Back to painting

We bought some ceiling material on our way home from Gresham, hard to believe what we can fit in our Yaris.

So Stephanie started painting while I worked on the the toilet and the ceiling frame work.

We also brought home some trim for the doors.

We also bought a new toilet because the first one we bought was ineffective.

So now we can finish the bathroom then we will start working on the slat-wall.

Christmas Trip

Carl and Diane said that they would have a Family Dinner on Christmas Day, so Stephanie and I decided to give it a shot and drive over, after all the weather was supposed to be getting better. So Thursday Morning I called Diane and she said "You should be fine the roads are getting better, but BRING CHAINS just in case."

So we loaded up the Yaris (think oversized roller skate), and headed for Gresham.

It was snowing lightly over the Pass, No PROBLEM, there was a delay in Tualatin, Packed snow and Ice at the Railroad crossing, still we made it through. 

By now we were looking for a potty stop, but seeing as how it was Christmas Day and nothing was open and none of the parking lots had been cleared, we trudged on behind people driving on bare pavement with chains on.

We spotted a parking lot in Damascus at the Safeway that  gave the illusion that the store might be open, but it wasn't, oh did I mention we needed a potty stop?

We poked along behind some more cars with chains to Boring then turned onto SE 282nd, at this point I thought about putting the chains on but there were well established ruts down to the pavement and we were still moving with no problems, Besides we needed a potty stop, I think I may have already mentioned that.

We soon found out that even though the roads were all right the intersections were the roughest. By the time we were on Dodge Park Boulevard we were occasionally scrapping bottom, when we reached Lusted Road we almost got stuck turning the corner, but we made it through which was a good thing because by now WE REALLY NEEDED A POTTY BREAK. so for the last mile not only were we scrapping bottom with our poor little car but now some snow was also coming up over the hood. Carl and Steven had been in and out of their driveway a number of times with the Tow Trucks but I just barely made it through.

Of course once we got off the road Carl had cleared his driveway and had made a parking area for all those people who would show up.

After running into the house and taking care of some pressing matters, Diane said almost everyone else had cancelled due to the weather, (Bob & Jan, Steve & Keri and Beeper showed up). So we had a smaller gathering then planed but it was good food and we played cards and had a great time.

Almost Christmas 2

Well with little or no choice we drove to Salem on Monday to pickup our Slat Wall. We rented the U-haul and headed south to Newport then cut across to Corvallis then up I-5, we were about 9 miles from Salem when most of the cars and trucks started pulling over to the shoulder to put on chains, we had not seen any snow on the highways and it was raining at the time. Well we kept going and about 1 1/2 miles later we were driving on hard packed snow and snow has falling all around us, traffic had slowed to a reasonable 30 mph so we just backed off and kept going. Well we made to our destination with out incident and got into position to load the truck, there was about 3" of packed snow and ice in the parking lot and a lot of people were having trouble getting around. 

It took Stephanie and me longer to load the truck than I had hoped, and during that time another 6" of fresh snow had fallen, so I put the chains on the U-haul and we pulled out, back onto I-5, we drove on the chains for about 10 miles then the pavement was clear enough to take the chains off.

It was almost 6 p.m. when we got to Albany so we found a motel and a restaurant and stopped for the night.

Tuesday morning there was a dusting of fresh snow on the ground so we went to breakfast the Home Depot, then headed for home, the roads were clear al the way home.

So I pulled the F-100 out of the building, and we unloaded the U-haul.

While we were loading the truck in Salem we found a table, a podium and a couple of wire carts that we will be able to use. 

While we were gone Daryl had been working on tile for the upstairs.

Now on Christmas Eve we will have dinner with the Kids and tomorrow we will venture in to be with my brother if the weather co-operates.

Well there is still plenty to do and Stephanie jumps right in, while I take Pictures :-)

I Finished with the insulation and sheetrock on the dividing wall and I loaded all the excess insulation in the F-100 to take up to Steve's, it also gives me an excuse to park the truck inside out of the weather.

The Painters did the ceiling and walls that we wanted them to do, so now we start the floor,

And Daryl is off to a running start.

Of course I Rigged up a hoist to help get all the materials up stairs.

What with the weather we have been having we had to put off our trip to Salem until Monday, which is kind of a do or die situation. So we get our truck in the morning then head south to go through Eugene then back up to Salem to miss all of the ICY Roads.

Almost Christmas :-)

Well the Building is getting done bit by bit, the painters were in today putting their touch on the inside walls. I have finished insulating and covering my side of the dividing wall.

This Friday hopefully we will be able to get into Salem and pick up our Slat-Wall, weather permitting.

The first of next week we should be working on getting the Tile upstairs, and mounting the Slat-wall.

We have cancelled our Phone at our house which of course means no more internet at home as well as losing our TV, we were on a "Bundled Service" package. So now we are down to watching Movies or playing card games on the computer or reading books.

