Friday, November 19, 2021

Finally!

With Barb gone to Arizona for over a week now my life has changed. Oh, the basic schedule is the same…. Get up somewhere between 4 and 5am, go hunting…work on the porch (and a few other things)… go hunting again then supper and bed. Except I have two dogs to care for and I have to scrounge up my own food. My main goal for the week is to have two dogs here when Barb gets home. Preferably the same two dogs that were here when she left!

I created a list of things I wanted to get done while Barb was gone. Besides working on the porch roof, I wanted to install outside lights under the porch, do some trim around the doors, finish taping/mudding the bathroom and get it primed, ready for painting.

Meanwhile, while I am working my @ss off here I keep getting pictures from Barb, Jessica and the grandkids who enjoying fun in the sun down in Arizona.

They are spending their days hiking the Saguaro National Park, visiting Kartchner Caverns, eating ice cream and spending lazy days at the pool. 

Kendall (Baby K) and Barb at Saguaro NP

Kendall, Dylan and Barb 

Barb and Jessica conquering a hill
Oh yeah, and they went out to eat constantly!
And ice cream!
And pool side drinks
Meanwhile I am toiling away here at the jobsite. Barb left a week ago last Thursday and when I went to the store this past Thursday I realized it was the first time I left the property since she left! Oh wait, I take that back, I did go to Kevin and Cheryl's on Sunday for supper and to watch Yellowstone. (Thanks guys!) But besides that I did not go anywhere. I did not even go to burger night on Wednesday, life without Barb is just not the same!

I was able to get quite a bit done though. I finished taping, mudding and sanding the main floor bathroom. I even got it primed! Don't tell Barb though as it is a surprise for when she gets home tomorrow. I am not afraid that she will read this as I think she only reads the blog when I ask her to proof read it. 

I could have painted it too as we had some leftover paint from one of the bedrooms but I was not born yesterday, as a matter of fact it has been just over 21,500 "yesterdays" since I was born. I am leaving the paint color decisions to the CDM (Chief Decision Maker) of the house. 

Bathroom ready for paint!

It turned out really nice and the mirror in the picture is the one Barb made the frame for, it fits in perfectly! We are waiting for bids on the glass for the shower. That will really finish it off. 

And FINALLY, I got the porch roof done! A good two weeks behind schedule but weather delays (mostly wind), and issues with my knee prevented me from working on it as much as I thought I would. 

It turned out great and really transforms our big rectangular house into something else. Something with a little more character. 

I also installed a security system that included a water sensor, temperature sensor and a couple of cameras. As many of you homeowner travelers know there is a certain level of anxiety every time you leave your house wondering if everything is alright. Now I can look in and see what is going on at home when we are away. Even when I am deer hunting, I can see what the dogs are up to while we are away!

Apparently this is what Dakota does while I am gone. Not sure where Zoey is. I could have talked to them but did not want to scare the deer or them!

What am I going to do now that that big project is done? Sit back and relax? I wish! Now that the porch roof is on I can finally finish the siding on the two corners at the end of the porch that have hips. Then I have the corner trim. We have all the door and window trim done inside but have yet to start the base trim. Then there is the scratch coat on the 135 or so feet of the house that is going to get stone on it. Once that is done then comes the stone. So as you can see there is no rest for the wicked. We will work on the trim on the inside but the scratch coat is weather dependent, ideally you want the temperature over 40 for 24 hours after doing the scratch coat. Not sure we are going to see that for a couple of months. 

As far as deer hunting goes, I am seeing lots of deer. Just not TBO. I actually have never seen him, I don't know if he even exists but he does in my imagination and that is what keeps driving me to get out there! 

24 comments:

  1. Wow, that roof looks really good, Jim! Hope that knee settles down before you tackle the baseboard!

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    1. My knees are actually feeling better through the miracle of modern medicine. I will try to remember to blog about it next week!

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  2. The porch roof looks great. You will finally get that upside down house wrap covered up but in the back of my mind I will always know that it is upside down. Only a lobotomy will fix that. I am also glad that Barb looks guilt free while you toil away your days.

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    1. A lobotomy might be an improvement, I will have to talk to Lisa about suggesting that next time you go to Mayo!

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  3. Don't rush to finish construction because then comes "maintenance".
    Happy Thanksgiving.

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    1. What? Maintenance?!?!? We did it as maintenance free as possible but I am sure that is coming in our future very soon.

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  4. Looks like Barb is having a blast. You guys have done a great job and the place looks great! You might have to settle for something a little less than TBO before the season ends. 😉 I think you need a break too, so hop in that camper and get your but down to Q. We should be there in a few days. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Very tempting to head down that way. If we go anywhere this winter it will probably be east to Oregon. I know, the wrong way to go in the winter but Forrest said he has a couple of projects for us!

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  5. You sure have been busy. I don't know what you guys will do when it's all done as it has been all consuming when you are on property. :) Hope your knee feels better. Barb looks like she is having a fabulous time, I would too. :) Grandbabies Yeah!

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    1. I was busier when she was gone than when she is home as I had to do my work, take care of the dogs and myself!

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  6. Yeah, I would be looking for Zoey!! I'm curious what security system you got. The porch around the house looks awesome!!! Hopefully once it's finished, you won't be crawling the walls looking for something to do!!!

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    1. I feel like we have years worth of work left to do but in reality if the weather cooperated it would probably be just a month or so.

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  7. The house looks fantastic from the drone photos. Wow! A beautiful home. Love the mirror in the bathroom. Dakota looks so content on HER sofa and probably is glad that that other dog isn't around...haha! How sweet for Barb to have some good daughter/grandchildren time with warm weather. Hope everything is together for her return!!

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    1. Thanks! The porch really made a difference. Now I need to install some light under it and put the ceiling in!

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  8. When you first started on the porch I wasn't sure it was going to look like anything much other than utilitarian, but the wraparound aspect really dolls it up! ..and "oh so functional". Something about being home by yourself - I always get a ton more done too. Barb's getting her girly/relax time in - good for her.

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    1. When we designed the building we were afraid of the same thing and hoped that the porch dressed it up and so far we love the way it looks. It will be nice not to have the rain and snow pouring down in the sidewalk. Now, it should be nice and dry!

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  9. The house and porch look great! How many square feet of living space do you all have? It looks like we could park several of our motorhomes in there! Also, I love the idea of you being able to mess with the dogs when they think they're home alone. Bwahahaha! Hours of entertainment!

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    1. The main level is 38'x30' so we have 1,100 feet on the main level. The loft has 450 square feet up stairs. Not huge but perfect for us. The garage is 30'x50' so I guess you could fit a couple of motor homes in the garage!

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  10. The house looks awesome. My advice comes from my knee surgeon. Don't let it go. Get it fixed if needed. Walking poorly on a damaged knee will cause other problems.

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  11. Catching up on all your posts. I love a house with a porch and this one looks wonderful. Can't wait to se it finished. If yo don't mind I would be very interested ( when you have time ) in the security set up you did, water, etc. Just links are good enough if you email me.

    Contessa

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