The End is Nigh, and so on.

Everyone is chilling out at the "Green" house today. I'm scheduled to start work at 1300 hours (1330, boss called), the boss and young R are doing a dump run (They did two) in the morning, and the owners are in. One guy bit the dust the beginning of this week, went out to lunch and never came back. C had to go do other things but not before using all the really good baseboard in the master bedroom, which did not have a good effect on the boss either. That and someone tried the old switcheroo again with lower grade carpet and padding. No go, no deal, so we don't step on on the tack strip while we work. G will be finishing up the hardware in the master bath.

The owners are in early, and it's nice having some eyes on site instead of having to lock everything up, walk around and discover more **** to lock up and/or hide. That and the boss and I both have had a lot on our minds so we did forget to lock up stuff now and then. We were incredibly lucky. Now it's two guys have to be at the tool trailer for the locking up and verify. Kinda like turning two launch keys when it comes time to end the civilized world as we know it.

Need more caffeine, back soon........
That hit the spot, black and nasty and thick, only way to get a heart beating.

I have to come up with some good references for my interview and really prepare, prepare. New shoes too, the "Green" house did a number on my two New Balance pairs.

Coffee, more coffee, just more coffee. Decaf....just put food colouring in hot water....geez. Big threads about someone recently on a consumer blog about not getting a Raspberry Soy Mocha Venta Decaf whatever. Decaf mixed with sugar and fake cream and flavouring....not coffee. What levels of depravity have we as a coffee drinking society have sunk to? I keep looking for a guy in a toga with matches, gasoline and a violin.

Getting to 0800, so cleanup and house and banking, et al.

Safety in my Townhouse.....

I have the safest townhouse in a row of five. The wiring and plumbing was gone through at great cost after I got the place by licensed electricians and plumbers and corrected as needed. Then I added a few things.

The half bath has this big mirror/cabinet over the sink. This is now my first aid center. The mineral oil is for the cat who has these large dirt trapping ears. The focus of the first aid is stopping unwanted blood flow which occurs a lot in construction.

Two Kidde carbon monoxide detectors. Not really necessary for me but I wanted em' anyway. I will have no gas appliances or utilities in the house, but the next owner might. One upstairs and one downstairs. If my place was bigger, one in each bedroom too. For some strange reason, they only come in battery powered models.

I have four smoke detectors, ten year battery backups, on their own dedicated electrical circuit. If wanted, I can hook up a third wire in them and network em' together. Neat, eh? The previous owner had four too, but three were battery only and of dubious utility and vintage.

GFCI outlets. When I moved in, there was one old one in one bathroom. Now they are anywhere there's water, all baths and kitchen. If I really wanted to be kosher, the one outside outlet should be one as well. I got the ones with a glowing green indicator just for neatness and coolness.


Last but not least, two big honking RED fire extinguishers out where everyone can see them. These are the next step up from household models which are sleek silver jobs. I wanted something that can be seen and grabbed if need be, hang the aesthetics. One in the kitchen, one in the upstairs landing.

Closing in on the Green house.

The "Green" house is supposed to be occupied today but the inspector never showed up. The floors are in, the bamboo that is. Interesting stuff. Steamed bamboo comes in a variety of colors. Only whacked one finger putting it in the office but it was the driver opinion finger...... Owners want to get in soonest so the heat is on as the song goes.

Boss is fighting the fight. Lights that stayed dark. White plate on beige switch. The carpet guys showed up with the wrong carpet and the wrong padding. Another day for that. The AC kept working, even when it was turned off. The latter might be because the house is so tight. The air exchange is pretty necessary. The Energy Star test went well. It's about four times as efficient as the minimum standard for an Energy Star house.

I'm looking forward to the end. Everyone has been doing long hours and days. I had to slow down and chill out for a little while after leaving some type O-positive on the floor. Back to cruising speed but more careful.

Interview this Monday afternoon, hope it works out. Construction is an occupation for the young.

What I want to do is write something more then just a blog. Need time for that. Work is to allow me to do that, not be an agenda in of itself.

Almost there.......

Well, one response back from the job hunting. I'm getting out of construction, it's a occupation for the young. Out of the five of us at one time, three of us had blown shoulders, four of us just ached, and only one guy didn't hurt because he was the only youngster. I was pretty lucky and figure that it shouldn't be pressed any further.

