Knocked off track.

Posted on by David Maxwell

I didn’t get out of bed until a bit after seven this morning. It was already pretty warm at that point. I cleaned and organized the job site a bit more. The framers arrived just after eight to correct things in order to pass inspection. Two of the regulars were there, along with a new guy. They told me that their regular third wheel had partied a bit hard last night, and was in no condition to work. They didn’t bring their ladders so had to build some scaffolding in order to reach the top of the porch.

Liz, her mother, and Luke arrived a little before eleven. They toured the house and met the framers. It was extremely hot and Liz really wasn’t used to being out in the heat. After they left I headed back to Georgia. Unfortunately I didn’t make it all the way there. I thought the store closed at six, but when I checked their website to confirm I saw that on Saturdays they close at four. So I stopped at the cottage and will go down to get the siding on Monday. I can’t say that I’m too upset about this, since it gives me a bit more time on the mountain. Once I unhooked the trailer I went to Piggly Wiggly for food supplies. After eating I just chilled out around the cottage for the afternoon. I talked with Liz for a while on the phone and messed around with the house plans. Sunset didn’t look like it would be very impressive so I didn’t go out. Honestly I haven’t been too motivated to take pictures Recently. Maybe I can go to Lake Dimmick in the morning.

It’s really time to start making a lot of decisions about materials and fixtures. I need to find us another cast iron tub. I also need to organize and clean up the siding and flooring from the old house in order to see just how much of each we have. I sent Liz links to several wood burning stoves and hopefully she will see one that she likes.

I need to get back in the habit of snapping more pictures with my phone. I realize that recent posts have been long on text and short on illustrations. Some photographs might add credibility.

Gettin’ lucky in Kentucky.

Posted on by David Maxwell

I hit the road a few minutes after five this morning and headed to Horse Cave, Kentucky. My goal was to purchase a vintage pedestal sink that Liz had found on Craigslist. I wanted an early start in order to beat Nashville traffic and fortunately didn’t have any issues. I texted the seller from the Kentucky welcome center and told him I would arrive at 7:30. He replied that he would be ready for me. Well, I arrived right at 7:30 and after I knocked twice he came to the door. Nearly naked. Five minutes later he came out and confirmed pretty much every stereotype of rural Kentuckians. We went to a barn behind the house and he showed me the sink. It was pretty, and in great shape. I asked if he knew any of its history, and he said “nope, my brother-in-law is the one that poached it”. I didn’t ask any more questions. I was about to start discussing the price when he began to tell me about the car in the barn. The story involved him being a mechanical genius and involved two separate women referred to as “crack whores”. Finally he wrapped that up and we got down to business. He wanted $175 for the sink and I offered him $160. That was mostly because the ATM had given me twenties and I didn’t want to have to asked him for change. He pouted a little and told me that three people had already offered him $150. I gently informed him that $160 was more than $150 and after a little more fussing he agreed. I loaded up the sink and hit the road. The drive back was uneventful, slowing only briefly on the north side of Nashville.

After unhooking the trailer I headed to Lowe’s to buy some 5 inch screws and wait for the nasty buffet to open. I got a couple of plates of food and some strawberry cobbler. Unfortunately the ice cream machine was broken. Back at the farm I went next door to talk to my neighbor James. We came back and toured the house. A little after he left, Hank, our banker arrived. He was happy to see that the money he had loaned us was actually being used to build a house. After his visit I finished organizing all of the tools. It was incredibly hot, and I was grateful to have my fan running while I did that. Dinner came from Dollar General. Just some junk. I finished the work day by unloading the last of the siding from the trailer. Lots of lightning bugs came out at dusk. I need to try to photograph them. After dark I stepped outside to relieve myself, and saw an incredible number of stars. I really am looking forward to living in the country.

The heat.

Posted on by David Maxwell

It is miserably hot these days. In the 90s pretty much every day, and it’s only June. The early morning brings slight relief but that reprieve is usually over by eight. And it is humid. I am getting somewhat acclimated to it. One thing that helps is not running the air conditioning in the car or spending much time in cooled spaces. That’s more easily done this week while I am sleeping out at the farm. My mother-in-law is in town and I am taking advantage of her help by staying at the farm and saving the time and fuel of a commute. With the windows open and my powerful fan running full blast it’s actually quite comfortable at night. But working out in the full sun is a whole different story. It really is draining. Some days I try to take a little siesta in the afternoon, but even with the fan going it is still pretty uncomfortable. It’s crummy to think that we have at least three more months of this.

Man about town.

Posted on by David Maxwell

It was an errand running kind of day. First I went to get a new copy of my septic permit for the installer. Then I got an oil change at Wal-Mart. That took a bit longer than expected. Next I drove over to Chapel Hill to check out a place selling beaded board. They are going to email me a price. I had lunch at a little BBQ joint right there in town. The brisket sandwich was pretty good. I will return to try their pulled pork. Back at the house I started organizing all of the tools and hardware I brought in yesterday. I tried to take a siesta during the afternoon, but even with my powerful fan it was just too hot to sleep. I went to Ace Hardware looking for foundation sealer. They didn’t have the one I wanted, but had a much cheaper option. I will research it a bit before deciding. I also stopped by Big Box Liquidation since it’s right next door. I wanted to eat dinner out and was desiring Mexican. There is a nice little place on the square, but unfortunately I learned that it closes at five. I found another place just up the road, and it was great. I had one each of four different types of tacos, and cheese sauce for my chips. They have a lunch buffet that I will definitely be returning to enjoy. After dinner I started to unload the siding off my trailer. That was a pain, mostly because of how pliable it is and because my tractor wouldn’t lift the whole bundle.

 

Inspection day.

Posted on by David Maxwell

The county’s framing inspection was yesterday, but the real inspection happened this morning. Liz’s. My dad and I drove down the back way from Monteagle – through Cowan, Fayetteville, and Lewisburg. Fortunately the trailer pulled okay. We arrived at the farm just a few minutes before Liz. She toured the house and seemed pleased with things. We went to Big Box Liquidation to look at flooring, and she took a couple of samples that she liked. For the rest of the day I wasn’t very motivated. I brought all the tools from the bunker into the house and consolidated the wood piles. I also made an action list. Tonight I am sleeping in the house. It is nice and cool with a fan going. There are lots of lightning bugs out. I hope to sleep long and well.