Today I joined the Trinidad-Las Animas Chamber of Commerce. I'm trying to get my name out there as a QuickBooks Certified Professional Advisor. I really enjoy the consulting part of my business. I enjoy helping people make sense of this wonderful software.
We'll see what this may bring. Hopefully I can establish myself here.
More later...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Exploring
Yesterday was Sunday. I suggested to Les that we go for a ride in the car. So, global warming not withstanding, we hopped into the Jeep and headed east to see what we could see.
Colorado is about 2/3 mountains. And when it's not mountains, it's the plains. Trinidad sits at about 6,000 feet elevation right at the foot of the mountains. If you leave town heading east, you're on pretty much flat ground. If you leave heading west, you're in the mountains. That makes for some interesting views on our part because we can see the mountains and the plains. We have the best of both worlds.
So we drove east about 70 miles across the flat prairie and wound up in a little town called La Junta. It was a cute little town. We didn't spend much time as we were just enjoying the drive so we headed back west taking a different route.
I remember as a kid hearing the song, "Home on the Range." You know the part that says, "Where the deer and the antelope play?" For a long time I wondered why they were singing about such African creatures as antelope. There are lots of antelope around here and let me tell you, they really look like they're on the wrong continent.
We decided to continue our drive by taking a beautiful ride on the Highway of Legends. I'm not sure what legends there are on that road, but it's so beautiful that I don't think you need any more drama. While we started on that part of the drive we drove into a storm. Talk about beautiful!
I just love this place.
More later...
Colorado is about 2/3 mountains. And when it's not mountains, it's the plains. Trinidad sits at about 6,000 feet elevation right at the foot of the mountains. If you leave town heading east, you're on pretty much flat ground. If you leave heading west, you're in the mountains. That makes for some interesting views on our part because we can see the mountains and the plains. We have the best of both worlds.
So we drove east about 70 miles across the flat prairie and wound up in a little town called La Junta. It was a cute little town. We didn't spend much time as we were just enjoying the drive so we headed back west taking a different route.
I remember as a kid hearing the song, "Home on the Range." You know the part that says, "Where the deer and the antelope play?" For a long time I wondered why they were singing about such African creatures as antelope. There are lots of antelope around here and let me tell you, they really look like they're on the wrong continent.
I just love this place.
More later...
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time for the Blues
Throughout these last 5 years as I've walked through my strawbale house (in my head, of course) I can see the warmth of the sunshine as it comes through the carefully placed windows. I can smell the earthiness of the bales and the plaster. I can feel the subtle curves around the doors and windows. This house will be so much a part of me, that I feel like my life is tied to it intimately.
I am so very thankful that we have come this far. It hasn't been easy. You know all of the times that you second guess yourself? Shortly after buying our property I wondered if it would be a good idea to sell our house then and live in a rental to save some money. Well, we didn't -- and selling our house when we did really cost us. It took a year to sell, and when it did it was at the bottom of the market.
It's really difficult to justify going into a project like this when you're $50,000 in debt from the last house. It's a scary business to embark on such a big thing as building a house. That being said we've discussed the idea of waiting to build until we have a better hold of our finances. It's a crushing blow to my dream, but one that I think is the right one. (Sigh.....) I've always believed that I could overcome just about any obstacle by my intense will and determination. It would kill me to start on this build, but not be able to finish. Or what would happen if I couldn't work and we lost the house?
See what I mean? Second guessing. Doubts. Worries.
Ok, so we put the dream aside for a few months. With any luck, we'll be able to put the foundation down by the fall. Then maybe start with the walls by spring.
In the meantime, Trinidad is wonderful. It rained today. Big, fat raindrops fell from the tumultuous clouds. Thunder and lightning lent some interest to the afternoon. I love real weather.
More later...
I am so very thankful that we have come this far. It hasn't been easy. You know all of the times that you second guess yourself? Shortly after buying our property I wondered if it would be a good idea to sell our house then and live in a rental to save some money. Well, we didn't -- and selling our house when we did really cost us. It took a year to sell, and when it did it was at the bottom of the market.
