Week 20

Lots of very satisfying (& very visible) work happened this week!

First, on Sunday night, our dear friend Brian brought over an enormous tuna & tomato casserole for us, to help us through our kitchen on again/off again problems:

So delicious! So helpful!

Monday

We came into the garage Monday afternoon to find that a table had been set up for a saw. No, AJ, I don't think you should try to use it:

How tall are these guys?!

We also found that more electrical work had been done.

Recessed lights downstairs:

Outlets & switches started to go in. This is the bathroom light switch:

Here's an outlet downstairs:

Here's an outlet upstairs:

More progress on siding, as well:

And Pickles got a good snooze in, in the sunshine in the new kitchen:

Tuesday

The back door arrived!

Pickles approves.

More electrical. This is the switch by the door:

The same outlet downstairs:

There are probably a dozen or so outlets & switches that I could take pictures of. I think that there is nothing more beautiful than new, safe wiring, but I'll spare you.

Boxes installed in the wall, ready for the outside lights to be installed when they show up:

Light & fan installed in the bathroom ceiling:

That same light switch in the bathroom, now stuffed full of wires:

Lights installed upstairs:

Nail holes on the siding beginning to be filled & prepped for painting:

We also had an inspection of the shear walls on Tuesday. Approved!

Lastly, on Tuesday, Pickles let us know that she would not be deterred from her favorite bathroom spot just because some shelves had been stored there:

Wednesday

Door installed!

The Action Adventure Kitchen has been retired:

It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

The electrician is also taking a peek at the other light in the kitchen, just to make sure it's not also a hazard:

More progress on the plumbing venting, as well. Vent from below has been connected:

It goes through the back of the cabinets (a little unfortunate, but whatever):

Up in the wall:

Then through a hole in the wall:

And eventually through this hole in the roof:

And then there was this big interesting drip that dried while coming out of this tube of goo:

Thursday

Vent complete!

Siding getting closer!

And the rough plumbing passed inspection!

Friday

Another dump run Friday morning cleaned out the garage, & made room for more materials to arrive:

What's in that big box?

Oh, hello tub!

Meanwhile, the plumber began the installation:

Siding done!

They also removed old shingles under AJ's office that didn't make sense anymore, & replaced them with the same siding:

This stack of lumber is stuff from the house that will be recycled back into the kitchen counter, and the bathroom vanity & tub platform:

Lastly, the rose bush is sprouting new leaves:

It just may live after all!

Next up: electrical inspection, structural inspection, kitchen tiles arrive, and hopefully the back stairs will finally be reattached.

Week 19

More steady progress this week, but much of it is invisible, so you will have to use your imagination.


Monday

Most of the roof work was completed. The finishing touches will go on after the siding is on.


Tuesday

Things got ordered (bathtub, fixtures, lighting, back door), and inspections were scheduled.

This tub valve also was bought:

Wednesday

The engineer came in for an inspection of the shear walls. He looked at the construction & the decisions that Mr. Bunkport made (including the one to tear off the back of the house & rebuild it), and was so impressed, that he asked him to come work on his house.

Thursday

They started digging a hole in the concrete patio for a trap to go with the drain system:

Washing machine & dryer were liberated from the debris, & moved to their new homes:

The back stairs had to be detached so that the windows could be sealed, and have to stay that way until the siding is put back on. We can use them, but they wave all around when we walk on them, & looking down at the gap between the landing & the house as you step over it is unpleasant. The whole thing is very unnerving. Here is Pickles, like a champ, figuring out how to get back into the house:

In other news, the rosebush we moved in Week 4 has buds on it!

That seems very promising.

Friday

They finished putting in the trap:

The tub valve was installed:

And the washer & dryer got one step closer to done:

I believe we're just waiting on the electrical to be connected and the dryer to be vented, and then we'll be back in business.

I'm irritated that the plumber didn't put the water heater back on its steel stand, because I don't like the happy rat habitat it creates sitting on the ground, and I don't like the fact that he appears to be planning to vent it out through the back of the house instead of the side. Another thing to talk to Bunkport about.

Anyway, the other exciting thing to report is that the siding is underway. They did the entire south wall on Friday, as well as part of the west (back) wall:

We're planning to paint it a bright, deep blue color -- something like a cross between royal blue & navy blue -- & do the trim a light gray, to contrast a little with the white exteriors of the doors & windows.

Next up: finish the damn siding & reattach the damn stairs, finish the damn appliances, and finish the damn electrical. For chrissake.