Getting a little work done.
I cut some tree stumps and cleared more of the yard. Charles came by to see the house and was very encouraging. Had dinner at the Goat Market and talked a bit with Eric and Spenser. I read more of Lost Horizon this evening.
Driving all over creation, with marginal success.
Today’s goal was to buy a couple of poly septic tanks and some other septic system accessories. I first drove down to Manchester to rent trailer, since mine doesn’t have working lights and was full of stuff. Unfortunately the rental place was all out. So I returned to the Mountain, emptied mine, and headed towards Lebanon with the idea of stopping in McMinnville at Harbor Freight to pick up some lights. On the way I decided to see if the same brand septic tanks were available in McMinnville, and I saw that they were. I went there only to learn that they actually had a different brand. So then I called a place in Jasper, and they told me that they had them in stock. I drove up and over the Mountain only to be disappointed upon arrival. Another person there told me that they didn’t have any. I was a bit frustrated and started calling places in Chattanooga, despite really not wanting to drive there. One guy swore that he had them in stock, so I drove on down, through downtown, and to his store. He had them and everything else that I needed, and helped me load. The drive back was miserable, but I made it without incident.
Beautiful weather makes for mega productivity.
I knocked a ton of little things off the list today, both inside and out. I churched up the apron around the HVAC unit, built a step off the deck, cleared more of the yard, among many other things. I went to the Goat Market for an early dinner and have been re-reading Lost Horizon this evening.
Crappy Wednesday.
Things did not go well today. Building a cover for the water heater, which should have taken just a couple of hours took about six. It does look good though. I piddled on other stuff both inside and out, and the buyer and his agent came later this afternoon. That went pretty okay. They seemed pleased.
Amazing weather, good progress.
I got an early start this morning as the appraiser said he was coming in the AM. He wasn’t specific so I wanted to be sure that I didn’t miss him. I arrived at the house around 7:30 and worked on a few things until he arrived around 9:30. He was a nice guy but not too expressive. Hopefully he will return with a good figure. Michael Klug was next door with an excavator while I was with the appraiser, and he came over after the latter left. We chatted for a few minutes and he left. Or attempted to leave – his truck wouldn’t start. I loaned him a socket set and he took off a bolt connecting the cable to the battery. Then we drove to the parts store in Tracy City to get a replacement. After we returned and he got squared away I drove down to a plumbing supply store in Winchester to get prices on some septic equipment. Back on the Mountain I had lunch at the cottage then returned to the house. I piddled a bit, then Randall the plumber showed up, and so I watched/guided him through a list of tasks. He only has about thirty minutes of work left to do. I left shortly after he did, went to Piggly Wiggly, then returned to the cottage. Liz and Luke video called after I ate dinner, so we chatted for a bit. Since then I’ve just been messing around on my phone.
Getting a whole lot done.
Well, I didn’t exactly get an early start, but I was quite productive. I started off working inside the house and was able to check several items off my list, most notably a bit of caulking and reversing one of the bathroom doors. The latter task I had been quite nervous about, but it proved to be not all that challenging. I also went and got more gravel at the sand plant in order to finish up the landscaping and repair the end of the driveway. After returning the trailer to the cottage I went to campus to use the internet for a while. My day then culminated at the nearby Mexican restaurant where I had some decent food. Since then I’ve just been at the cottage, trying to plan out the rest of my week.
Wet but productive.
I was a bit slow getting going this morning. I just wasn’t very motivated to do anything but mess with my phone. Eventually I got going though. The first order of business was to cut down a decent sized tree where the driveway extension is going. That was a little worrisome due to it hanging up with other trees, but It came down without too much trouble. I cut it up and hauled it next door. Next I returned to the cottage and picked up the two concrete culverts. Back at the house they pretty much maxed out the tractor’s lifting ability, but I was able to get them set into place. I went back to the cottage for lunch then returned to do some grading with the loader. I also pulled out a few stumps. Fortunately there was only a little but of misty rain the whole time I was working. I still managed to get pretty filthy while working so I returned to the cottage for a hot shower. My parents were there so I have been relaxing and chatting with them for the remainder of the afternoon and evening.
Driving places and spending money.
I couldn’t fall sleep until nearly three o’clock this morning due to being preoccupied with a number of things. I still woke up relatively early though. It wasn’t really raining despite aa heavy forecast so I decided to go out and about. My first stop was the supply house to see what my bell was, then to the bank to get the money, then back to the supply house. Liz called in between those errands and we chatted for a bit. I decided to go down to the Co-op in Manchester and get two concrete culverts. Fortunately my trailer held them well and I slowly made my way back up the Mountain. I parked the trailer at the cottage and went to Piggly Wiggly for some food. I had a nice nap after that. The Goat Market was closing early so I went by there for a couple of drinks and a scone. From there I drove home with a stop at the Shelbyville Lowe’s for grass seed. At home I picked up a bunch of things I needed and then returned to the Mountain via Lewisburg and Fayetteville.
Not a productive day by any measure.
It seemed pretty dark when I woke up this morning, and that’s because the sky was heavy with rain. I ran a number of errands including the dump, telephone company, two rental yards in Manchester, and the supply house in Monteagle. Those stops were mostly successful. I had dinner at the Goat Market and finished the Jack Higgins novel I had been reading. I was a bit frustrated with myself for being lazy, since the rain was neither consistent or intense. Apparently that is due to change tomorrow though.
Tractor freed.
First thing this morning I went to the supply store for six more bags of concrete. There one of the guys said he had seen my stuck tractor and offered me a tip for getting it unstuck. At the house I tried it, and while it didn’t get me out, it did make an improvement. Not long after that Eric stopped by on his way to the Goat Market, and we used my car to pull the tractor free. I mixed the rest of the concrete and then used the tractor for the rest of the day to clear more of the front yard. I made pretty good progress and didn’t have any trouble. A guy actually came by and asked if I was interested in selling the tractor. I didn’t get the feeling he was looking to pay very much. I had a late lunch at the cottage before coming back to work. After finishing I dropped in on Debbie and Autumn and then had a video call with Liz and Luke. I had dinner at the Goat Market again.
