About those stressful ABC's...

And, forsooth, the leaves are turning!

 

"But... they are right there in front of your eyes. Yellow. And a few orange. Can't you see them?"

 

"It's summer. It is not fall". Quite a number of people would agree with Chris. August is a summer month. Cassandra spotted at least two ambitious trees on the Mt. Yippee color parade before August began; July is even more of a summer month than August! So, clearly, leaves can turn color in the summer. But, not according to Chris, the Man Who Refuseth To See-eth. As leaves turned color in August, his staunch refusal to acknowledge "any such craziness" suffered only one brief and fleeting lapse: a quiet concession to Cass so that she knew: yes, he can actually see that tree over there with leaves of yellow, orange and red. "But, it's summer, not fall. And, therefore I see lots of lush green. Nothing but green leaves." By the end of August, Chris still wasn't acknowledging the colors. "Perhaps in September", he mused. "It's still summer, mind you. All the way to the 23rd. But, seeing colorful fall leaves in September is much more reasonable. So, I might see some colorful leaves on September 1st."

 

Cassandra's efforts to get Chris to see the colors came to a climax as August closed; the heavens opened, and Chris slept. When he woke the next morning, September 1st, and stepped outside: "Lo' and Behold! The colors! Look at the colors in the trees. Wow!". Chris joined in the Color-Seeing.

 

Neither C saw the frost that they were warned may form several evenings in August. Did it? Did it not? If you stay asleep long enough, and refuse to look outside, you won't know. The list of things Chris refuses to believe are a part of August now includes: frost, color-turning leaves and sweatshirts. Believe it or not, all of these transpired in this August, in this place.

 

Now for some ABC's: Anxiety, Bank and the C's

 

Anxiety? What is anxiety? The handy-dandy, old and beat-up, dictionary says: 1. being anxious (anxious: mentally troubled) 2. worry or concern 3. eagerness; troubled desire. Neither C really knew what anxiety felt like before, but perhaps it does apply. Hmmm.

 

The bank had wanted building to be done by Sept 1. In July, C&C wrote the bank and said essentially: so...what happens when we're not done by then, because we will not be; what are the options? The bank never replied, and kept on not replying as Chris made further inquiries. Chris contacted the guy's boss and, eventually, a reply was gotten via that avenue, albeit in a convoluted way since she used a very old email address. The bank representatives still hadn't answered C&C's question; asking instead for some status.

 

A refresher on the status

 

Here's what C&C told the bank:

 

... understandable, as we certainly wish we were already finished, and why we had asked [] for our options. Thank you for contacting us about this. I hope that together we can come to a satisfactory resolution.

 

What is left to be done:

 

20' yurt: Light fixtures

 

30' yurt: Electrical is 50% complete. Wallboards are 50% installed, with moldings and finishing to do after that. Steps up to the loft are about 50% done. Plumbing, appliances and kitchen cabinets/counter have not been

installed. The floor, however, is 100% complete, which may seem backwards but because the floor is part of the yurt platform we had to do it early.

 

The heating system requires:

Fins for the radiant tubing are 80% complete, after which pressure testing must be done. Then the underside of yurts can be insulated and closed.

Installation of water tank and various controls happens in the Utility Shed. Power House must be finished and power system installed. Pipes must be filled.

 

The Utility Shed requires:

Roof and siding are about 80% installed. Interior floor is insulated and could be used as is, but we prefer nailing down a top floor. Walls need insulation and interior wallboards. Water tank, pressure tank and hookups.

 

The Power House structure is finished, with insulated floor but needs roof and sides (interior and exterior with insulation), after which power system can be installed. We had a site visit with the power system re-quoted several weeks ago. The installer makes a site visit (not as simple as it sounds due to Cassandra's health) and a substantial deposit made before parts can be ordered.

 

The deck structure surrounding the yurts lacks a railing and one of the entry stairs is only about 33% done.

 

The realistic answer to your question of when we will be done is next year, depending on what 'done' means to Chittenden. For example, we can live there without molding on the wallboards, and we don't require loaned

funds in order to purchase the required materials. We do, however, need heat. While next year is not what anyone wants to hear, most of all us, given our special situation this is realistic. As you may recall, we are

literally doing the building. In multiple areas, we are being more careful than perhaps any other client. For example, beyond the point when the excavator was finished, no one has worked on our home that has not first gone through our rigid decontamination and safety process. As you can imagine, this limits the pool of available help and effectively rules out hiring contractors.