The "green" house is one day away from occupancy. Things that need to be done, power, rest of floor in the office, power to the panel, baseboards, and get our crap out of the house. The owners will be moving in as we are "moving" out. Two weeks and it's over.

Started work officially late yesterday though I did open it up for R. Bought money at my bank and then did an express overnight letter via the USPS to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Apparently they do this to all newcomers to the state, try to go after taxes from the year previous to the move.

Odds and Ends

There it was, one big clunky futon frame. Everything is moving upstairs until the lower floor gets done. That monster was not going up the stairwell, not in one piece. My furniture has to do one thing well, be readily foldable and storable as I have one great move ahead of me in a year or two. If it doesn't fit in the back of my Suby, it's not a keeper. This didn't do any of that. So it was sawzall time. Two futon mattresses so one of those is going as well for geological recycling. Cat had her epileptic fit on one with a full bladder so it's toast anyway.

I got my return salvo ready for the NCDOR and am firing that today by registered mail. First though, I'll open up the "green" house and get it ready for work. Then off to the post office. I've been spending it seems, most waking moments at work, so looking forward to some time by myself. Another two weeks at most. The townhouse needs quite a bit of work too. That and I'm still recovering from the dentist bill and the quarterly tax payments. Not helping matters that the car will need servicing in three hundred miles, but as it is a very reliable Suby, it needs to stay that way. Then there's the real estate tax payment...... It's not a painless month.

Job hunting is still in slow swing. Two nice ones, one as a facilities administrator. I can do that rather well. See what happens. Online job applications are kept in active status for a week, then moved to the two week file. Anything older then two weeks goes in the near-dead file, and anything over a month gets deleted.

Wake County is going to do the same thing as Loudoun County in a few years....spend much bucks on the schools. As a resident in Loudoun I saw my taxes jumping by twenty percent or more per year. It didn't help matters that every time there was a bond issue, they voted yes. If I learned anything, it's don't hang around while the local school board is spending money like no tomorrow.

Going to have to go through the blog and do my Soviet Encyclopedia thing. Can't scare the customers too much. And done. Politics is so boring anyway as old news.

More Trees to the Slaughter

Those poor inoffensive trees. What did they ever do to deserve to be turned into PRESRT STD U. S Postage Paid?

First up is Trader Joe's. High end supermarket with high end prices. Overblown ad copy too. Pass.

Shopwise....some missing kid that's 46? Furniture, cheesy home improvements and Geico. Toss.

Wachovia, pronounced Walk-All-Over-Ya. Customer Referral Program....here goes.......Stay Away!!!! So much for getting 25 bucks.

Town of Cary, Annual Water Quality Report....unread, besides last year for a few days we couldn't even drink the water. Toss

Time Warner Cable wants me to sign up for watching advertising on an idiot box, overpriced high speed access and a phone system that will be as dependable as the network it rides on. Uh Huh. Toss.

Midweek Values.....flooring and yet even more cheesy home improvement. Toss.

Money Mailer, "Like Getting Money In Your Mailbox". Not. Toss.

Geico, sez, "See how much you could save." Toss.

American Express Business Gold Rewards Card. Brags they are waiving an annual 125 buck fee if I join up. Uh, what about next year? Fake credit card glued to the letter. Also an arbitration clause which means no throwing lawyers at em' if they don't behave. Shred.

AT&T....wants to sell me satellite television in High Definition. What, waste my time on my butt watching advertising instead of being non-productive like now? Toss.

And that's that.

It passed!

The "green" house passed. Second inspector was much friendlier and more personable then the first guy. He did check everything though. At least the mud is drying out. Two more weeks to finish everything.

Got a back a response that said "Oh so you want to be an associate?", in job hunting. Ah, no. An "associate" is the modern day equivalent of "slave". Deleted. With prejudice.

Inspectors Spectoring.

It was a mad scramble yesterday. Not ready yet and both the zoning and building inspector let us know. Niggling details that they didn't like. I was underneath finishing the crawl insulation. I only got to paint two ledgers in the master bedroom closet. Eight shelves and umpteen more ledgers to go. I really hate running in circles.

For my druthers, I'd get everyone on one thing, knock that out, and go on to the next. Then do the inspections. Problem is, that we have to get this place done soon, and as everyone knows, when you rush, it can be a bear. Doesn't help matters that it rained and there is a sea of mud after the grading. I was up to my ankles and beyond a few times.