It's really difficult to justify going into a project like this when you're $50,000 in debt from the last house. It's a scary business to embark on such a big thing as building a house. That being said we've discussed the idea of waiting to build until we have a better hold of our finances. It's a crushing blow to my dream, but one that I think is the right one. (Sigh.....) I've always believed that I could overcome just about any obstacle by my intense will and determination. It would kill me to start on this build, but not be able to finish. Or what would happen if I couldn't work and we lost the house?
See what I mean? Second guessing. Doubts. Worries.
Ok, so we put the dream aside for a few months. With any luck, we'll be able to put the foundation down by the fall. Then maybe start with the walls by spring.
In the meantime, Trinidad is wonderful. It rained today. Big, fat raindrops fell from the tumultuous clouds. Thunder and lightning lent some interest to the afternoon. I love real weather.
More later...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
California Memories
Day 41
When I look back to just a few short days ago, I recall walking to the pickup after packing up the last of our things. Several thoughts and feelings went through me. Excitement that the final California day had come. Anticipation of the long trip ahead. A little melancholy when I took in the view toward the ocean. I saw Boney Mountain as the ocean mist was starting to come in. I captured a whiff of orange blossoms. There will be some things that I will miss.
We arrived in Trinidad on Friday afternoon. Exhausted and completely worn out. We grabbed a few things to bring to the duplex. I have to find a different name rather than "the duplex." It's not a house, it's not an apartment. Les & I always called it 444. And now our rental unit is still 442. Somehow I always knew that we'd wind up on this side rather than the 442 side. For now, I will call it "home."
Yesterday, Saturday, we hired some local kids to help unpack the big truck. It's a good thing that Les has a big garage. He was so funny that when he saw it for the first time, he walked up to the corner by the door and hugged it. He loves his new garage. Anyway, with the 16' utility trailer, the 10' enclosed trailer, the Polaris Ranger and all of his tools and our stuff, the garage is full. It's not official yet because I'm certain that Les will find a way to organize it, but for right this moment... it's full.
DJ was a God-send through all of this. We couldn't have done it without him. He still has the remainder of his leave which is about 20 more days so he's here playing his video games on our TV. He sleeps in the chair. We've offered him a very comfortable fold out bed, but he's content in the chair. He doesn't complain, he helps where he can. He's an amazing young man.
We entertained our friends, Jim and Joelle today. Joelle and I had some time to talk. I love this little town. I feel so welcome here. My heart is content in the knowledge that this is the best place for us to be.
More later...
When I look back to just a few short days ago, I recall walking to the pickup after packing up the last of our things. Several thoughts and feelings went through me. Excitement that the final California day had come. Anticipation of the long trip ahead. A little melancholy when I took in the view toward the ocean. I saw Boney Mountain as the ocean mist was starting to come in. I captured a whiff of orange blossoms. There will be some things that I will miss.
We arrived in Trinidad on Friday afternoon. Exhausted and completely worn out. We grabbed a few things to bring to the duplex. I have to find a different name rather than "the duplex." It's not a house, it's not an apartment. Les & I always called it 444. And now our rental unit is still 442. Somehow I always knew that we'd wind up on this side rather than the 442 side. For now, I will call it "home."
Yesterday, Saturday, we hired some local kids to help unpack the big truck. It's a good thing that Les has a big garage. He was so funny that when he saw it for the first time, he walked up to the corner by the door and hugged it. He loves his new garage. Anyway, with the 16' utility trailer, the 10' enclosed trailer, the Polaris Ranger and all of his tools and our stuff, the garage is full. It's not official yet because I'm certain that Les will find a way to organize it, but for right this moment... it's full.
DJ was a God-send through all of this. We couldn't have done it without him. He still has the remainder of his leave which is about 20 more days so he's here playing his video games on our TV. He sleeps in the chair. We've offered him a very comfortable fold out bed, but he's content in the chair. He doesn't complain, he helps where he can. He's an amazing young man.
We entertained our friends, Jim and Joelle today. Joelle and I had some time to talk. I love this little town. I feel so welcome here. My heart is content in the knowledge that this is the best place for us to be.
More later...
