Dawg Tired

Some of you might remember ol' Ernie that I wrote about somewhere around a year ago. He is doing very well now. Allen has got him fattened up and healthy and he's just happy as he can be. In fact, he gets so excited, and is such a prolific slobberer, when someone comes to visit that Allen was attempting to get him to sit still for just a minute so I could take his picture.
His ears are so long that they fall in his bowl when he's eating and get caked up with goop. Somehow he manages to clean them though.

We finished tying our last tilt panel today. Thank goodness. My back and knees may never recover. They are supposed to start setting the panels Monday. The welding machine arrived yesterday for me, as I will apparently be welding the panels in place. Yea!!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments about the article. My hits for the blog have gone way up for now. I suspect that will return to normal soon. Well, I wish I had more to write about but my brain has already turned in for the night and my body is pressing me to join it. We will get a couple of days off for Easter weekend so maybe I can write a somewhat more coherent post then.

Hey Ya! (Revised)

EDIT!!! The author of the article was good enough to send me the link (it wasn't up yesterday) so it's HERE and there is also a nice photo gallery HERE.
You can get a pretty good idea of the article from these photos I think though. If you have been following my blog for any time you already know all of what is in the article anyway. I thought they did a wonderful job on the story and photos both. I was surprised that it was such a large article. I got the whole front page of this section and half a page a little further back. Many thanks to all who made this possible. I really appreciate it!!
My Mom was really excited. I went up to her house today and took her out for her birthday lunch and while we were out I bought a couple of copies. Daddy Rabbit wanted a copy so I got one for him too. So, another nice thing to add to my scrapbook. For who to read later I don't know but it was fun.

*Outkast

Nothing But Flowers

For lack of anything else, and because I love them so, I'm going to inflict some more daffodil pics on ya'll. They are so beautiful to me. I need to buy some different varieties though in some other colors. This particular clump has just gotten huge. Right now they are up to my knees.
I put my dirty ol' paw behind this one so you could get a sense of scale and I have fairly large hands for a woman.
Now, I am not sure what variety these are but I like them a lot. This is the first year they have done much. They were a gift from a feller I dated a couple of years ago. He said they came from his grandparents old homestead so I know they are a fairly old variety. That is one of the differences between dating a white collar man and a blue collar. The white collar man will usually bring you a cut flower arrangement. Very pretty and all but a blue collar man will bring you a truck load of flowers he dug up just for you and you will enjoy them for years to come. Mouse brought me quite an assortment of flowers from his place. I hope the peonies from him live and do well this year. I've never grown them before.

Well, still working like hell. I think we only have about 6 panels left to tie so maybe the majority of rebar work will be over. At least the kind where we stay bent over all day anyway.

The newspaper article comes out this Sunday. I'll put a link up for ya'll as soon as I can find it. Every time I've been in a publication in the past it always stresses me out a little. I'm always afraid people are going to read the article and then write to me, or the publication, proclaiming what a freaking idiot I am. I'm not sure why I imagine that happening. I think part of it is because it is being published in my old hometown's paper and I have already had a couple of people make a few snide remarks about it. I can't help it; people approach me about this stuff but it kinda hurts to have people you think are friends make jokes or ugly remarks to you instead of being supportive. Oh well, I'm just me and that's all I know how to be.

*Talking Heads

Draggin' The Line

Alright Pablo, best I can do to show a draggin' muffler. This has been one of those weeks that would make it difficult for me to recommend this work to anyone. I guess I've been it doing so long I've become acclimated to it to some extent.
And that's not a shadow on my arm; it really was black with grease. The wire we tie rebar with comes with an oily substance on it to help keep it from rusting and as you pull it from your reel it just works it's way all over you. I took one other photo that showed the contrasting skin colors much better but figured it was maybe a little too risque.
Well, my bed is calling very strongly to me. Hope you all are enjoying warm weather as we are here. It was beautiful today.

Appalachain Spring

I think it's finally here! Lord, I hope so. I need some warm sunshine so badly. It snowed yesterday morning but was short sleeve weather this afternoon.
Well, I'm still tired; still working overtime. My butt is dragging so low, if I had a muffler I'd be throwing sparks for half a mile. Maybe something new to post about soon.

