Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Shocking news report!

Why, it's beginning to be almost shady in here!

Some progress

I absolutely love this photo of "the crew":


That's Dennis in the middle. The other two have been the only ones working on the framing so far. Poor guys! They were joking that if they had to do it all themselves it would take a year just to get that part done! Dennis says there will be a whole crew up there beginning today. No report yet.

Here's the big progress shot:

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Framing progress: Week 1

Apparently there have not been enough photos posted on this blog of the framing progress. We here at blog central apologize for this serious oversight and vow to harass the lady with the camera daily until she hands them over. Helps when you all call and do that for me, too. Otherwise she spends all her spare time coaxing the dog to eat chicken that she has carefully cooked and warmed in the microwave.

Meanwhile, back at the house:
The driveway is now completely filled with lumber. They can't even get the crane in to lift the lumber there is so much lumber! Lumber! So much of it! If lumber were liquid we could say that it filleth the driveway to overflowing with lumber!


It doesn't quite fill the basement yet, but they're supposedly working on it. Except this weekend, because the entire population of Salt Lake has gone somewhere else for the holiday. I know because half the population of Salt Lake County was on the freeway with me yesterday as I crept along I-15 at 10 MPH all the way through both Davis and Weber Counties. I have it on good authority that the other half of the population was on I-15 headed southbound. I kept checking the radio for news reports of an impending hurricane.


Framing! It's about framing, people. There was no hurricane.


My kids and I got to witness an apartment building burning down when we were in Ogden earlier this week. It was very sad. 20 families lost everything in that fire. Another new friend from the MOMS Club had a fire in her kitchen on Mother's Day, and has been sleeping 3 hours at a time, twice a day, in an attempt to get her home back to normal. Who needs hurricanes?

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

That's no mirage

What could that be in the driveway? My eyes must be playing tricks on me. It actually looks like... lumber!



Don't look now, but they're FRAMING!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

A floor!

The street was full of important construction vehicles today. They set up some simple forms and then got down to the business of creating a lovely basement floor:



One of the guys asked my mom if she wanted to help, but she declined, protesting that she left her boots at home. I think they don't know what to do with such attentive observers and photographers around - especially when one of them purportedly "nearly ripped his arm off" on the site.





They have also been busy removing the mountain of packed clay soil from the driveway.



Next: Framing!

The wood is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and the framers on Monday. They have lots of other work to do so we know they will get down to business quickly! My mom says Dennis told her that there will be work done every day now until it's finished. I think the man is an eternal optimist!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

When your hut is on fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger.

He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?"

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island. It had come to rescue him!

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Fire Diary - the book

I found a nice little children's book called Fire Diary, by Lily Rosenblatt, and got a copy of it for our family. It tells a young girl's story - in diary format - of her house fire and how she learned to deal with the emotional consequences afterward. Drew and I both read it already, and we agree it is nicely done.

Family and friends: it's a short little book, so if you or your kids are interested, you're welcome to read it some time when you visit. You can also likely find it at a library, or online (I got my copy from Half.com).

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

A little update II: The return of the update

From my mom:

Dad got his stitches out this morning. Yea! Now he can have a shower, poor man. Robert told us that David has the largest, strongest deltoid muscle in his shoulder he has ever seen during an operation. But he tore all four of the muscles off the rotator cuff in his left shoulder. He will spend another week and a half in the brace and then begin therapy exercises.

Lady is not doing well today. She doesn't have much energy and is just lying around. The only thing she has eaten all day is a piece of steak Duncan didn't want. Her breathing is beginning to be a little labored also. When she barks out the window at other dogs going by she tends to choke a little.

At the house the rough plumbing will be finished by tonight. The inspection is supposed to be Thursday. If we pass inspection the basement floor will be poured Friday.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

A little update

From my mom:

At the house the back-filling is finished. It rained today so
nothing was done. But as soon as possible the sewer goes in inside
the house, the basement floor is poured, and then the framing can
begin. It is beginning to look like something someone did on
purpose. Yea!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Anniversary Day

--May 2, 2006--


--May 2, 2007--







Injury update: Dad had surgery today to reattach his shoulder muscle to his shoulder bone, where he ripped it off when he fell on Monday. His brother Robert did the good deed, and Dad is spending the night at the hospital so they can keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't try to sneak out and put up any more insulation. He'll be coming home Thursday morning.