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Day 38
This is our little caravan. Les driving the Budget truck, DJ with his Dodge diesel and my little trailer, and me with Les's GMC diesel with the 16' trailer and the Polaris.Budget was kind enough to supply us with 3 "professional" movers who emptied the truck that Les and DJ packed to the gills. They took all day to move almost all of our belongings to another 24' truck. I say "almost" because they couldn't quite fit it all.
My friend, Ann, is one of the best people on this earth. She helped us empty our hovel and load up the truck. She commented that it was like the loaves and the fishes how Les was able to organize the truck. Every time she looked it seemed that there was even more room in the truck. (Les is a very organized person.)
Anyway, long story short... we had to fit the remaining items into our pickup trucks. And after spending the entire day in the parking lot in Lancaster, we were finally on our way again at 6:00 PM. What a nightmare! We could only make it to Needles before exhaustion took over. We had to stop for the night just a few short miles from the California-Arizona border.
Today, we drove through Arizona and made it as far as Albuquerque. Tomorrow, with any luck, we should be coming into Trinidad by early afternoon.
I asked Mike Taillon, a Trinidad General Contractor, to give us a hand with the estimates so that we can present our paperwork to the bank. All we need now is to get our Builder's Risk insurance and hopefully, with Mike's help, the bank will be ready to review our loan. Please say prayers!
Today is Thursday, June 17. DJ and I arrived here late Saturday night. We spent Sunday packing up the hovel (apartment.) Monday morning we hired 2 day laborers to help with the heavy lifting. It's amazing how hard they work. They made short work of emptying 2 storage units and they got it all on the truck. Then we had to start on the stuff that was in the hovel. That took another whole day.
Les, of course, was more than amazing. He is powerhouse. We are both starting to show our age, but his determination and strength... wow, what a man!
And DJ... we could not have done this without him. What a fine, young man he is. He is kind, thoughtful, strong and smart.
But enough of the love-fest for my guys. It was absolutely exhausting, but we finally got everything into the truck and were on the road by 7pm. This was it. The day I've been waiting for for 5 long years. We were leaving California behind. Our caravan making our way east. Colorado... here we come!
And then... the rental truck broke down.
We were no more than 1-1/2 hours into our trek. Ugh...
We waited in the cold wind of the Mojave for someone at Budget to answer the phone. We then waited in the cold wind of the Mojave for a mechanic to show up to look at the truck. Then we waited in the cold wind of the Mojave for the tow truck to arrive, hook up the truck and lead us to a hotel. More than 4 hours after we pulled off the road, we were checking in to the Holiday Inn. Exhausted, cold & bad hair.
More on that later....
Les, of course, was more than amazing. He is powerhouse. We are both starting to show our age, but his determination and strength... wow, what a man!
And DJ... we could not have done this without him. What a fine, young man he is. He is kind, thoughtful, strong and smart.
But enough of the love-fest for my guys. It was absolutely exhausting, but we finally got everything into the truck and were on the road by 7pm. This was it. The day I've been waiting for for 5 long years. We were leaving California behind. Our caravan making our way east. Colorado... here we come!
And then... the rental truck broke down.
We were no more than 1-1/2 hours into our trek. Ugh...
We waited in the cold wind of the Mojave for someone at Budget to answer the phone. We then waited in the cold wind of the Mojave for a mechanic to show up to look at the truck. Then we waited in the cold wind of the Mojave for the tow truck to arrive, hook up the truck and lead us to a hotel. More than 4 hours after we pulled off the road, we were checking in to the Holiday Inn. Exhausted, cold & bad hair.
More on that later....
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Moving
DJ and I left for California early Friday morning. Our intent was to get as far as we could in one day... probably Kingman or maybe Needles. We hitched up my little trailer the night before so as not to wake the neighbors by fussing around in the early morning. By 6:00 am, we were on the road. What a beautiful morning.
It was raining on the Colorado side of the pass, but as soon as we crossed into New Mexico we saw the sunrise on a clear day. I was watching for elk and bear, but they were playing hard to get.
Just before Albuquerque and after about 3-1/2 hours of driving we took a break and fueled up. I took over the driving while DJ tried to sleep. I was really struggling to keep my eyes open after only 40 minutes or so. I had to pull over and DJ took over driving again. What a great young man he has turned out to be. Strong, trustworthy and really reliable.
