of dawn - 5:30am! Too bad I cant leave early - dang! Well, gotta go do some real work - cya!

Didn't Do Much

Ok, so last night I took it easy. The only thing I did was install new door knobs so the old owners won't be pilfering through my stuff. The dude already went there and took some conduit that I was going to use to run my utilities underground - I couldn't believe it! The agreement was that all the building materials on site - stayed, period. Guess people don't stick to their "word" surprise, surprise. It's all good - I got my utilities run underground and now it's locked up tight. Tomorrow I run the wire throughout the house - already have the boxes installed so this is going to be a breeze!

That's it for now!

Building

I've taken on a huge task and figured I'd write about it, so I can remember what a pain in the butt it is and think twice before I do it again. Ha ha!
So what in the world am I doing? Building my house. To be completely accurate, I purchased a partially built house, it's what they call "dried in" basically the structure is built, the roof is on and shingled and the exterior siding is on..... well mostly. I've got lots of interior framing that needs to be fixed, I'm cutting in a window and replacing one window with french doors. So I've got some exterior siding yet to do as well.
It was a hot weekend this weekend, but we got a lot done (my dad and I are working together). My dog was not that amused with our venture, so she decided to find things to chew on and birds to harass. I learned to get out of the way when dad has the jig saw. Now I have to lay out my kitchen design so I can order some cabinets - dang there is a lot to do. I'm sporting about 10 new bruises and only remember how I got 3 of them.Ok thats enough for today - gotta get back to work