We did go with Verizon Broadband Wireless so we can get internet now if there is cell phone service, but only on one computer at a time.

Speaking of next week we will be sharing one night with Mom, then the next night with Stephan and Tamara, and on Christmas Day, God Willing, we will go into Gresham to be with my family at my brother Carl's house.

I don't often editorialize, but seeing how this is my blog HERE GOES; 

This time of year we so easily forget the whole meaning and purpose of this "holiday" season, if you don't want to call it CHRISTMAS.... OK but don't try to stop me from wishing you a Very Merry Christmas... and just remember that in my belief we have recieved the GREATEST GIFT; since the beginning of recorded history; through the Birth, Death and Resurrection, of Jesus Christ, and his promise to all who choose, voluntarily, to follow him. So again I wish you the Very Merriest of CHRISTmases.

Getting Ready for the Finishing Touches

We got our Final :-), of course we also had the County Appraiser stop by.

We have found some "Slat Wall", in Salem at a store that is quitting business to put up so we won't have to be perfect with our sheet rock or painting.

I have been SLOWLY putting insulation and "pegboard" & sheetrock up in my shop.

once the Slat wall is up in Rosie's side we may give Ben a call about more outlets and the fourth light in my shop.

The painters stopped by and we set up a tentative time for next week to paint inside, meanwhile Stephanie an I have been sanding and even putting some texture in the batroom.

Once the painting is done we have lined up a new guy to lay the tile, which we found on Craigs List.

Slow Going

Well we're down to putting the sheetrock in my side, then we can call for the Final Inspection.

We had Mell come and do the Alarm system and he also put a Keypad door handle on one of the Man Doors.

Also in an attempt to recover our parking lot we moved our trailer, it was quite the move, beside trimming part of the roof off the pink building, we had to remove the awning from the trailer.
Even doing all the measuring and cutting the roof off and removing the awning, we still started to touch the pink building and the electric conduit of the new building and it then occurred to me that our problem was the slope of the land so we pulled forward a little and placed lumber under the tires of the trailer to level it and then was able to back it in.

Monday I will call and have the carport removed, and see what Parker building will do about our leaking doors and windows.

It's Been Awhile

Okay, it has been a while since my last post because we have been busy, there is more work in finishing a building than just putting it up. There is the the taping and mudding of the sheetrock.

Then there is the fact that we had to move the stairs because there was not enough "headroom" on the landing, and Ray brought us another interior door to use in between my shop and Stephanie's.
The Handrail had too be raised (My Fault; read the wrong building code) and Stephanie again came up with the design that made it easy to do.
We have also picked up Tile to do on the Loft floor, but that will be later, after we get the Final Inspection and painting.
So there is still lots of sanding and mudding ahead, plus we still need to cover the insulation in the south wall of my shop, then we should be ready for our final inspection.

Winding Down

With the rain coming the gutter guys came back to put the downspout on the front gutter, but one of the crew had thrown some of the pieces away so they had to use white ones temporarily. 

In the mean time the electricians had finished putting the lights and ceiling fan in Stephanie's area.
Steve and I have kept busy putting sheetrock on the rest of the walls,


Friday the inspectors for the county showed up first the plumbing inspector and that passed without a problem, then the electrical inspector showed up and there were a couple of small issues that Ben has already taken care of.
I have installed the door for the closet (Water heater room), and Ben gave us a light for the bathroom that we will put up in a grid type ceiling.
But for now I am taking a day off, just going to VEG and watch football.

LOTS GOING ON

Tuesday Radiant Pro thought he was finished but there was a small leak in the valve body that the company provided for him so he will be back on Wednesday morning to fix that.

Devils Lake Rock Hauled off the dirt pile and replaced it with nice gravel.

They even got the areas in front of the doors ready for pavement.
I moved the Scaffolding over to my shop to get ready for the electricians.
This morning I went to Bi-Mart to pick up the 12 storage cabinets that Stephanie had ordered,
While I was gone Devils Lake Rock had finished the paving, and
It seems like everyone else had showed up to.
Button Plumbing installed the toilet and sink in the bathroom,
Ben had the lights up in my shop,

and all of the downstairs lighting in place.
They were working on the loft lighting when they quit for the night and they will return on Thursday at 7:30 a.m.

Mel from Ace Alarms install the smoke detecters and security system.

More Sheetrock

On Sunday, Steve came back in the afternoon and we put up some more sheetrock.

Also the crew came in to put up the gutters, but they ran into some problems and ended up ruining one of the gutters so they will have to order some more material and will come back later.

Monday Radiant Pro should be here to install the water heater for the heating system.

And Steve and I dug a trench and put in a conduit for the alarm system.
On Monday Ben called to say he would try to come down on Wednesday and finish the lights.

Devils Lake Rock will be there on Tuesday to remove the excess dirt left over from digging the post holes.