I napped a little while he drove, then we switched in western New Mexico. Again I was too tired. After being Mom all of these years, my 22 year old son was taking care of me. I was so glad we were traveling together. Finally I got some real sleep so that I could actually share in the driving duties and covered the way from Flagstaff to Victorville in California. Then DJ took us on in to Newbury Park. We arrived at 11:30. We drove straight through in one day.
The sunset we witnessed while going through the Mojave Desert was spectacular!
It was SO good to see Les. I really missed him. I think he missed me, too. Schultz was an angel the whole way. He just slept. He had hardly any space, but he didn't complain. The hardest thing with him is that I have to help him get in and out of the truck. And it's a really tall truck! I can't let him jump down on his own any more because of his spine, so I kind of carry my 85 pound German Shepherd down out of the car and I let gravity help a little.
Today we're packing up this horrible little apartment. Tomorrow we'll get the big truck and probably hire some day laborers to help load it. Les's partner, Frank, has been storing Les's motorcycle and our Polaris so we have to get those and load them up on their trailers. This is a really BIG job... moving.
As far as the straw bale is concerned, I really thought that I found a good guy to be a consultant for us. Remember the guy with the firm handshake who looked me right in the eye? He was supposed to get back to me by Friday and I haven't heard from him. I left him 2 messages. That's Trinidad for you.... NEXT!
Andy decided he was going to go live with a friend in Boise. Today I bought him a one-way ticket. I sure hope this will be a "do-over" for him and he gets his head on straight. He's a really great guy... just needs a reality check. I hope he finds what he's looking for.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
One more time
Just a quick note tonight. It's late and in a few hours DJ, Schultz and I will embark on our trip back to California. We'll be driving DJ's 2006 Ram diesel rather than my Jeep. It's amazing, but that big truck gets over 22 miles per gallon and can go 700 miles on a fill up. I'm lucky if I can go 250 with my Jeep.
We should get there sometime on Sunday. We're getting our big truck on Monday & packing it up to leave on Tuesday. I should be back home by Wednesday evening. Looking forward to it, too. I really like my little house.
Hopefully I'll have time to write more on the trip...
We should get there sometime on Sunday. We're getting our big truck on Monday & packing it up to leave on Tuesday. I should be back home by Wednesday evening. Looking forward to it, too. I really like my little house.
Hopefully I'll have time to write more on the trip...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Today, I met with a roofing guy who irritated the heck out of me, and I met a nice, straight-forward contractor who looked me in the eye & gave me a firm handshake.
The roofing guy would answer every question with another question. Things such as, "What is the difference between pro-panel and standing seam metal roofs?" His answer would go into the fact that you need to screw in pro-panel, "And what happens when you screw something into your roof?" Duh... gee, that's a tough one. You certainly have to screw in a standing seam roof as well. I'm just asking you what the difference is, you jerk! He went on and on like this as though he was trying to back me into a corner. Well, I don't like being backed into a corner... NEXT!
The nice guy with the good eye contact is a General Contractor. Now I know that I told you that we were going to be our own GC, but I think it's important to have someone who can oversee what we're doing once in a while; someone who will be there when we have a question and someone who can re-direct us when we're starting to head down the wrong path.
I also need someone who can help me compile all of these bids I've received so that they can be presented to the bank. I meet with the bank guy tomorrow. Basically just a face-to-face so that I can see who I've been dealing with all of this time. That and to hand over a $300 check for an appraisal. There's always an appraisal. So... keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer that all of this goes well.
On the moving front, DJ gets his leave at 12:01 on Saturday morning. He will drive down here from "The Springs" and we will take the drive back to California together. Schultz will be coming with us, of course.
Schultz seems to still be feeling OK, but he also seems very anxious. And I can't calm him. I know he doesn't like thunder or the wind, and both seem to happen here every day. But he still seems on edge. And his back legs are still shaky sometimes. He walks a lot slower and he hasn't smiled in a long time. Poor baby. But he's still hanging in there. I have no idea how long it will be.