Just Ain't Easy

We started pouring the panels at work yesterday. I am on the rodbusting crew so as soon as we get a half dozen or so ready, they pour 'em. Poured seven yesterday; only twenty something to go. I ain't going to lie to you, I'm tired. I thought I might do a little on the house when I get home since it is still light now that the time has changed but I have just been wore out so far. I did plant some lettuce and onions one day.


When I say the rodbusting crew, this is what I mean. We tie all the reinforcing steel that goes in the concrete. See how they are bent over like that and it appears that they are walking forward at the same time? Well, that is what you do, tying all (50% in the inside) the intersections of steel and you stay in this position for most of the day; except for when we are toting the steel over to the panels and shaking it out. I am sore, bruised, swollen and sunburned and we are a little less than halfway finished but I had rather be with these guys than with lots of others. That is Head on the right, once my student now my foreman and Mark on the left.
At least it is warming up. We keep our coveralls on in the morning but it gets warm enough in the afternoon to get blistered. Time to get the sunblock back out. Everything is sprouting around the house! I'm so excited that spring is coming finally.

We also heard the confirmation today that the company from Mississippi has bought our company. We are not sure what will happen now. I know we will finish the project we are on now but after that, who knows?
Well, nothing going on at the house to show ya'll, maybe I'll have something soon. They are predicting rain for Sunday, my one off day, so not sure if I'll get to do much. Maybe I'll work on that pottery I owe some of ya'll.


*Allman Brothers

Give Me Strength

So, the newspaper interview went well I think. They were extremely nice and seemed pleased with everything. They didn't run away in disgust when they saw the house in person anyway! Since I have been asked numerous times I will put up a link to the article, if there is one, when it is published.
For now though, work on the house is going to take a back seat to my real job. I am on overtime and with the outside crew working on tilt-up panels. The past two days we have been tying rebar in the panel forms. They want to pour 6 panels on Friday and I believe we got the 6th one tied today. I am not ashamed to admit though that 10 hour days of staying bent over at the waist, tying steel on the ground is kicking my ass. I haven't played rodbuster since summer before last so a few days of soreness is to be expected though.
Some of the soreness is from laughing so hard at the guys. They really make the day go by. If you could see all the stuff that happens you would really wonder how we actually manage to be such an efficient and hardworking crew. The day starts out with Hippie walking out of his tool belt because he has such a lack of a butt, there is nothing there to hold his belt up. He finally resorted to suspenders. Thank goodness his tool belt was the only thing that fell down. The other guys just rag Hip all day about everything and Head was accusing Hippie of him letting a light stand kick his ass because Hippie couldn't get it to fold up right. Then at the end of the day, Big Sexy lost one of his teeth in a footing. I don't know what it is about the guys losing their teeth on the job. He got his bifocals out to look for it but soon gave up. Somebody will probably stumble up on it tomorrow. I'm just glad Daddy Rabbit doesn't actually come out into the field very often.
See I got the rafters and eaves painted on the clerestory? I think it looks much better. Well, there is just not that much going on besides work. It is gloomy and cold here. We have kept our coveralls on all week, all day just about. I have photos from the RR job dated March 13 where we are all running around in very short sleeves. I want to see the sun!!

*Eric Clapton

Nothing I Can Do About It Now

Well, I got as much done as I could but, due to persistent rain, it didn't amount to as much as I would have liked. I did manage to get this window trimmed out. I thought they might want to take a photo of one of the few finished areas of the house! It looks so much better with trim on it. Nothing like a little publicity to throw yer butt in gear. I also got a few things cleaned up in different places and finally put a switch cover over the porch light switch.
We kept waiting for the rain to stop to attempt to get the brackets and pick board up on the roof but it just would not quit completely so we just went for it. Allen made the brackets (you can see one on the far right under the board) and we got them all ready and secured and hauled that heavy ass board up there. This is the 24' board and it weighs about 150 pounds. If the roof had been bone dry it would not have been as daunting but we got it anyway. As Allen said, things are better now because before, if we fell off the roof, we would hit the ground and roll off into the ditch at the foundation. But now, we'll just hit the ground!
In this photo you can (maybe) see that I had painted the plywood and I managed to get the rafter tails finished too. The wood looked so aged and bad I hated for them to take any photos of it like that. It looks much better now.
So, I'm going to try to get home tomorrow a hour or so before they get here and maybe tidy up some more. I just hope to don't say something too stupid in the interview part.

