Total freak show.
Well, the plan was for the materials to get delivered between 8:30 and nine. That is what the lumber salesman promised me. The framers arrived around 7:30 and told me that the new generator was not sufficient to power all of their tools. So I discussed the house plan with them, showed them the lumber I had on hand for the green plate and the joists for the sunroom. I told them when the rest of the lumber was due to arrive then headed to McMinnville to get a bigger generator. The drive was nice and the store had the model I wanted in stock. Fortunately I had a coupon for it as well.
Upon returning to the site I discovered that the lumber hadn’t been delivered, despite it being 10:30. I called the store and was told it was ready to be loaded once the truck returned. This was despite previously being told that I was the first truck of the day. I was upset to say the least. The framers were frustrated too.
Finally the truck showed just before one. The driver was 85 years old if he was a day. Their forklift didn’t rotate to the side like many do, so I had to cut down some trees so that the 16 foot lumber could make it up the driveway. The driver wasn’t very skilled and he really struggled. Then on about the fifth load he got his machine stuck. One of the wheels was completely buried in mud and it took everything my car had to pull it out. Unfortunately I was too busy to take pictures it, but shown below is the huge rut from where he got stuck.
It took him a good hour and a half to get everything unloaded, at which point the framers attacked it like maniacs. There were five of them and they were amazing to watch. They got all of the floor joists in and started on the walls. They worked until dark.
After leaving the site I went to the cottage. My parents and sister are staying there as well, so we had a nice dinner and conversation. Unfortunately that means I’m sleeping on the couch, but it’s not a big problem.
Still a sick Little Man.
The fever, runny nose, and coughing continue. The pictures below pretty much sum up his feelings. I left the house in the early afternoon and drove up to the Mountain. I stopped at Harbor Freight in Tullahoma on the way to pick up a generator. We’ll need it for the framers tomorrow. I had a coupon that made it a great deal. After starting it up and letting in run for a bit, I went and got the job site all cleared and ready for the framers.
Sick Little Man.
Well Luke is a little ill, really for the first time. He has a low fever and is pretty congested. So we didn’t really do much today. I went to Kroger and Harbor Freight, otherwise we stayed at the house. The collage below is not indicative of his mood on the day.
Preparing for the framers.
They come Monday. I cleaned up the site a bit. Hopefully it will dry out before the lumber delivery. It is rather muddy now. I still have some block and firewood to move. I might crush the block and use it as gravel base. It was chilly, so I split some more firewood. I drove home around four and ate dinner with Liz and Luke, then we all played a bit.
Long day on the road.
Luke woke up at 4:30 this morning and I brought him into bed with me until about 5:45. Then we went to get my mother who watched after him and prepared breakfast while I tried to get some more sleep. For some reason I couldn’t sleep until 2:30 this morning, so I was exhausted. I was able to sleep fitfully until about nine, then I got out of bed and hit the road. First stop was Winchester, where I arranged to have my lumber delivered to the job site on Monday. Then I picked up some tile at the Lowe’s in KImball that I had ordered. Next was the job site to see if temporary power had been installed. It hadn’t been. Looks like I’ll need to buy a generator. I called the electrician and he said it would be done next week. I went by the Goat Market for some cold water, then drove down to Alabama to preview an auction that is happening on Saturday. They have some nice trailers available. Taking the scenic route home I stopped in downtown Columbia to check out a house that my mother-in-law asked me to. I arrived in time for the dinner my mother had prepared. We ate, then had bath and bed time. Luke did pretty well. I drove to the airport to get Liz, and we returned around ten. Luke will be happy to see her in the morning.
Still missing Mama.
Luke slept well last night, but woke up early. He ate well today and napped okay. He did get a little fussy after dinner. But overall he did good.
Missing Mama.
This morning I drove Liz to the airport at five so that she could fly to Austin for work. I returned home via 840 and then went back to sleep. Luke handled her absence pretty well, all things considered. My parents are staying with us through Thursday morning, which helps. After his afternoon nap we went to the park.