But he travels well. He either sleeps or he looks out of the window. So we'll be off toward California this weekend. We should arrive sometime early afternoon on Sunday. I can't wait to see Les. And I wanted to have dinner with my mom on Sunday. Monday we'll be picking up the 26' rental truck. We'll pack it all up and hit the road by Tuesday. We'll have DJ's Dodge diesel pickup towing my little trailer; Les's GMC diesel pickup towing his 16' utility trailer with the Polaris Side-by-side on it; and the rental truck. 3 drivers -- 3 vehicles.
Andy intends to stay in California for the summer. He's been working on getting into Musician's Institute in Hollywood so if all goes well, he'll be attending school in the fall and can follow his dream there. He was also offered the opportunity to tour with a band who has heard him in the past. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to practice since we sold the house. That's a long time for a professional drummer.
I'm calling for prayers. First & foremost -- that Andy finds a place to live during the summer and also a place to practice. That Andy gets accepted into M.I. and also obtains the student loans he needs to attend. And that we get all of the paperwork together within the next few days so that we can present to the bank. And that the bank gives us a quick approval.
Not asking for much, huh?
The roofing guy would answer every question with another question. Things such as, "What is the difference between pro-panel and standing seam metal roofs?" His answer would go into the fact that you need to screw in pro-panel, "And what happens when you screw something into your roof?" Duh... gee, that's a tough one. You certainly have to screw in a standing seam roof as well. I'm just asking you what the difference is, you jerk! He went on and on like this as though he was trying to back me into a corner. Well, I don't like being backed into a corner... NEXT!
The nice guy with the good eye contact is a General Contractor. Now I know that I told you that we were going to be our own GC, but I think it's important to have someone who can oversee what we're doing once in a while; someone who will be there when we have a question and someone who can re-direct us when we're starting to head down the wrong path.
I also need someone who can help me compile all of these bids I've received so that they can be presented to the bank. I meet with the bank guy tomorrow. Basically just a face-to-face so that I can see who I've been dealing with all of this time. That and to hand over a $300 check for an appraisal. There's always an appraisal. So... keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer that all of this goes well.
On the moving front, DJ gets his leave at 12:01 on Saturday morning. He will drive down here from "The Springs" and we will take the drive back to California together. Schultz will be coming with us, of course.
Schultz seems to still be feeling OK, but he also seems very anxious. And I can't calm him. I know he doesn't like thunder or the wind, and both seem to happen here every day. But he still seems on edge. And his back legs are still shaky sometimes. He walks a lot slower and he hasn't smiled in a long time. Poor baby. But he's still hanging in there. I have no idea how long it will be.
But he travels well. He either sleeps or he looks out of the window. So we'll be off toward California this weekend. We should arrive sometime early afternoon on Sunday. I can't wait to see Les. And I wanted to have dinner with my mom on Sunday. Monday we'll be picking up the 26' rental truck. We'll pack it all up and hit the road by Tuesday. We'll have DJ's Dodge diesel pickup towing my little trailer; Les's GMC diesel pickup towing his 16' utility trailer with the Polaris Side-by-side on it; and the rental truck. 3 drivers -- 3 vehicles.
Andy intends to stay in California for the summer. He's been working on getting into Musician's Institute in Hollywood so if all goes well, he'll be attending school in the fall and can follow his dream there. He was also offered the opportunity to tour with a band who has heard him in the past. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to practice since we sold the house. That's a long time for a professional drummer.
I'm calling for prayers. First & foremost -- that Andy finds a place to live during the summer and also a place to practice. That Andy gets accepted into M.I. and also obtains the student loans he needs to attend. And that we get all of the paperwork together within the next few days so that we can present to the bank. And that the bank gives us a quick approval.
Not asking for much, huh?
Today it was hot, hot, hot! Tomorrow and Thursday are supposed to be just as hot, if not hotter. It's really strange here how the heat creeps up on you. As an example, one would think that as the sun gets higher in the sky that the heat feels hotter until the sun starts to get lower in the sky and then it starts to cool. Not here. At least, not in my humble opinion.
