Quick Update

Before I forget everything he told me:

We had the inspector out today for our last inspection before the final inspection. We knew we would fail, but then again we always do the first time. Really, we just want to know what we need to fix. They sent a different inspector this time, and he pointed out some plumbing issues the other didn't see, so our plumber is coming back out. We also need to put vents on the doors to the water heaters, and a panel on something - see, I already forgot. There are a few other issues, but nothing huge. The electric company came today at 6:00 (?) and Chandler's wouldn't let them in...like they could do much in the dark, anyway. So they're coming tomorrow. Erik needs to call the gas company and see what they're up to. Plumbing is coming Friday, I think....at least someone's coming on Friday. Erik has finished putting up all the trim on doors and windows, so I need to putty and caulk - at least someone needs to : ) I've been a pretty good girl studying for my boards.

His idea to hire someone to do some woodwork has backfired - apparently everyone is in Houston because there is so much work down there after the hurricanes. It's not that it's too hard or complicated, we really would just like some extra hands. Hmph. We'll see where that goes.

Meanwhile, there's always work to do.

Almost Close To Being Finished

Yeah, that's a gas pipe.

Yeah, that's the gas line. At some point, they will be connected and a meter will be installed. Come on, gas company! You can do it! You're halfway there!

Yeah, that's an electric meter. Well, it's missing its guts, but they inspected and approved Erik's conduit and came and ran wire, so I guess they transfer the meter from the t-pole and we're in business? I have no idea how this works.

Erik grouted the shower, but chipped a tile, so he'll need one more evening to fix that. He's been putting up molding and I went out today to continue puttying holes. It really is a lot of holes and takes a lot of time to do both sides of 26 doors. And that's only the holes I can reach without a ladder. Lots to do. Lots of caulking tomorrow after church once I finish puttying. The wood floors we ordered are in, and Erik bought the tile for the kitchen. Floors are a big deal. They're the last thing you put in : )

This Weekend's Work Day

Well, I have no pictures because there was no time for that. Erik's parents came up from Houston and we worked their tails off! The guys cut and nailed up trim on the windows and doors, Evenlyn cleaned and caulked, I puttied holes, caulked and watered grass, and mom caulked and cleaned - whatever her vertigo would let her do (craziness!) . I thought puttying holes was a good job for a dentist. I was pretty good at it : ) We did a lot, although you probably couldn't tell even if I had pictures - subtle but important changes! Thanks for all your help, guys!

Erik has finished the shower minus the grout, and the hole is all dirt free and ready for inspection (thanks, Bradley!) After the trim is ready, he'll probably do the kitchen floor and by the time that is done, the wood floors should be here (Dec 22). He's trying to find someone to do a few woodworking jobs he won't have time for and someone to paint all the trim. We also need to get HVAC back out here pronto and the gas company should come this week, so we can finish putting grass in. Now that it's freezing again. I'm so grateful that we had a pleasant weekend to get some work done! Erik took off the entire week of Christmas to work on the house. I have to study for boards, but I should be able to put my fair share of time in, as well. Erik's new favorite phrase is, " I wanna live here!" You and me both!

Christmas Wish - Green Grass in the Spring

Please pray for our plants. It actually snowed/sleeted a bit last night and the temperatures are hanging around freezing. The pansies will probably be fine, and we're keeping the grass wet (which is what you do when you first plant AND what you do to keep it from freezing to death). It's just really hard to water your yard when it's this cold and windy. It's worse than a really long day skiing after you've fallen a bit and even your socks are soggy. Lesson learned. Spend the money on a sprinkler system.

Note: It was completely pitch black dark by the time mom and I really got started, and we had the halogen mega lights out front so we could see.

There's still a lot of landscaping to do. There's a bed in front of the master, and we'll put shrubs along the back under the kitchen/kid bedroom windows. I still haven't figured out where to put my rose bush. She'll probably have to wait until spring - I'll just leave her in the pot for now. She survived last year - she can survive anything.