*Willie Nelson

Water, Water Everywhere

Oh, I didn't mean to get so far behind on posting! I've just been busy at work and around the house and just haven't felt like I've had much to say really. Not sure why. Anyway, it's been raining like hell around here. I now have 2 creeks in my yard in addition to the one by the drive. We've been rained out at work a couple of days this week. Well, one day a few of us went in, though it was raining, and about the time we were going to get to leave an 18 wheeler pulls in with 20 or so tons of rebar for us. So, break out the raincoats and unload him. It took a couple of hours because we only have a backhoe with forks for such. We don't have a crane. I was the lucky one on the back of the truck rigging the bundles. I could see lightning flashing off in the distance at times. It never got close enough for us to feel real uncomfortable although there were a few times we considered it. But, have to get the truck unloaded; he's got places to go.
In between thunderstorms the sun has been wonderful and things are sprouting everywhere. On the drive home today, I saw the slightest blush of color in the Redbuds that line the highway.
I got to run a 60 lb. jackhammer some at work today. That was the small one. I felt kinda bad for the outside crew. They kept having to run in and out of the rain but were determined to stick it out because we've missed so much time. One of the last times Hippie (some of you may remember) went out to see if it was still raining. He came back in and proclaimed the coast was clear; rain was gone! So, they all drag out their tools and get back out in the middle of the site, far away from shelter, ready to work....and the bottom just falls out. They did not speak kindly of Hippie. Something about his senile ol' ass.
I have this weekend off in order to finish as much as I can before the newspaper people come to take photos. I hope I get a good bit done. After this weekend though, I'll be working as much as they'll let me. Things are looking very bad for our company. I am on one of only 2 decent size jobs we have. There is talk of being bought by a construction company from Mississippi. They are forcing many of our older superintendents to retire, whether they are ready or not. I don't know what we are going to do. It's very sad to me that we may all be split up to work for other companies. But maybe we can hang on.
I noticed this the other day walking to the mailbox. Sort of an unfortunate placement of growth. I did not plan that at all, I promise.
Well, hopefully I'll have some more to post about on the house soon. Right now the bed is calling. Those jackhammers seem to make me tired.

Progress

The ditch is gone! Yea!! Everybody say YEA!!! The conduit is in but there is nothing in it yet, however. I need to grade this area just a little better.
Mouse came down this weekend and was a great help to finish the siding here on the south side. Just have to caulk and paint and then I'll move on up to the clerestory section.
I've been piddling around with trying to build this raised bed and get it backfilled. I would like to plant a small kitchen herb garden here.
I only have one week to get as much as possible done and clean up around here before the people from the newspaper came out. Eeeehh, too much to do. Especially now that we are going on overtime at work. 10 hours for 5 days and 8 hours on Saturday. Oh well, at least I'll make good money. My posting might be sporadic for a while now but I'll try to keep putting up some stuff. There may not be much about the house since I probably won't have much time to work on it though!


*Midnight Oil

Pump It Up

Today was one of those days where you are working out in the mud, it's spitting snow, wind's cutting through all your clothes and you just can't get warm no matter what and you wonder to yourself, "why in the world did I ever think I wanted to do this for a living?" Fortunately I was in the warm at times but still had to work out in it some. The guys have been pouring about every other day, trying to get all the casting pads ready so we can start forming and pouring the panels. Concrete pumps are so cool. If you are wondering why we are pumping this concrete so close to where the pads are (why not just drive a truck over there?), the pads are so close together there is not room to get a truck through and casting pads are only about 3 inches thick, not near enough to support a truck driving over them.
I bet these boys had to stay late tonight because of the cold. When I left at 3:30 they had just put the first troweling machine on. That's not good. The mud's just sitting there and I'm pretty sure they added the stuff to make it go faster. Don't let the way Nate is standing there with that hose fool you. He was just taking a break; those hoses are extremely heavy and we often times have to push and pull to direct the concrete in certain directions.
The truck drivers have an easy time of it. They just back up to the hopper on the pump and pour it out.
Know what that big sponge is for? As you might guess, the pump truck drivers must keep their machines very clean and it takes them a while to clean and wash the truck after the pour. The pump lines must be cleared, obviously, to keep any mud from setting up in them so the operator will take this sponge and snuff it up the trunk of the pump! The pumps can suck in either direction. The sponge travels the length of the lines and is pooped out the back of the truck! It's pretty cool.

