As I was sitting around, drinking cheap scotch, contemplating what to build next and where, I realized I could use what would’ve been unused space to hold some book shelves. I certainly won’t be able to keep all my books in the house, but I’ll have room to keep a selection there as needed. I forgot to take pictures of them specifically, but remembered to take pictures after I installed some downlights in them. And also put some ‘mood lights’ on top.
I then started on the paneling, doing a bunch of plumbing, building random furniture and installing the tub/shower/beer cooler. I also brought a bathroom vanity from home so I could have a wash basin. I think I spent more time moving all the crap around and around out of the work area than I did actually working.
I got my new foam bed in the mail right about the time I started putting up the ceiling. Tongue and groove pine. 8, 10, 12 feet long. What a pain in the…. back. And legs. AND ASS! It’s a hard life wedging 12 foot boards into place and holding them up with your feet while you hammer in the nails. And I installed my lights as well. And flannel sheets! Holy schmokes! Why has no one ever told me about flannel sheets? A wee bit more pleasant than the air mattress and sleeping bag. I started sleeping like a rock.
In an extraordinary burst of energy and motivation I also cut, installed and painted(!) the window and skylight trim.
I kinda liked the icicles coming off the roof, so I took some pictures of the living and working environment during the cold, cold winter. It was comfy inside though. (My life looks like a Marmot commercial). If I really worked at it, I could get it up to 48 degrees. Perfect temp to work construction! And we had a nice little New Year’s Eve/Michigan State Football Party (W 42-41!!!) too. Smoked oysters and sardines heated up on the Pocket Rocket stove, gin Gibsons, and football. For dinner AND breakfast….
…on everything. I’m getting so close to finishing the house that I’ve been feverishly dedicating spans of days (usually based on the usually incorrect weather forecast) to either working on the house, working on ‘work’, or working on all the other crappy things everyone has to do to maintain a normal(?) life. Ugh. Posting on the blog has taken a back seat to the need to collapse on the couch in anticipation of inexplicably waking at 6:30 or 7 a.m. (I hate 7 a.m.) But here are a few updates, starting from the turn of the year (holy crap! It’s been that long?). More are on the way.
…since I’ve posted, and also since I’ve insulated. It was the first time I really drove the full house into a ‘civilized’ town. I drove it to Otsego and back, even in a snow storm, with no problems! I kept looking up at the electrical wires, sure I was going to be on the news for the guy who cut power to the local tavern (tragedy!!!), but I had no reason for concern. I can take this thing anywhere!!
Work’s been doggin’ me and doggin’ me, but at least I get to play a little. I spent some time on the beach while I was in Bay City for a week, and this might be the only picture I took from any of the MSU football season (I had a crappy loaner phone while I was waiting for my new iPhone). It was the last home game of the year and the weather was crappy, so it was a boy’s day/night out. We drank a few at HopCat before heading to the 45-3 blowout of Rutgers
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I installed my water heater, finally, did a bit of plumbing, and cleaned up the inside of the place in preparation for spray foam insulation…but still waiting to get that done. Ugh.
I can’t believe these pictures were taken a month and a half ago. I’ve been slackin’ on the blog. (I’ve been ‘working’ working my arse off.) Thanks to pretty good weather at that time, and a bunch of help from Tommy D (who came to help, what, like four days after the birth of his second child), I finally got the fascia, skylight, and steel roof installed! I also suffered the first major(?) injury.
After Tom ‘had’ to leave (like he anything more important to do…pffft!), I laid the port side steel all by my lonesome. As I was test fitting the second-to-last panel, and holding it majestically above my head, I took a step backwards, and placed my foot into the gap between the two picks, which I had intentionally created for my ladder. As I helplessly plunged footlong into the abyss, I had the presence of mind to somehow heave away the panel to prevent it from slicing off my arm, or leg, or noggin before my body slammed into the gap. My right leg was down in the hole, the rest of my body was on top of the picks. I somehow was able to quickly pull myself out and stumble around the house cursing like a Matt Miller, and I was actually ok enough to finish it up, and was so friggin happy that I didn’t have to deal with any tarps anymore!! So awesome!!
I did however crack at least one rib, and hurt my leg pretty bad. It was hard to move, breathe, cough, eat, sneeze and sleep for the next few days, but it only took about a month to feel 90 percent. I’m still in pain when I wake up, but it’s almost healed already. It’s good to be young. Wait….
It's a mad, mad mission 