Here, the air stays cool until 2:30 or 3:00. If you 're standing in the sun you really feel the heat, but if you're not in the direct sun there is still cool air... until 3:00 or so. Then it starts to get warm and it doesn't cool off until 9 or 10 at night.
Of course, I could be just blatantly wrong about the whole thing and should therefore not be believed anyway. Oh well.
I talked to a General Contractor today. I called 2 yesterday, but so far only one has called back. But that's still 50% and pretty darn good for Trinidad.
I told him what we'd be needing from him... basically we need him to be a consultant for us. We need to be GC ourselves but would love to have him available for the tough questions and also for the bank. I have done my best to compile the bids for the house, but if we have him organize that and present it to the bank, I think we'd have a better time getting our loan. At least that's what I'm hoping.
I'm meeting him tomorrow. I'll let you know how it went.
Here, the air stays cool until 2:30 or 3:00. If you 're standing in the sun you really feel the heat, but if you're not in the direct sun there is still cool air... until 3:00 or so. Then it starts to get warm and it doesn't cool off until 9 or 10 at night.
Of course, I could be just blatantly wrong about the whole thing and should therefore not be believed anyway. Oh well.
I talked to a General Contractor today. I called 2 yesterday, but so far only one has called back. But that's still 50% and pretty darn good for Trinidad.
I told him what we'd be needing from him... basically we need him to be a consultant for us. We need to be GC ourselves but would love to have him available for the tough questions and also for the bank. I have done my best to compile the bids for the house, but if we have him organize that and present it to the bank, I think we'd have a better time getting our loan. At least that's what I'm hoping.
I'm meeting him tomorrow. I'll let you know how it went.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Storms
When I lived in the midwest about a thousand years ago, I loved the storms. Not only were the storms beautiful, but they had an ominous, somewhat scary feel to them.
Today we had a storm. It didn't rain much... in fact it rained only enough to get the car dirty. But the lightning streaking across the sky... absolutely amazing. The bolts of lightning were like boney hands reaching out, then quickly disappearing. One of the things I like about storms is how much power Mother Nature has. Just when you think you've got a handle on things, dear old Mom reminds you of how insignificant you really are. Kind of like a reality check. She puts a few things back into perspective.
Today, being Sunday, we didn't get much accomplished as far as the house goes. Les talked to Joe Febbraro. He's our "dirt" guy. Joe's a kind old soul. I really like him. Anyway, we have to work on the entry to our driveway... take 3. It's too steep & too angled. It will be difficult in the winter and it will be difficult for any of the big trucks to get up there. So, he's going to bring "the big dozer" up to work on the road again.
He's not charging us that much, but the lesson learned here is to do your best to do something once and be done with it. Something that is hard for me and is something I really have to work on is to tell someone that the job is not satisfactory yet & it needs to be done right or done over. Now I'm not suggesting that Joe caused this issue with the driveway. That was totally us. But I really need to get tough with the trades we'll be hiring to do our house.
Les is pretty non-confrontational too. But I think that he'll be better at this than I because he'll be right in the mix most of the time. That's what I'm hoping anyway.
More later...
Today we had a storm. It didn't rain much... in fact it rained only enough to get the car dirty. But the lightning streaking across the sky... absolutely amazing. The bolts of lightning were like boney hands reaching out, then quickly disappearing. One of the things I like about storms is how much power Mother Nature has. Just when you think you've got a handle on things, dear old Mom reminds you of how insignificant you really are. Kind of like a reality check. She puts a few things back into perspective.
Today, being Sunday, we didn't get much accomplished as far as the house goes. Les talked to Joe Febbraro. He's our "dirt" guy. Joe's a kind old soul. I really like him. Anyway, we have to work on the entry to our driveway... take 3. It's too steep & too angled. It will be difficult in the winter and it will be difficult for any of the big trucks to get up there. So, he's going to bring "the big dozer" up to work on the road again.
He's not charging us that much, but the lesson learned here is to do your best to do something once and be done with it. Something that is hard for me and is something I really have to work on is to tell someone that the job is not satisfactory yet & it needs to be done right or done over. Now I'm not suggesting that Joe caused this issue with the driveway. That was totally us. But I really need to get tough with the trades we'll be hiring to do our house.