I have been working inside, completing our office, which will be turned over to the owners at the end of the job, for them to use as a maintenance shop. This has been nice on these cold days but I would like to be working with my guys. I walked by a group of them today and they stopped me. "When are you gonna get finished in there so you can come out and work with us?" I said I was trying but Daddy Rabbit kept coming up with more stuff for me to do. They huffed around a little and kicked some dirt clods. Reminded me of little kids wanting me to come out and play. I'm anxious to get back in the groove of things myself and that bunch will keep you laughing.

*Mudhoney

How Bizarre

I can't believe we have had yet another measurable snowfall. I can't remember the last time it snowed this many times in one winter. I am in such a sorry funk. Blek! I have got to get out of it. They are predicting highs in the 60's this weekend. I so hope they are right. I've got to get out of this freefall.


*OMC

Pay Dirt

This weekend I am working on getting the conduit installed for my permanent power and communication cable. I dug the trench back in the summer when I had the track hoe but different chores and occasional lack of money has kept me from finishing. Yes, this probably should have been done before I ever moved in but it wasn't so that's that. Anyway, I will go into greater depth about this later but for now I wanted to touch on another subject.

I have often wondered if I am really accomplishing much or helping anyone by writing this blog and I have expressed that several times. I know that how I'm building my house is not really something many people would or could do, although I think more people could do it if they would try. I think this is just an effort to show, if you think for a while, you may find it in your best interest to do things a little differently; whatever it is you're doing. You don't always have to do things the way everybody else always has.
In this vein of thought, a lot of people have been curious as to how I have paid for this house. In our society, it is just taken as a given that you have to borrow money; you have to be indebted for half your life if you want to have anything. Well, no, you don't. Now, I realize, as I just said, that I have certain advantages because of my occupation and the resulting connections. I have been able to salvage an enormous amount of material for this house and have had a few sweet people just gift me with stuff. But i believe a resourceful person could salvage a sizable amount of material also, regardless of what they do. You also have to be willing to look at things a little differently. Most people I know would just die at the thought of living in a house that only has plywood floors or having unfinished sheetrock in some places, even if they know it is only temporary. Oh, the horrors! Well, when you realize that my house, even in it's unfinished state, would be a freakin' mansion compared to what a great deal of the rest of the world lives in, it kinda puts things in perspective. I don't mind the plywood for now.
I recently did some figuring and came up with an estimate of what I have spent on my house so far. I surprised myself. I thought I had spent more than what I have but my figures showed that I have about $35,000 in this house so far. I believe I can finish this half for another $15,000. Now, with the basement, which I do use, this is about a 1,300 sq.ft. house. That's about $38/ sq.ft. I think most new houses (of comparable location and style etc.) were going for anywhere around $150-200/ sq.ft. Of course, my figures include very little labor costs, as I have done most of it myself but there is much that can be done to save money on home construction. I have even added quite a few purely aesthetic touches to this house that are really not necessary. If I had really been conservative I believe I could have built both halves for what I will spend on this one. But I wanted to add some unique touches. All I'm saying is, you can spend as little as you like but you don't have to live in a yurt or one room cabin if you want to live sustainably or with some conscience about the environment and your pocketbook. That misconception is one thing I would really like to dispel. Don't listen to what society at large tells you that you must do or have. So, I have deck handrails made of scrap rebar and light fixtures that are old wine bottles? I like it.
I'll give a few more specifics on the finances in a later post but the main thing is still that you have to be willing to work hard and think creatively. But you can do it.