I also need to draw all this up and turn it in to Chandler's. We've been slightly worried they'll say something since we're not approved, but how can you not approve dwarf hollies, pansies and boxwooods? Come on. And I think the rocks look nice. Don't you? Left over from the retaining wall. It was good for something.

Pictures are Here!

I'm going to go put these in right now, hopefully before it rains:

Grass!

Doesn't it make a big difference?

Well, not down here. Those trucks were taking all the dirt mess away on the side of the house to my Uncle Steve's house where he's building a boat ramp (or something - he lives on the water) and needs lots of dirt.

Here's the bowling green in the back yard - oooh, horse shoes....

And the little bit of the ginormous pile of dirt that was left before I went to school today:

They left the rock for landscaping and the brick for the fireplace:

And here's the conduit all connected in the trench:

And the crazy hole that is now filled in a little bit, but you get the idea:

The Grass is Kinda Green

Pictures will come tomorrow as apparently you have to charge newly purchased rechargeable batteries before you can use them.

This Saturday, I woke up at 9:00 am or so and Erik left for the house. I had him walk off the yard and report back so I could call and see how much grass we could order. 4,000 sq ft = 442 sq yards. I called Miller Grass and that would cost $1400. So we decided to go for 1/2 of that which is around 3 1/2 palates. Amazingly, they delivered some actually good looking grass (for December) only 40 minutes later and it was time to get to work! I picked up 30 bags of compost at Lowe's and spread a thin layer over the front yard and beds. Then mom brought lunch and we got to work. Nanna and Grandaddy brought the tiller, and Grandaddy tilled the flower bed by the porch. Mom and I started laying grass in the front. We pretty much can't move without feeling the pain right now. Unfortunately, the gas company hasn't connected yet, so we had to leave the first 8 ft of yard by the street just in case they have to dig. But the rest of the yard is done in front, the side is done, and most of the back. The side by our neighbors will have to wait until the electricity is connected. Which is another update...

Erik spent yesterday afternoon digging a bit and most of today trying to connect those two holes. The hole is now about 7 ft deep, 4 ft wide at the top, narrowing to a point where it finally connected under the retaining wall with the trench. I had brought Dad with me to get his truck and he stayed to help Erik get the 2 1/2 inch pipe through that hole. All the conduit is now connected with the tape through it, ready to be inspected by the electric company!

Once connected, we can fill the ditch.
Then the HVAC guys can come back out and install the outside unit.
Hopefully the gas company will be here in the next week or so and we can finish all the grass.
This Saturday, Erik's parents are coming and we are going to knock out the trim and landscaping.
I need to order wood floors, like tomorrow.

Erik still has a little left on the master shower and then the kitchen floor as far as tile goes.

We're gettin' there!

It's a Mann-hole

Erik spent most of Saturday Sunday after church digging a Mann-sized hole to connect the electricity. This was taken around 3:00. By 4:00 I was going to Home Depot to rent an auger and Dad and Bret were coming to the rescue. After near carbon monoxide poisoning via the exhaust put out by that thing, they gave up and came home to hot showers and fajitas. 1 foot to go, so hopefully tomorrow? So close, but so far....and so cold!

To back it up a bit, our new plumber arrived on the scene last Tuesday to rescue us from certain watery demise after Bill. He brought a crew of 5 or so and wanted to complete everything in a day. They got to work like crazy, installing faucets and toilets and waterheaters and even fixing things they deemed unacceptable work per the previous plumber. Unfortunately, the fiber optics line could not be located and Charlie needed a big back hoe to dig as deep as he thought he needed to, so they had to hold off until today to try to connect to the sewer. Here's what he got done:

Anyhoo, he came back out today with the big guns, and lo and behold, the sewer was only 5 feet deep but next to a $20,000 magic fiber optic line. Bill's 8 ft. No, not even close. So he connected everything and we called the city and they came out and inspected it! Only to tell him to change something that he didn't have the equipment to change today, so poor guy has to come BACK out tomorrow, fix, reinspect, and fill the hole for us. He has been a savior! I thank him profusely every time I talk to him. If our house floods with water when we turn it on, it will only be because he didn't find something Bill did wrong.

Connected to the sewer! (and the super-expensive line)