Maggie, my cat, not too bright, tends to claw up woodwork and upchuck on carpets. Very amiable though and has a Manx two generations back in her tree. That and something rather large. The cat is huge. Hunting ability nil, and total indoor cat by inclination.


The rain barrel, sitting on a platform that is actually built to the slope of the parking pad. Raining hard at the time. In one hour, it had an inch of rain inside.

It'a blur but we are getting there.

Too much work, not enough time. Also left ankle and foot hurt like hell. Managed to be a target again. Ouch.

The "green" house is days away from a certificate of occupancy and every one is going like mad. Had to spend the day with the grader. Every time I got near my gallon of paint and my brush, I'd have to go outside again. At least the electrical is done.

Got Monday off to go fire my return volley at the NCDOR. This will consist of a registered mail envelope stuffed full of notarized copies of my Virginia tax form from that year, 1040, townhouse settlement and license. Also planning to do some quick repair to my chimney chase top. Just fix that leak at the top. Best to fix it right from the ground up and not have to worry about water getting in the way. .

I decided to job hunt again. Being so tied up at the "green" house in it's final stage precludes any interviews and such but it helps to be active.

Got to go to work

The Art-fier

The art-fier hummed and chugged and processed and turned a perfectly good digital colour picture of the "green" house into this. One can almost imagine a wagon and horses waiting in front of the house as a stocky photographer sets up his tripod and daguerreotype.


Someone else with a slab of limestone, mallet and chisels produced a bas-relief.


A wandering Impressionist set his easel up in the driveway. Name of Money or Monet? Really thick glasses too.....



Wild-eyed artist somehow managed to park a DC-8 out in the street. Threw paint at his canvas and some managed to stop there. The jet blast is not a precision instrument.

The Jawbone is connected to the .........

A late start at the "Green" house today. Depends when Wachovia gets done taking in more money. My things today, will be reinstalling the lights. Garage door installer said, yep, lights in the way. Sigh. Down they came and back up they go....somewhere else.

I spent 1500 dollars plus on taxes and the dentist. Turns out my teeth are not the problem, it's damaged cartilage in my jaw joints. My wisdom teeth probably helped it along since with them there is more chewing surface then the normal human has without, and that much more pressure on the joints. Also found out they have curved roots so it's a good thing they came in normally. The pain was when I paid the dentist $765.00 for finding out I'm getting older. Heck, I just look in the mirror. Still, I got a mouthpiece out of the deal and it will help me sleep at night. Have to put money back in the bank and just behave myself for awhile. I have a cash cushion instead of a credit card, so it can be built back up without paying some Delaware thieves such things as interest and fees. At least there is enough materials at my "Brown" house to get some work done. Just need time.

Another picture from the Green house coming soon. It's going through the art-ifier. Thinking stained glass or oil painting this time. The sepia tint may be an option too, with added scratches and cracks like an old daguerreotype.

Ok, so I'm a little down. The "Green" house.

I can convince the state of El Norte Carolina I wasn't here, found my papers. The estimated tax thingy coming up in two days would be no biggy but my twenty-one year old crown on my left lower wisdom tooth is at the end of it's service life. Some bucks there, and my dental plan is called, Fork Over The Dough. It does have a root canal but it needs to be repaired. Besides, I like to sleep at night. The pain is not as much in the tooth as it is in the thought that this is going cost real money.



The "Green" House. This house is one of the few houses in this area in the two decades or more that's being built the old fashioned way.....with care and quality.

It's not as showy as a McMansion, but the house will be standing after all of us are gone. It isn't falling down. Yes, someone, not me, left my four foot level leaning against the wall.

The mailbox, opened again

It's been awhile since the mailbox was opened. Big mistake. Full of slain trees as always.....

First up, Vanguard is telling me that I get to pay no fees. Nice, that.

Second, credit union telling me that I earned yet another dollar.

Now for the junkier junk.

CITI Business Services is offering me a zero percent credit card. Hmmmm. Go to the back of the application and read the terms and conditions. 13.24 percent for purchases, sez variable, could mean more. Cash advance is 23.34 percent, if late 32.24 percent or more. Simon LeGree is alive and well it seems.

Cary Fitness 19 would like me to go to the gym to get fit. Already there....I do work for a living.

AT&T would like me to watch advertising and pay for it. Nah.

IRS liked it so much that I was sending in my estimated income taxes, they sent me preprinted forms and envelopes. They want me to pay postage as usual.