Les is pretty non-confrontational too. But I think that he'll be better at this than I because he'll be right in the mix most of the time. That's what I'm hoping anyway.
More later...
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Why should I worry?
I re-read my last post and a realization came to me. I've been worrying all this time about Les and whether or not he'll step up to the plate to build this house with me. But I also need to remember that he's my soul-mate and even though this adventure may not be an undertaking he would have entered into himself -- he will do it because I want it and he loves me. I'm certain that we'll have other "discussions" about how or why a thing should be done, but we've been married for 27 years so far. Our bond is strong. He's my best friend.
My good friend, Janis, reminded me today that I have been able to see this vision for the last 5 years. And it's possible that Les hasn't been able to see it. Maybe that's why he's not showing as much enthusiasm as I am. I think she makes a good point.
Aside from that, DJ came to visit today & is staying until Saturday or Sunday. This is the first time he's seen this house. And he really likes it. It's really a cool place... built in 1923. It has tons of character and, believe it or not, tons of cabinet space! I hope to spend Saturday getting it all dialed in with the items that I have with me so far.
We walked downtown for dinner. Looking down one of the narrow side streets I wondered what it was like 120 years ago. The clacking of the hooves from horses; the creaking of the wagons; gunshots from the saloon. There's so much history here you can feel it.
This morning I took our house plans to Raton in New Mexico. There is a True Value & Builder's Supply there and I asked them to quote the whole house from the foundation up. They should have it in about a week. It sure beats Googling for every trade we'll need on the house. Sure sounds simple. More on that later.....
My good friend, Janis, reminded me today that I have been able to see this vision for the last 5 years. And it's possible that Les hasn't been able to see it. Maybe that's why he's not showing as much enthusiasm as I am. I think she makes a good point.
Aside from that, DJ came to visit today & is staying until Saturday or Sunday. This is the first time he's seen this house. And he really likes it. It's really a cool place... built in 1923. It has tons of character and, believe it or not, tons of cabinet space! I hope to spend Saturday getting it all dialed in with the items that I have with me so far.
We walked downtown for dinner. Looking down one of the narrow side streets I wondered what it was like 120 years ago. The clacking of the hooves from horses; the creaking of the wagons; gunshots from the saloon. There's so much history here you can feel it.
This morning I took our house plans to Raton in New Mexico. There is a True Value & Builder's Supply there and I asked them to quote the whole house from the foundation up. They should have it in about a week. It sure beats Googling for every trade we'll need on the house. Sure sounds simple. More on that later.....
Friday, June 4, 2010
Getting Tough
One of the things that has always concerned me is the stress of building our home and what it may do to our relationship. When we bought our land 5 years ago, I immediately started looking at house plans. I envisioned what our home would look like; what the view would be from each of the rooms; how we'll heat it ; cool it and every other aspect of it. The house was taking on a life of its own for me. And I loved every minute of it. My only frustration was that it was taking too long.
But an anxiety to me was the question -- would Les step up to the plate when the time came to start building? We had this very discussion tonight on the phone. He's very reluctant to take this on. And I'm wondering if I will have to lead this charge as well. It seems that I have to lead everything. I want so badly for this to be a partnership, but he's just so non-committal.
On a brighter note, I have a good part of 444 settled in. This is a quaint, old house. It was built in 1923. The floors creek with every step. The doors are warped & need a heavy hand to close & lock. The sash windows in the living & dining rooms are old, single pane & painted shut. But it's so full of character. I feel more at home and more comfortable here than I ever did in the crusty apartment in Newbury Park.
As much as I like this place, it pales in comparison to our strawbale home. I should know... I've lived in that house in my head for 5 years already. It's going to be a great house. And I will do whatever I have to do to get it done. I almost feel like my life depends on it. The stress and hopelessness of my day to day existence is exhausting. I'm always pressed for time & I will never be able to retire. This house will be my one and only refuge from all of this. I probably won't mind working into my 80's as long as I can see that view and hear the wind in the trees and count those stars.
