Gas Meter Moved and Rebar in Place

GRU moved our gas meter and installed a new line - all in less than a day. Cool!

The rebar has been placed in the holes. Mr. Contractor is hoping to pour cement later this week. Our fingers are crossed.

We're dealing a lot with doggie issues which we think are mostly caused by the stress of this remodel - strangers working in the yard, different sounds and the backyard with holes and new smells. My hair might be totally white by the time this is all over.

Remember When?

We needed to remember when the back yard was green and lovely. When the grass was lush and thick and inviting. Our backyard will once again be that oasis. But we must be patient.

GRU is moving the gas meter tomorrow morning. We're hoping the footers will be poured this week. The notice of commencement has been signed and notarized and ready for Mr. Contractor to file before the first inspection.

We've also determined that the stress from workers and noise has caused all of our dogs to suffer from diarrhea. This is not good. We will be using herbal remedies this week to calm them down. We will also ask Mr. Contractor to please work quietly. Stay tuned.

Another Day in the Remodel

Rebar is being prepared which makes me think that the pouring of the concrete footers is not too far away. More holes have been dug. Boxer has enjoyed running around the holes and playing "king of the mountain". Can you find Peanut in the picture below?

Some siding has been removed and new boards have been installed in preparation to connect the old with the new.

Excavation Has Begun

Several holes were dug today. It does look like an archaeological excavation site. Water and electrical lines were exposed. Not too sure what's going to be done with those - especially since we're considering relocating the washer/dryer to the house if we can find the space.
Boxer enjoyed jumping up into the trailer and sniffing around a bit. You can see here a relic in the background - or what's left of one. My dad likes to tell the story of my grandfather burying an old water heater one day when he grew somewhat impatient at having to wait for someone to haul it away...We knew it was in the yard - we just didn't know where.

This is the tag from inside the lid confirming our suspicions. Dad always thought it was buried on the east side of the yard - because he's pretty sure something is. I have no plans to start digging holes to find what else is out there. It shall remain a family mystery.

My grandfather also had an intricate matrix of hoses buried for use as his own homemade irrigation system. It would have made his forefathers proud. You see my grandfather was from Italy and probably learned a thing or two from his ancestors...builders of some of the worlds first aqueducts system...You can see (below) one of those magnificent yet ultra simplistic matrix exposed below (green hose). You know, there's just no telling what you might find when you start digging in your yard. I was hoping we'd find some buried treasure but nothing so far. We'll keep you posted.

Moving Along

Boxer and Sydney catching some rays and relaxing - their guard duties during the day takes a lot out of them.

The remodel continues to move along - below is a picture of what was prior termite damage. Doug did indicate that there were no moving creatures as they tore the siding off the house.



They also put together a series of framing from which they've started attaching strings. At one point they came into the house to do some kind of elevation work. M was home and said it was "just like HGTV". Mr. Contractor said next week there will be strings everywhere and we'll need to be careful we don't run into them - should be interesting.

Day 3

The cement steps were jack hammered to death by lunch time.


When I got home from work all pieces have been removed.


Mr. Contractor and his support staff, Doug and Adam, started staking out the corners - this is wonderful - so much more space for this little house. Yippee!

On a sad note, the podocarpus we thought we would keep is going to be in the way. We had thought we could just trim it back, but after looking at the stakes it way too close.

Don't worry, I won't be counting the days - just couldn't think of a catchy title. Too tired.

Work Begins!

Work has begun!


In short order the deck we so lovingly built many moons ago is now a distant memory. Sydney seemed sad that it was going away.


You may notice an extra set of steps - these are solid concrete and Mr. Contractor will be getting a jack hammer to break it apart.



Next in the process is to grade the area and prepare for hole digging.

Cheers!