raf’s Family

You Would Think...

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:06:00 -0400

You would think that someone with an electrical engineering background who picks out light fixtures (luminaires is the correct terminology), and places telephone outlets and power outlets (receptacles, again the correct terminology) would have no problems picking out lights and locating where she wants her telephone and power to be roughed-in for her addition. In fact, it's the item I'm struggling with the most. I'm having a blast picking out tile, and plumbing fixtures and counter top finished, and hardware....etc. Sheesh, the pressure!

I failed to update last week so I'm doing a 10-day update this week instead. I thought today would be a good stop as the porch is finally starting to take form, roof lines are defined and the windows are just about all installed....having a 40+ degree day absolutely helped.

The one item I'm not too sure about are the slats between the porch railing. The plans call for wood, but metal was delivered. I've checked out several websites and still not sure what I want to see. Before they begin installing or even opening the boxes, I have to make a decision as to the look I want to achieve.

Better get back to work....need to pay for this lovely project (23:00 CDT)

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Frozen Grand Central...

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:12:52 -0400

Frozen Grand Central

What would you do if you found people frozen in time?

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QotD: What's in a Name?

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:30:29 -0500

How did you create your username for VOX? What influenced your decision?
Submitted by Strive2Be.

I once was told that I was their inspiration (to write and to paint)...analogous to what Beatrice was to Dante, his muse...although the spelling is slightly different...gives me a bit of anonymity, but perhaps, not anymore.

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Labyrinth Bowie on Flight of the Conchords

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:06:18 -0500

Labyrinth Bowie on Flight of the Conchords

classic

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Oh- the tumbling walls!

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:50:22 -0500

I was criticized the other day by my teenage daughter that I had a boring blog of just construction photos and weekly progress notes. Of course I'm not out here doing the "My Space" thing trying to be cool with crazy pictures etc. So I decided to share something very dear to me. A poem my special guy once wrote, that I think is absolutely fabulous. Enjoy...

Oh- the tumbling walls! Stones scattered and foundations lift her pride no more:
Did sound warning calls to bring me pause that Danger passed my Castle Door?
My towers fall with crashing calls 'cross my creation’s crumbling roar!
There was no acceding deeds or fault decreed to warn of this unsteady floor.
Who knew this kingdom's fault was my corrupt heart? Who shines bonfire bright on useless pity?
Come hear now this tragedy, the razing of my Broken City,
Come hear my blinded eye witness how she tore it down, my Golden City.

My City! This aspiring parish with trappings garish. I fashioned of imagined quarried stone.
Artisans craft on future tariff worried gilded frills until they shone.
I sweep my hand! The Master plan rolls out to match my mind alone;
Empire complete with bridge and street built in my head- no flesh. No Stone.
No Idea spared, no imagined pleasure, no Civic treasure thought too grand.
But this design's one flaw is bright! This dreamed city leans on soggy land.
This shaky, troubled, ill-found soil on which I chose my future's stand.

From where I build, I ignore the trembles, the towers sagging and drooping gates
This useless earth where my plans assembled cannot support my dear hope's weight.
These turrets stand on imperfect land and walls and bridges know their fate
But were I to tell, she might have known that HER strong hands might keep it safe!
Her powers (this, she doesn't know) because to her I never told
That these walls were built for us! To rule together safe in hold!
Were she to know this was for her? Built by me for her to hold.

And as she left, the buildings fell, foundations heaved and turrets burned.
Bridges sunk and walls to tumble down into fields of wreckage turned.
And I stood in rubble and watched her train of almost royal feminine perfection
Wander paths to different towns and I bemoaned my dereliction!

She never knew my Kingdom grew imagined solely for her regal throne
She fled before Divine anointment, her court and courtiers cast to ground.
She did not predict royal appointment; she must assume it wouldn't come.
What other reason for discontentment? Without that truth, fleet has she flown!
Another place holds industry and subjects for her gracious hand.
In that town she stops her fleet and sets her feet to make her stand
He'll forge for her a Castle Keep where peace and comfort rule her land.

Where is my dream? My soul's desire? Whose castle choir will sing her fame?
Darkness falls on streets afire and rubble dust piles rock and flame.
That there is no real house built for her to dwell- shamefully, I am to blame.
She wandered easily away from me. To there. Her hand was forced to seal my shame.
Imagined glitz and dreamy bastions will never prove that I'm no fool
Real work, true oak, hard stone, and deeds must be if she were to return and rule!
I have no choice but to build sincere, if she might ever return and rule.

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All I can say is "WOW"...

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:14:53 -0500

This is probably the week that seems to have made the most progress. I think everyday this week was above freezing, so the framers were here everyday and it was just AMAZING. Walls to the master suite were framed and the rooms are better visualized in my mind. Walls to the office were erected and I'm really excited to be surrounded by an abundance of windows and natural daylight. It will be a great space for my CAD tech and I to work, and there's even room in there for possibly another employee.

At the master suite, walls were framed and the roof trusses delivered. I can now visualize the actual size of the bath/bedroom/closet and sitting area. It also helps to see that the 3/4 wall I had planned for to separate the area of the tub and the WC, was too high and would give the WC the illusion of being in a dark and dreary "box". So before further work occurs there, the wall will be shortened to allow for some of the natural light from the window to spill into that area. I'm going to fast forward a little to Friday's activities which were just my favorite this week.