But an anxiety to me was the question -- would Les step up to the plate when the time came to start building? We had this very discussion tonight on the phone. He's very reluctant to take this on. And I'm wondering if I will have to lead this charge as well. It seems that I have to lead everything. I want so badly for this to be a partnership, but he's just so non-committal.
On a brighter note, I have a good part of 444 settled in. This is a quaint, old house. It was built in 1923. The floors creek with every step. The doors are warped & need a heavy hand to close & lock. The sash windows in the living & dining rooms are old, single pane & painted shut. But it's so full of character. I feel more at home and more comfortable here than I ever did in the crusty apartment in Newbury Park.
As much as I like this place, it pales in comparison to our strawbale home. I should know... I've lived in that house in my head for 5 years already. It's going to be a great house. And I will do whatever I have to do to get it done. I almost feel like my life depends on it. The stress and hopelessness of my day to day existence is exhausting. I'm always pressed for time & I will never be able to retire. This house will be my one and only refuge from all of this. I probably won't mind working into my 80's as long as I can see that view and hear the wind in the trees and count those stars.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
One Step Closer
Today I moved into our duplex. We bought this house about 5 months after we bought our 35 acres. It's been a rental ever since. We've had reasonably good luck with tenants. On one side we have a very stable, professional woman who has lived there since we bought the house. We've chosen not to raise her rent because she always pays on time & has been absolutely no trouble.
The people on this side have been more flighty. This apartment has seen probably 7 different tenants in that same 5 years. I'm wondering why, although I always saw us living here while we build our home.
What a long day it's been! It seems like I've been carrying stuff into this house all day long. I was happy to find places to put most of it. I already feel more at home here than I ever felt in the apartment in Newbury Park. Yuck! Anyway, Jim has been a wonderful help through all of this. But even so, every muscle in my body aches.
In the bathroom is an antique claw-foot bathtub. I learned a very valuable lesson today about the shower curtain. When you have a shower curtain rod that goes all the way around the tub, you must buy two shower curtains. Very important tip there.
I received the bid from the electrician today. He gave me a piece of very valuable advice. Take the plans up to the builder's supply store & have them bid all of the materials for the house. Now why didn't we think of that?? What a great tip. I've been killing myself calling all of the subs for the construction and have been worrying about the materials that we can work on ourselves. We had no idea how to figure out how much lumber we'd need; flooring; drywall; nails, etc. Now we can get the bid from the pro & finally get the info into the bank.
He also advised going to a local store rather than a big box store 80 miles away. One big issue is if Lowe's delivers some bad lumber, try getting them to come back to replace it. It would be more practical to deal with a local builder's suppy. They may be a tiny bit more expensive, but it would come out in the wash later on.
So those are my helpful tips for today. Don't try to get away with a petite shower curtain when you need a queen size & let the pros do the work for you.
More later...
The people on this side have been more flighty. This apartment has seen probably 7 different tenants in that same 5 years. I'm wondering why, although I always saw us living here while we build our home.
What a long day it's been! It seems like I've been carrying stuff into this house all day long. I was happy to find places to put most of it. I already feel more at home here than I ever felt in the apartment in Newbury Park. Yuck! Anyway, Jim has been a wonderful help through all of this. But even so, every muscle in my body aches.
In the bathroom is an antique claw-foot bathtub. I learned a very valuable lesson today about the shower curtain. When you have a shower curtain rod that goes all the way around the tub, you must buy two shower curtains. Very important tip there.
I received the bid from the electrician today. He gave me a piece of very valuable advice. Take the plans up to the builder's supply store & have them bid all of the materials for the house. Now why didn't we think of that?? What a great tip. I've been killing myself calling all of the subs for the construction and have been worrying about the materials that we can work on ourselves. We had no idea how to figure out how much lumber we'd need; flooring; drywall; nails, etc. Now we can get the bid from the pro & finally get the info into the bank.
He also advised going to a local store rather than a big box store 80 miles away. One big issue is if Lowe's delivers some bad lumber, try getting them to come back to replace it. It would be more practical to deal with a local builder's suppy. They may be a tiny bit more expensive, but it would come out in the wash later on.
So those are my helpful tips for today. Don't try to get away with a petite shower curtain when you need a queen size & let the pros do the work for you.
More later...
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