BRICK!

I was online a couple of days ago, and I saw an blurb advertising "vintage" brick for sale.  The lady was in Coalville, Utah, which is just outside of Park City, which is about a little over an hour away for us.  I call her and ask her about this brick, price etc., and she asks me how much brick I would like.  Well, I want a certain look for the floor of my outside shower and the patio.  I tell her how much brick I need, (which Jim tells me after the fact that it's really not enough for what I want to build) and she quotes me a price that is waaaaaaaaay cheap.  I tell her that Jim and I will take a drive up to see the brick.

I was wanting a really antique looking, old, weathered type of brick.  We drive the hour to Coalville, find the place and this brick is actually in these piles out in her horse pasture.  There's like 10 horses wandering around.  I find that the brick is absolutely, 100% what I wanted.  It's beautiful.  

In talking to the lady, she tells me that this brick came off of a hardware store that her grandfather owned.  She said that the store burned down (arson) years and years ago.  The grandfather was really quite a conservative man, and decided that the brick was salvageable, so he pulled the building down literally, brick by brick, and put the brick behind his house.  He then got the boy scouts to come out and chip all the mortar off the bricks (paid the scouts .05 cents a brick) and the brick has sat in this field for the past 40 years.  The grandfather has long passed, but the brick has remained.  The grand daughter now wants it out of the backyard.

This pile of brick has yellows and reds and cream colours all through it.  There is even a little bit of "burn" from the fire.  It's absolutely beautiful.

I am so excited to get this brick, and that my brick has a colourful past!

Cheri

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

Was a very busy weekend for us!

We were going to try and take the backhoe to the property this weekend, but the weather forecast was calling for rain, so we had to regroup and make other plans!

We finally picked up the trusses from Goshen - I really didn't think I could pick up the trusses by myself - and I was right.  But, they are in the back of the truck right now - we'll unload them tonight.  

We bought a soil compactor, and a couple of nail guns out of Salt Lake.  Jim got a really good deal on them, and they will definitely come in handy.  

This next weekend we are planning on driving down with the backhoe and start the excavating work.  Getting so exciting!  We've been working on this project for the last 2 years - seems kind of strange that it's actually happening!  There is so much to do this week - feeling like I don't have enough time!

Cheri

TRUSSES?

So, Jim messages me from Quebec today...wants me to buy some trusses...

Trusses?  I don't have a clue what trusses are, but I guess that's to par for me...He tells me where to call, what to tell them... and he's asking questions back and forth... I finally just say to him, "Jim, really?"  His response was, "Cheri, really?"

Well, 30 minutes later, I am the proud owner of 22 trusses.

I get to drive the F-450 tomorrow (you know, that beast that I need a stepping stool to get into)... with a trailer pulled behind... pick up the trussses and drive them home.....  They are in Goshen, Utah, which is about 45 minutes away...

Really, Jim?

Cheri

WHILE THE CAT'S AWAY, THE MOUSE DOESN'T GET TO PLAY....

I thought that while Jim was away, I would be free to do this and that.... Um... I must have forgotten who I was married to!

Last night, Jim had me calling people, lining up equipment and "stuff" to start the build!  I had to call some guy in Salt Lake last night... to ask about 3 dirt compactors.. Do, I know a single thing about dirt compactors?  Um... First of all, I didn't even know they existed, let alone the fact that we needed them!  I'm making this call on my cell, and Jim is listening on the land line, "Um, I'm interested in your dirt compactor?" And, I heard Jim on the other line telling me what to ask this guy...  Comical to say the least!  The guy must have thought I was a total nut!

Still waiting for the snow to go away..... and then, it'll be regular trips to Hatch, Utah.

If anybody out there is really bored on a weekend, let me know - do we have a job for you!

Giggle.

Cheri

DEER ANTLER LIGHTS?!!!!!

We had a really productive weekend!  In some respects, I'm really excited.  In other respects, I'm just shaking my head..

We were out on Saturday and we found a ceiling fan/light fixture that is made of deer antlers... yes, deer antlers.  This is not something I particularly pictured in my cabin, but Jim has always said he thought they were amazing looking. We found a light fixture with the ceiling fan, and it wasn't too bad, so I agreed....  I can't believe I just said that.  Jim thinks that it will look amazing in the upstairs loft.

