8.31.2018

I had to go into Saratoga this morning to close out the book storage unit and turn in the key fob.  We worked really hard this week lugging out all of those books before for the end of the month!  That was a good (although expensive!) solution to our book storage needs but it's so nice to know that every single thing we own is now on our own property (well...except for Jim's car that is still in our neighbor's barn!).

To house all the books and all kind of miscellaneous things, Jim continues to work on the steel shelves.  With the steel he got at Drywall Center yesterday, he was able to finish the substructure for the bottom shelf.  He decided that it would be better to have the last shelf off the floor a bit for some breathing room.

 

Then he cut and fastened the drywall.  While this sounds easy, there is a lot of work to that - all the holes have to be predrilled before being fastened down.  But this shelf is now officially done!

 

Jim continued working on the second set of shelves.  These will be freestanding so they have to be very strong and stable on their own.

He got one section of plywood on to help keep things square.  He'll have to put braces on these shelves since they won't be fastened to the wall for stability.

 

 Then he continued the grading work in the back of the house...

This angle shows just how much Jim has gotten the grade built up!  Doing some hand shoveling around drain pipes...

Looking amazing!

High 71/Low 58 - gorgeous!

8.30.2018

Jim continues to do some apartment work in the mornings - today he hung up the charger for my vacuum in the laundry room.

 All done!

He chiseled out the hole for the latch on the bathroom door and put on the striker plate.

We loaded up a carload full of scrap cardboard and steel and Jim unloaded it at the recycling center - which is conveniently around the corner!

Then with his car clear, he made a trip to the Drywall Center and picked up more steel studs out of the boneyard to use for our shelving units.

Putting together the second shelving unit for the metal shop...

A temporary brace on the back to keep everything stable.

I was able to take my carload full of books to the library to donate.  We  knocked off a bit early and headed back to the book storage unit to empty it out.  Two full carts...

It took three carts to unload everything - our cars were jammed full!  But the storage unit is now officially empty!  I'll have to go tomorrow to turn in the key fob and close the account - yay!

We felt we earned a trip to Pope's Pizza after all that - a good ending to a good day!

High 74/Low 51 - beautiful!

8.29.2018

The day didn't start real auspiciously.  We are still getting used to living here - typically, Jim would leave the apartment and make sure he had his phone and keys with him.  By the time I got there, all the doors were unlocked and I never had to use a key.  The entrance doors remain in a locked state unless you pull down the inside handle.  You can probably see where this is going. 

Jim and I started loading up the many boxes of books to be donated to the library and I was going to drop them off.  And we locked ourselves out.  Of course, my first instinct is to panic.  Jim remains calm.  Thankfully, Jim had an extension ladder outside and hadn't locked the back work shop window.  He was able to go through the window and unlock the doors. 

Then, after that start and loading up a car full of books, when I got to the library they were closed on Wednesdays.  Sigh.  Oh well...they are all loaded up and I'll try and drop them off tomorrow.

Back at work, Jim took the door off our bedroom and brought it down to the wood shop for a final tweaks and to put the door handle on.

Putting it back on the hinges.  He'll still need to put stop molding on but that can come later.

He put the last shelf in my kitchen cabinet too for more storage...

We started doing some basic site work on the pole barn area.  Jim got out his surveyor equipment.  It's amazing - you are convinced the grade is a certain way until the laser level says differently - and I always joke that Jim has laser eyeballs!  We were convinced that the grade was pretty good - higher in the back and sloping gently towards the driveway.  But surveying showed that the driveway was actually a bit higher.

Jim got his small chainsaw out to get rid of some of the trees around the site.

After Jim trimmed, you can see how the ground really drops off at the back.  Brings the west wall saga back to mind!

Time to do some dirt digging!  Jim started up the excavator and did a little digging and used the Bobcat to do some grading on the upper driveway.

Before winter, we have to finish grading the back of the carriage house.  Now that we have the water softener draining back here, we have to make sure everything is underground and won't freeze.  So Jim started building up the area...

And grading it out...

Starting to take shape!

 More digging...

 Jim finally broke into our topsoil pile!  This pile has been here since we first started building - we always figured it would be the top layer when grading around the house.  However, Jim said that the dirt he is digging from the driveway area is just as good.  So time to break into the pile - it has more growth than dirt!  But it's a good time to use it now because Jim can bury all that growth as he's building up the grade in the back.

End of the day - making great progress!

Jim took about 4 scoops of dirt down to the pole barn area - he figures maybe 4 more and we'll be at a good grade for gravel.

High 89/Low 68 - heat advisory

8.28.2018

Jim again started his day doing some apartment work.  The movement on our grandfather clock had been failing but the move did it in.  Jim ordered the same German movement and installed it today. 

 The chimes are a bit richer than what we were used to and it's so nice to have our clock back!

 

Jim brought up the door jamb for the master bedroom - and it fit first try!

So he fastened it in place...

Then he hung the door.  He'll have to take it off for a little adjustment and to put the door handle on, but we are leaving it up for now.

Over the last week, the brakes on my car started making noises so Jim had to replace the back brakes today.  He had planned to do this so he had all the parts ready to go.  The before and after rotors show that I really needed new brakes!

Quite the difference in brake pads!

This is the first repair job Jim has had to do on my car - not bad for a 6-year old car!  Jim says he's grateful for the space to work on it but doing car repair work sure makes him anxious to get the car lift in the auto bay! 

Putting it back together...

Side two before...

Jim hates what the salt does to cars - he has to use his mallet to help break parts loose due to corrosion.

Wheels back on!  Jim will do the front brakes soon - the back were definitely worse.

After a test drive, all's well!

At the end of the day, Jim did some trimming around the area where the pole barn will go.  We hope to be doing some layouts soon!

 

I went through all of the book boxes that we brought back from the storage unit yesterday.  I got a bunch of boxes ready to be donated to the library and the rest repackaged in smaller, more easily stackable boxes. 

High 89/Low 68 - heat advisory

8.27.2018

I had to run a couple errands this morning including the first of many trips to the local library to donate books! 

Meanwhile, Jim was busy working on the door frame.  He got the door hinges inset in the door and the jamb all primed.  He also made another shelf for one of my cabinets.

This afternoon, it was time to start prepping the area where the pole barn will go - a new phase about to start!  Unfortunately, the battery in the older 4Runner was dead so Jim had to jump that before he could move it.  He moved the truck as well as the pumpkin and forks for the Bobcat away from the site.

Then we started clearing the area.  First load of our old toe boards and blocking pieces.  These may come in handy sometime or else we'll use them for a bonfire!

We're putting them up with the rest of our extra building supplies at the top of the hill...

Next load!

Dumping...

Last load of our concrete stakes and rebar pieces...

We used some runners to keep the steel pieces off the ground...

Then Jim started just flattening out the area.  You can see where it will go perspective to the carriage house.

First pass at clearing...

At the end of the day, we took both cars and headed into the book storage unit.  Here's Jim pushing the last of 3 cartloads of books!  We are hoping to be able to clear it out this week.  I'll be going through many, many boxes of books tomorrow!

  

Many special birthday wishes go out to my mom today!  Sure wish we could be there to celebrate in person!  Love you much!
 

High 85/Low 68