Another Monday

As I write this, a door man is installing a new door in the tandem garage.  I'm going to wait until next week to paint the exterior wall, big interior wall and the door, because I want to be sure I have enough paint for the painters to do the exterior area above the dining room windows.  They were supposed to do it the Saturday before we left, but it was too windy that day.  We have rescheduled it for this upcoming Saturday. I have two full gallons of the pink exterior color, and I think between the two jobs I might need more. Better it be my job that runs out.


The Alfa has been sitting over at the repair shop for a week.  We wanted the brakes checked, and since we weren't going anywhere were OK with the wait.  (Well I was OK with it, Craig was anxious to get the coach back because there are some things he wants still in it.)


They say the brakes are OK.  There has always been a squeak, but it is louder now. But according to the mechanic, they are not bad. The squeak is caused by having been overheated.  I'm sure our drive down Hwy 1 contribued.  A front brake job would run about $1700.  As long as it is not a safety issue we will wait for a while.  


Craig would like to take it somewhere else because he feels this shop overcharges for everything.


So, as soon as the door man is finished, we are off to bring our Alfa home.  (Update note: it was too late on Monday to go get her, so I guess it will happen on Tuesday.)


You may have notice an absence of pictures lately.  Two reasons.  First there is nothing notable to photograph, and second, my little camera has died.  I'm going to take it into a camera shop and have it looked at, but if it can't be fixed I'll get a new one.  What I want is small.  Craig can carry around his big heavy camera.  My pictures are just to help "tell the story".

Good-by Mr. Moose

Craig is busily caulking the wood siding on the walls of the tandem garage in preparation for painting.  The new door will be installed next week, and then I can paint both it, the interior wall and the new exterior wall. We have never used this space for much.  It has been a place to put kindling wood and garden tools.


Hopefully after it has been cleaned out and painted it will be a plus to the property. 


After we gut the studio room, and convert it back to a bedroom, if I want a place to work, this might be it.  


One of the things I stored in there was the "master sculpture" for my "Huge Elephant" design. I created it as a special custom order some years back, and kept the master (as I have done for most special projects) so that if I ever got an order for another one it would be easier to make.  I have had two somewhat serious inquires over the years, but no new orders.


I am at a point that even if someone did want such a large piece, I'm not sure I would want to make it.  


So, as we worked in that garage yesterday, I took down the elephant master and loaded him into the van for a trip to the dump.  The large Moose has been sitting on a table, covered with a drop cloth since February of 2011. I have made a few feeble attempts to find him a new home, but have had no luck. 


I made the "executive decision" and loaded him in with the elephant form.  I felt a bit sad, but knew this had to be done.  I put a blanket over him so I wouldn't have to see him among the trash in the back of the van, or at the dump.  It was already 3:00 in the afternoon and I knew the dump closed at 4:00, so I didn't have time to change my mind. It felt a bit like taking a pet for that "last drive." 


Good-by Mr. Moose. 

Progress!

We ARE making progress on our house, but none of it is smooth and easy. 


I have heard of marriages that end when a couple builds a house together.  We considered doing that once, but quickly came to the realization that we would not survive!  I just hope we can survive the repairs needed on this place!


Progress:  the painters come on Saturday to finish the overhead painting outside the dining room windows.


We hired a real company, with insurance and workmen's comp to do it.  They say it will only take one day.  It had better, because we will be driving the Alfa away on Sunday!


Progress:  The entry wall to the tandem garage has been replaced. 


A little history here:  in spring of 2011 I reached a "breaking point" when I was consulting with our handyman on the replacement of this wall.  Craig and I had different ideas about how it should be done.  This is a garage size space that has been used for random storage up till now.  


One wall is a former outside wall of the house and has redwood siding. One wall is the pass thru to the main three car garage, and has a flip-type garage door.  One wall is a cement block retaining wall that is the current outside wall of the house, and the fourth is the wall we've recently replaced. 


The original construction of the 4th wall was shoddy compared to the rest of the house.  The studs for the wall sat directly on cement, and got wet every winter. The basic wall was sheet plywood that had rotted out on the bottom, with a half sheet as a swinging Dutch door.  It was falling apart! 

Craig tore it all out a few weeks ago.  I didn't get a before picture. 


So this is the wall as we're starting to rebuild it.

The new wall is now on a nice cement foundation so the water will no longer rot the wood.  Craig has done the trim with ironwood ("IPE") because of the water. 


A new garage door has been ordered.  It is not a cheap one from a "big box store".  It is a custom door with decorator windows, that matches the doors on the three car garage.  It will be installed and painted after we get back.

The wall toward rest of the house had a window and an old air conditioner in it.


In February Craig removed both and re-drywalled the interior wall. This left holes in the exterior siding in the tandem garage.  He removed a bit more of the siding so the patch would look better. 

We had new redwood boards custom milled to match the old.  The patch is white because the wood was  primed before it was up.  We'll paint the wall in August.  (That will be my job!

At this point the space is still very much just a storage area.  But it has definite possibilities.  If you look beyond the junk, you can see that it has a large loft area in the back.  We will be clearing it out, adding some lighting, and possibly using those old interior doors as a couple of work benches. I'll take a picture when it is cleared out and made nice.


I will probably use this space as a studio when my old room is being restored as a bedroom. 


My studio will be the LAST room to be remodeled, but if it takes some months to sell the house after it goes on the market I want a place I can work!


We are so ready to take a few weeks off from this.  We are both looking forward to some ALFA time! Four more days...