*k.d. Lang

Small Swift Birds

I've been told that it's just the way life goes.
Once the wildest river is now a trickle to the sea.
The peak we risk our lives to scale becomes dirt beneath our feet.
The wisdom of a lifetime always disappears untapped.
Paradise once given will always be taken back.
And the love you hang your life upon
will start to slowly crack.

I have seen people suffocate the dream.
Forgetting to turn that one last time while she watches through the door.
Focusing on the garbage that she used to ignore.
Thinking she looks so beautiful but not yelling it out loud.
He should have stopped to kiss her before he headed out.
Just forgetting how fucking lucky you are
to have found her in such a crowd.

But we've seen a cloud of starlings rising on a crisp autumn day.
We were handed the weight of a child sleeping and bore her away.
We've tasted the tears that fall when saying goodbye forever.
And we've seen the silver from a waxing moon wash upon the shore.

I have heard about the lives of small swift birds.
They dazzle with their colour and their deftness through the air.
Just a simple glimpse will keep you simply standing there.
Legendary journeys made on fragile hollow wings.
The night skies rich with whistling each and every spring.
And then there's the day we look for them and can't find them anywhere.

I've been told that it's just the way life goes.

*Cowboy Junkies

Lost My Driving Wheel

I'm in a Cowboy Junkies kinda mood these past few days. This damp, frigid weather isn't helping much. I know part of what is bringing me down but I won't go into that lest I embarrass the men. At least it gives me some hope that a few days will bring some relief. So, be patient with me. I have several things I want to write about and even tried to start a post on one subject tonight but the words just were not coming right.
I've been enjoying myself at work lately but a very intense loneliness has settled on me. Worse than usual. Maybe it's just because this winter seems to grasping at everything in an effort to hold on just a little longer. I feel like taking a piece of rebar and whaling the crap out it's icy fingers until it looses it's grip on the trees and foliage. I need warmth; from the sun, the handle of a sledgehammer, a tall man's embrace. Guess I'll have to settle for my flannel sheets and Grendal laying next to me. At least I have her for company.

I do have one good note I wanted share. I won't leave you completely despondent. I didn't want to say anything until it was very certain, so as not to jinx myself, but I think it's safe now. Thanks to a couple of good friends and readers, a newspaper in a neighboring city (the city I grew up in actually) is going to do a special feature article on my house for their Home and Garden issue next month. Since sustainable building is becoming more popular, they thought my house would be a good story. It will not be out until the end of March but I'll be sure to put up a link, if available, or some photos or something. I hope to make substantial progress on the exterior of the house before they come to take photos but I'm not sure how that is going to go. Ah well, they know it's not finished. So, we'll see.

*Cowboy Junkies

Was A Sunny Day

There are a gazillion songs about the sun but I don't believe I've ever used a Paul Simon song before so I thought I'd go with him. Always liked his work. Anyway, as you can see from the photo, I got Allen to cut down a couple of trees for me today. First one being that oak right next to the house. Now, before anybody gets their panties in a wad, look at the photo below. When this land was logged about 10-11 years ago, the loggers banged into a bunch of the trees and they get these big scars on them, often with rot on the inside. I've already had one of these scarred trees to fall on the house; don't need another one. There was one other oak, a little further way, that we also took out because it was leaning pretty noticeably towards the house. This will also let the remaining 2 oaks fill out, since they won't be crowded anymore. Allen tied a rope on the trees high up and then tied it to the Bobcat. I got up the hill with the machine and tugged as he cut to make sure it fell my way and not towards the house. All worked fine. And yes, we had a long enough rope that I wouldn't pull it over on me! I made sure of that!
See that rot on the inside? I could actually stick my hand through the wood in the center there.
So, we ended up cutting 3 trees all together. I just wanted the 2 but Allen couldn't stand seeing this one hickory near the house that was bent waaaay over. It was like my own little mini St.Louis arch. He chopped it up though. So, I loaded them all into the Bobcat and hauled them down to the splitting area.

I worked on the house also, painting and caulking. Late today I took the Bobcat down to the dam and gathered up another bucket load of flagstone. I also used the Bobcat to haul some more fill to widen the driveway by the creek. Boy, I really wish I could find my own Bobcat for a reasonable price. You can do SO much with those things.

