Front door or the start of the house jewelry....

When OB came over on Saturday, besides going over the financials we looked at the schedule and looked at what we needed to be deciding on so it could be ordered in time to get to the site on time (JIT for you B folk out there....). The question of doors come up and we spent a good deal of time looking through the catalog for the front door. I never knew there were so many types, styles, warranties, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Links to our first, second and third choices are below: (I couldn't get the pics to come over correctly)

http://www.thermatru.com/CatalogDetails.aspx?StyleNumber=S73&Category=SS-EP-SARA

http://www.thermatru.com/CatalogDetails.aspx?StyleNumber=S12&Category=SS-EP-SED
(note--this model without the "red art glass"--just plain clear for us, thank you....)

http://www.thermatru.com/CatalogDetails.aspx?StyleNumber=S72&Category=SS-EP-SED
(see note above)

Any thoughts????? (I'd love to see if the comment button actually works---please be nice)

The other issue is that the plan calls out for an EIGHT FOOT DOOR---all of the above are not of that stature. The eight footers that we looked at were not that inspiring so may scale back and just have a SEVEN FOOT DOOR. Like I will ever come close to ducking to get inside.....

Forms on, Forms off--Foundation DONE!!!

The foundation was poured on Thursday and by Friday noon the forms were off and we had a foundation!!!! I got a call from OB on Thursday, wondering if I wanted to put a quarter in the foundation, I got my mom to give him one. On Friday, my day off, I asked to see it. He walked over to where he had put it and it was not there. The "deforming" crew apparently thought it was a "little extra" . I hope to reapply one, with Gorilla glue.

We got our first bills. We were a bit caught out as we thought we had a bit more lead time to move the $$ around but all is well. We figured out how to use the ACH (automatic clearing house) to move money from our credit union account to the bank we are using for the house stuff--no check kiting here!

OB came over yesterday and went over the financials with DH. We are actually under budget by a few thousand dollars!!!!! DH is pleased and I am over the moon. OB says Tuesday or Wednesday they will be framing. They are about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Now to maintain it. All in all my head is spinning with the progress. I just can't believe it is going so well.

No additional pictures at the moment--I will be fixing that, soon. My DSD (Dear Step-Dad) is truely doing a steller job taking pictures.

Day 4/5+ Up goes the forms and our first decision

By the time I got home yesterday there were forms for the foundation.

OB had called earlier and we had our first decision to make--go as planned for the porch with Trex decking or go cement. So much for having a breather. After going over the pros and cons, we decided to go with cement for the stairs and porch--less maintenance was the deciding factor. We've chosen a light brushed finish so it won't be slippery.

After chatting with OB today, he says tomorrow they will be pouring concrete for the foundation TOMORROW!!!! Good gracious, at this rate we will be in before we know it....or not. I know we are bound to hit a few glitches and pitfalls but this project is going pretty well so far. I have a good builder (OB) and a wonderful husband (DH) to thank for that.

Day 3 or A-team returns

When I left for work this morning the lot looked like this:

By the time I got home it looked like this:

Apparently the "A-team" is out of jail or at least there was a different operator for the cat. We now have a very large hole that the foundation will soon be filling. It looks huge compared to what I imagined. There are some orange marks on the ground that we are assuming are the location of the outer corners of the front of the foundation. The North side looks a little squeezy but they must use some measuring device, right?

Over dinner tonight DH and I were wondering what decisions we would be asked to make first--at this rate I am sure we won't have long to wait.

Down it goes or it can only go up from here....

This is the picture of after it all came down. Our builder (OB) in the red vest is eyeing the progress. It went pretty well. The normal cat operator is in jail but the "sub" is doing a good stand in job--at least it is getting out of here. Currently there are three trucks lined up to take stuff away. Who know that it would be so popular--grin. (Read large $$$ signs here.)

OB has been a trooper and managed to save two of the three concrete planters that I has wanted to save. He was worried that I would be upset at the demise of the third planter but as I assured him, he was hitting way above 500 ball.

I am not sure what I felt like when I saw the great pile of rubble last night but as it quickly vanishes I am feeling that we will indeed see our home arise from the caos.

A quick photo credit to my DSD (dear step-dad) for the photo.

Last of the bits or thank God for Craigslist.com

Spent most of the afternoon tying up the last of the "bits". I wrote up an ad on Craigslist.com before we went to church that we were going to have a free garage sale from 12-3pm. Boy, was that a slick way to get rid of most of the stuff! We got home right at 12 and there was a crowd waiting for us. [Who says people can't read!!!] The rush was dizzying but in the end we had one more load for Goodwill, another load to our current abode (three doors down from the "building site"), packing peanuts to recycle and other hazardous waste to recycle.

Those of you that don't know us personally might be scratching your head as to what that large white structure is behind the bungalow--soon to be gone. That is our best neighbor--a very large watertower that has lots of green space around it that allows us to have a very park-like backyard--though there is a fence between us and the tower. Once you get over the thought of having several hundred thousand gallons of water above your head, it's all good. I've been living here since I was 6 months old so I am totally over that. DH, worries about it crashing over after a quake but I was here during the "big" one in the 1960's and all it did was make sloshing noises--I was totally bummed that I missed JP Patches, but I digress. If it does ever fall, we will more than likely get the legs and not the water, just the same, we will be suing the city as no insurance in the land will take care of that.

DH took the numbers off and I hope to spiff them up a bit and recycle them to the new house, we'll see. We have taken lots of the plants and landscaping elements, read rocks and stepping stones, to the back of the lot to recycle into the new yard.

Count down to demolition

Today is day 8/9/10 until demolition of our small rambler. The slashes are the consequences of dealing with the city, a builder on vacation (good for him!!!) and many other factors that I am unaware of, to be sure.

What I do know is that we have a permit number and a cost for that permit from the city. Early next week I am sure I will be rushing to the city to pay our dues so the chaos can commence.

I hope to be posting a photo a day and let it tell the story along with a few from me.