 

Most of the delivery of supplies and most of the building has been done without exhaust-producing power. When use of a generator and/or vehicle cannot be avoided, special precautions and planning are required.

 

While it is time consuming to be so cautious, every material is considered and tested for Cassandra's safety before install. If a supply is thought to be too risky and if she will definitely not be exposed to it in the final home, someone else must handle the install. As it is, I must be the one to remove packaging from newly purchased items, and, for that matter, purchase the items as she cannot travel or go into stores.

 

These are a few specific examples of our unique situation which translate to construction taking far more time than any of us would like.

 

We are very much interested to know the options as they stand now. We are extremely motivated to be finished and working daily on the home, but unwilling to build in a way that jeopardizes the home for her safety and health - which is still the goal.

 

C&C will find a way somehow. Chris had a little chat with the universe, encouraging it to send back a positive response from the bank. "And, by golly, while you're at it... let's win the lottery... Then, we could just pay the bank off, pay for the rest of system, pay for some people to safely help us finish." That would be really nice. Being finished will be quite nice, indeed. If anyone knows a helpful way to finish faster, while keeping the safety goals, please advise. Thanks!

 

At the close of August, there had been no word back from the bank. But August couldn't wait around. With a heavenly flourish, August gave way to September.

 

Despite all the long underwear-wearing days and frost warnings, August had seemed to laugh a little at Chris: "You say its summer, boy? Well, I rained on you plenty and gave you just enough hot days to bring on skeeters galore: plenty of little summery gifts. Ha!" As C&C had dealt with August's rains and cold and temperature fluctuations and stress and skeeters.... what got done for site work?

 

 

Tasks Summary:

Total August Site Hours: 250.00

 

Completed task: (213.82) Radiant flooring 30': loops installed [8/30/08] (start date: 07/10/08, site days: 3.50)

 

A Tasks: 227.50 hrs

 

69.75 hrs (329.02 Construct walls and loft - 30' yurt: wallboards) 

35.75 hrs (213.12 Utility shed built)        

27.25 hrs (213.50 Construct power house)          

15.75 hrs (213.71 Walls - 30' yurt: sand and finish)         

12.00 hrs (275.04 Materials transport/inventory)  

10.50 hrs (213.82 Radiant flooring 30': loops installed)   

8.75 hrs (742.01 JaBoSTH: Non-Quackers)         

8.25 hrs (329.04 Loft access Building)   

7.25 hrs (213.24 TV loft adaptation)       

6.25 hrs (329.05 Loft Bathroom Windows)          

6.00 hrs (213.85 Radiant flooring 30': fins installed)        

4.25 hrs (213.36 Site cleanup (general and for Cass safety))       

4.25 hrs (213.65 Electrical rough-in (30' yurt))     

4.25 hrs (213.70 Construct walls and loft - 30' yurt: mouldings)   

3.00 hrs (306.01 Determine tasks she can do during week alone) 

2.50 hrs (239.19 2nd Site Visit and Review)        

0.75 hrs (213.69 Construct walls and loft - 30' yurt: floorboards) 

0.50 hrs (213.86 Radiant flooring US: fins installed)        

0.25 hrs (306.02 Test on safety: materials and tools)      

0.25 hrs (213.76 Power House: build walkway/access from road)

 

Q Tasks: 22.50 hrs

           

10.75 hrs (300.55 Woodstove, Heat & Showering '08 )    

5.00 hrs (288.09 Cut and store downed trees)     

2.25 hrs (742.02 JaBoSTH: Quackers)    

1.50 hrs (305.01 Garlic spray)    

1.00 hrs (545.04 YIDDEE HSODIF: Repair)        

1.00 hrs (325.02 Baking Soda MLA and driveway Shrooms)        

0.50 hrs (305.03 Mosquito dunks)          

0.25 hrs (305.04 Daitomaceous earth)    

0.25 hrs (305.18 Tick Tick)