We also bought 50 J bolts (concrete anchors) for the frame of the cabin.  Got a really good price on them so we bought them and put them in our storage building.  The storage building is stuffed to the gills right now - but, the closer it gets to breaking ground, which should be in about a month, the more exciting it gets.

About a week ago, Jim found me a soap holder for the claw foot bathtub in the loft.  It is really interesting looking - made of brass and hooks over the side of the tub.  I had never seen one before in my life, so this was really exciting. I am really trying to decide what I want to do to finish the claw foot bathtub.  I saw a picture of one of these old time bathtubs, and the outside had been painted black, and the white ceramic inside of the tub is left pristine.  It really looked nice.  I always wanted to keep the outside of the tub in it's old fashioned look... but, now, I'm rethinking.  I was thinking that I'll leave the inside of the tub as it is, paint the outside of the tub black, and have the feet of the tub brass.  With the brass soap holder, I think it would look amazing.

Tonight, Jim and I drove to Taylorsville to get the Anniversary gift I got for him.  I am always looking for something amazing, and interesting and memorable for my Jim.  I found a lady in Taylorsville that was selling an old fashioned radio.  It's absolutely amazing looking.  It stands about 4 feet tall, the cover is made of wood, and it would fit in perfectly with the antique look I was wanting for the cabin.  We drove up, picked her up, Jim is ecstatic, and tucked her away in our house until the cabin is finished.   This little lady does not belong in a storage building - she needs love and attention.  We are thrilled for this edition.  Jim and I think she is absolutely elegant and beautiful.

Isn't she gorgeous?

Cheri

I think these two additions are fabulous.  The radio is a floor model Zenith tube type made around 1930 and it sounds amazing.  When you turn dials it crackles just like it should. 

Right now I have a tendency to focus on the construction activities.  I went and bought a new battery for the backhoe yesterday.  Not half as much fun as decorating stuff.  Cheri is going to make great decisions that I don't think I have the capacity to make.

Hang on, it's going to get crazy this summer.  Jim

TYVEK!

We picked up Tyvek for the cabin yesterday...  three big rolls shoved in the back of my truck...( Don't know what Tyvek is... well, I was going to pull an Eldon, and say, "Google it!")  It's a material that you wrap your house with - water resistance, but breathable.

Actually, what we bought isn't exactly Tyvek - A contractor in Salt Lake bought all this house wrap stuff, and wanted to market it as an upgrade to what they were using.  This stuff is blue and it is manufactured in Canada!!!  Well, the whole upsell idea fell short and they just wanted to sell it.  It's amazing, so we bought it.

Our storage buildings are full to the brim now... thank goodness we're about to start the build!

On a side note - our realtor called today, and the guy who owns the property next to our three lots wants to sell us a 4th piece of property...  Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Cheri

And we bought scaffolding today!  With a 17 foot vaulted ceiling, there's no other way to get up there.  I'm going to be like Michelangelo!

Jim

How is it possible that there's so much to do to get ready.

Well, the plans got accepted by the architectural committee.  The head guy even said he really, really liked the plans and that it was going to be an awesome cabin.

We also got the OK to place a Conex (steel cargo container) on the building site to store construction stuff in while we build.

Cheri and I put together a project plan.  I'll post a JPG of it when it's finished but for now it looks kind of like this;  Prepare backhoe for transport to Manzanita, fix broken light on trailer, get trailer registered in Utah, finish building the dump actuator for making the F450 a dump truck, get the last of the logs moved down to Provo, terrace the site for construction, dig up the road for the power company to lay in the power, set the temporary power pole, and it goes on and on.  There's hundreds of "little" things to do.

We think we'll rent concrete forms, learn how to place the rebar, and pour the footings and foundation ourselves with some hourly day help.  But then we're going to have the concrete walls and framing contracted out to save time.

We've also been given a little reprieve, the architectural committee said we didn't have to have the structure up and enclosed in one calender year.  So if for some reason we don't get it all up by fall, we can cover it up and return in the spring to finish the outer structure.