Walk-in Closet

(A little history) A couple of weeks ago I went with the interior designer to the tile showroom and picked out a few options for bathroom tile. I brought them back and laid them out on the floor. I kept walking back and forth throughout the weeks to come and was just not crazy in love with them. So Friday, we went back to the showroom, but this time I was a bit more prepared. I had checked out some bathroom remodeling magazines from the library and fell in love with an idea....vertical tiles. Now these in the magazine were "custom hand made" tiles, so I KNEW that I wasn't going to find the exact same tile. However, my interior designer took the idea and ran with it. We left there after two hours jumping for joy with the tiles, the color scheme and the accent pieces that will get incorporated. I can now go back to the plumbing showroom and rethink my faucets, tub filler and shower head. These options now will be cheaper than going with the vessel sinks and faucets I had picked before. I'm also thinking of going with a concrete counter/vanity top with integral sink(s)...check this out.....

http://www.beckerconcrete.com/home.html

What else....at the end of the week, roof trusses for both areas were completed and some of the facia was started. The nice thing about it being cold outside, is that the framers come inside on occassion and warm up. When they do, I take the opportunity to chit chat about schedule and what their next step will be. In summary, they will have the roof complete and the wrap around porch done by the end of this week. My employee took the initiative to take some additional pictures from afar, which give a much better perspective of the whole picture; however, it did not capture everything that was accomplished by the end of the week. Until next week.....

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Week Three and We Have Framing

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:16:31 -0500

Perhaps I should let the pictures this week speak for themselves:

Beginning of the Week - Still VERY COLD Weather - Below Freezing

View From Backyard

The Walls Were Erected in One Day

As you drive by, the house looks like a big box, I'm happy with the progress; however, not sure why the front master bedroom and bathroom windows haven't been "cut-out" like the others. Something to look for next week, I suppose. The weather has warmed up a bit this weekend, a balmy 36 yesterday. My understanding is that this coming week we will try and get my electrical updated. The house has the old type fuse panels and due to the contractor's tool loads we've experienced this past week, we maybe replaced 3 or 4 fuses, I'm desparate to get the new circuit breaker panelboard in place.

Although, no work was done to the office addition, my guess is that next week will show some progress in that area.

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Rome Was Not Built In A Day

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:23:48 -0500

Nor do I expect such miracles. But it's nice to dream. I'm actually pretty impressed with the progress despite last week's mini fiascoes.

<<SIDEBAR>> My intent here is not to TRASH my builder....he actually has knowledge of this blog, and access to see what I'm writing about. He is a dear friend of mine and would like to keep it that way. I have assured him his anonymity, despite the fact that most of my friends already know of him, A HUGE sign with his company logo-name was planted at the end of my ddriveway, and my other friends and family live too far to even give a hoot, so, my intent is to document and be accurate.

Now, back to this week's events. The office addition is well underway. First few days, the contractor's spent most of their time under the "big blue tarp" with, I'm guessing here, heaters pouring footings and installing the concrete block. By Wednesday, the fruits of their labor were revealed like some masterpiece...not necessarily an object d'art but I'm OK with it. Waterproofing and backfill proceeded; and from my conversations with the Contractor, additional grading will be resumed in the Spring when the ground thaws and I've had some time to think about how we want that area graded/landscaped. I'm probably going to leave that up to Layne as his vision for an organic garden may come into play.

So now for the Master Suite: Since we are building over the garage, and we cleaned the garage out for the framers, what's the first thing to go....the roof. Looking back at the original house photos, you will see a cupola with a reindeer on top. I get a call Monday morning from the interior designer asking what my plans were, if any, for the cupola. Sorry guys, but my GF already had dibs on that thing that from day ONE. I always thought it was an eyesore, so at the bare mention of getting rid of it one day when I add a second bathroom, she basically jumped all over that one and claimed it. Anyhow, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves at this point.

So did it snow that night? Of course it did. Electrician was in the next day to cut all power to the garage, the next step is to relocate these utilities to make room for the framing and trusses....which BTW are on the ground of my driveway waiting to be placed....maybe next week.....

It's Friday afternoon, and I've been sitting here, supposed to be working, but instead trying to recollect this week's events, and for the past 3 hours or so, Mr. Bobcat with auger has been trying to drill in the footings for the front porch. Actually the first footing took longer since they hit some rock (I was praying it wasn't the water line, but they assured me that the water line "should" be buried deeper than the 4-feet they had to drill). The other two footings took maybe 15 minutes each.

Mr. Bobcat

Since some of you may live far and away, and aren't subject to my incessant "Hey you want to see what my house will look like?!" Well, I got a call from my Interior Designer, and apparently they decided they didn't really like the fact that one of the columns was in front of the window. I took my plans, scanned them and had my drafter use Inkscape to move the coulumns around in three different scenarios....after much deliberation, we concluded that a compromise of options 1 and options 3, yielding option 4, was our best solution. This may be the first that some of you have seen a little glimpse of the plans:

Frontporch - Original Design

Final Porch Option

Until next week....

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QotD: The Best Part of Waking Up

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:08:29 -0500

What's your morning beverage of choice? Coffee, tea, juice? Homemade or store-bought?

Coffee....homebrewed

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Week One of 140 Days...

nobody@vox.com(dantesmuse) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:42:42 -0500

So, this past week was the groundbreaking of the addition to my modest homestead. What is soon to become, what someone already pegged, the "Bea Majal". Anyhow,"groundbreaking" is probably not very accurate as the contractors were very successful in breaking the gas line, the cable and the sewer line. Lucky for me, the power lines are located overhead and not buried. If this is the presedence of the days to come, I'm not sure we are ready to undertake the "project" for the next 133 days to come. So what was actually accomplished this week was the excavation of the foundation to the new 12x20 foot addition to the north that will become my new office space and Layne's new workshop.

Starting tomorrow, framers coming to reinforce the garage for the addition above the garage that will be the new master suite....so we had to clear out the contents of the garage...in sub-zero weather.(according to The Weather Channel -7-degrees "feels like -16 degrees". Fun!

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