NC sez they didn't get any income tax form for 2004. Simple reason....I wasn't working in NC in 2004....I didn't even live here. Letter tomorrow along with documentation.

Wachovia....wants me to refinance my mortgage through them. Only problem......what mortgage?

Performance Bicycle catalog, all sorts of shiny new stuff including clothes....shiny skin tight clothes. Hey, I ride old steel in blue jeans. Live with it.

Bed, Bath & Beyond flyer....I used to know folks who worked for em'. Nah.

Vanguard, yet more literature on one of my funds. The fund does well and the info is online. Tossed unopened.

KHovianian Homes, hoping to sell me a McMansion....nah.

Lifetime Fitness, yet another gym membership. Hey, just work for a living, all the exercise a body doesn't want.

Verizon Wireless wants to sell me a cellphone. Nope, got one already and the thing works entirely too well.

USPS would like me to give a lot and send it via them. Giving a lot already....it's called taxes.

Town of Cary sez I should conserve water and not irrigate my yard. No problem, no yard.

Ethan Allen would like me to buy expensive furniture.....probably made in China. Toss.

Bike Nashbar, yet another bike catalog....toss.

Clipper Magazine....coupons for eating out, real estate out in the middle of nowhere, and buying expensive junk. Toss.

Clearwire Wireless Broadband....prefer DSL, and wireless broadband isn't all that secure anyway.

Midweek Values, More dead tree, this by the N and O. Toss, recycle.

Campmor catalog. My camping days are over. Forever and one day. Toss.

Maxwell. Volkswagon . Volvo . Subaru would like me to buy an oil change for double what Atlantic Tire does it. Nah. Toss.

Insulating and Cleaning and the Birdie

Yesterday, B and I blew into the attic of the "green" house, 129 bales of recycled cellulose insulation. Day before that, R and I did 39. Spent most of the day in the attic, but did manage to stain and varnish a few window sills. Hopefully we can get rolling on the grading, outside steps and bamboo floors this next week. Still needs a few bales, small hole by the attic stairs. The air quality during the process could best be described as non-existent.

Here at the brown house, vacuumed and shampooed the back bedroom. Got to remove the Sheetrock anchors and patch and paint those. The back bath is the first that will get attention. The toilet finally died and needs new guts. The tile job by the previous owner sucks and the vanity cabinet has had it. Yep, gut job coming up. The tub gets to stay. The wall next to the linen closet might get moved but funds may dictate it staying where it is.

Red Pontiac yesterday did not like me signaling a right turn and then slowing down for it. Blew horn. I did the middle finger salute. Gotta watch my temper. Tail-gaters are a bear here now.

Worked on my taxes, the quarterly estimated tax payments are coming up in less then two weeks. Not too bad. Finally figured out my percentages and 16 percent is definitely better then 35 percent. Still, a little extra to keep the powers-that-be happy for they can really make a bad day suck even more. I've had days where eating a live toad would have been an improvement, so the fewer of those, the better.

Working on and under Roofs.

June, the first day of. Adventure today in insulating the attic. I pushed that ahead so we can get a jump on next week and get as much knocked out as possible. Boss managed to get quite a few new people to help us finish. I also got to get some windowsills ready, or more properly the window stools ready for B. Also, the big MBR closet needs sanding, painting, and priming. I'm going to bring my chop saw over. It's a bit more portable then that ungainly monster that lurks in the hallway and that everyone trips over, squeezes past, and gets dragged on and off the back porch, bumping into what-not. Blasted painters want to start early at 0730 hours, the newest guy is coming at 0830 hours, and a truck full of insulation is also showing up in the morning. Zoo morning ahead.

Lot of work still to be done. The goal is to get enough of the house finished and a certificate of occupancy so they move in. At that point, all that will be left, is to get the back porch screened in, the railings capped, and the odds and ends done.

I got up on the roof of my place the other day. The chimney chase definitely got holes in it. Water just goes down the slope and right into it. The metal cap is thoroughly rusted as is all my neighbor's chimneys. I could just shoot foam into it for a very temporary repair and continue working from the deck up or do a permanent repair and then work from the deck up.

The leak of my neighbor's other house is, or was through the siding above my roof. The step flashing seems good and further investigation would involve tearing up my roof, so that ain't happening since I have no leaks. The splits and holes got caulked, and time permitting (yeah right), it will be touched up to match the paint. Pictures soon. Very temporary repair though, the cedar siding has had it. It needs total replacement and that's up to my neighbor.