I'm feeling much better but I worked so today that my butt is dragging right now. My doc said I was just a small step from having pneumonia; that was why he gave me such strong meds but I think it's helping. If I could just get rid of this cough.

Well, hope everybody has a good week and that it starts warming up!! This weekend was so beautiful here. It really has me yearning for spring. The daffodils are up to about 6 inches now too. Even they are getting impatient to come out!

*Paul Simon

Speak Up

Has everyone out there been overtaken with SAD and is now curled up in a ball in a semi-hibernating state until they feel the sun shining on them again? From what I see, most everybody, everywhere is really sick of this winter and anxiously awaiting the return of warmth to our side of the planet. I know I am.

Am I boring you to tears with my recent posts? Oh, wait, ya'll said I wasn't boring.

Have I been ugly and ya'll don't want to talk to me anymore? I know I've been kicked off one blogroll already.

What's going on? I hope ya'll haven't frozen. Things going okay? Everybody got their seeds started? I need to get mine going this weekend.

Back On The Chain Gang

Yea! Today was my second day back at work! I'm feeling much better after a visit to an ENT I know yesterday morning. I helped build his house several years ago so if I ever have sinus problems he always works me in quickly. Apparently it is burning the wood stove that has got my sinuses in an uproar. I have a real problem with any type of smoke. I won't describe what the doc said was going on but it is gross! I wasn't planning on working at all this week (after what Daddy Rabbit said) but he called me after I got out of the doc's and said if I felt like it I could come in and do some painting on the inside. I'm glad I'm feeling better but it took a fairly serious dose of meds to get me here. I got THREE shots in the...um...hiney and am having to gargle with some of the nastiest tasting crap you can imagine. My butt was so sore yesterday. I joked to the guys that I had not been subjected to that many pricks since I worked with those plumbers over at the health clinic.
It's been such fun to be back with my fellas. I told them today I hadn't laughed that much in weeks! I think this is going to be a very good job and I might even get to weld the tilt-up panels in place after they are set. In an effort to keep as many of our guys working as possible, we are doing a lot of the work we would normally sub out. Now, of course we can't do the electrical or plumbing and such but we can do a whole lot of the steel work and stuff like that.

I hope I didn't sound like a bitch in that last post and I know all of my readers have plenty good sense enough to know a lot what I told ya'll. I didn't want it to sound as though I think you are stupid, it's just I've seen non-construction people do some crazy stuff around our sites so you have to watch out. I once saw half a dozen people drive under a crawler crane as it was being disassembled by two other cranes. Now, you can imagine, this crane is so big it takes two other cranes to take it apart and the operators standing up there waving and screaming for people to turn around and they'd drive right under 'em. It was on a Sunday and we had closed this side street off with physical barricades and the people would still get out of their cars and move them and drive through. And they could see the cranes easily from 1/2 mile away.
Just today at our safety meeting, the assistant superintendent was talking about a man with one of our excavating subs who was killed last week. He had been with them for about 23 years but he wasn't paying attention or something and a dump truck backed over him. I don't have to tell you that being run over by any piece of heavy equipment is a bad way to go. That's why I stress the safety and what you must understand if the companies say you can't go on the site. The best way to salvage off of job sites is to know someone connected but you can still occasionally pick up some stuff by just asking.

*The Pretenders

One Man's Trash....

I've had several people inquiring about how to salvage materials from a construction site, so that is what this post is about. Before I go into the actual how-to, I think that there are a few things you need to realize about the environment that you will be entering. The world of construction workers is much different than what most of society has ever experienced. It is very dangerous and you must know the proper rituals to get through. Also, I am in no way guaranteeing that this will work; this is just my advice. For some companies and some regions of the country, they will never give you scraps.

Number one, the superintendent is the absolute ruler of this world and they look at it absolutely from that perspective. They rule the job sites with an iron fist; it is not a democracy. Once you piss one off, you will most likely never have his cooperation again. The worst thing you can do is march out into their domain, with no regard for their rule and try to start making off with stuff. I say 'try' also because you won't get far. You must acknowledge the superintendent's authority. Go straight to the job trailer and ask for him. Many job site even post signs (we do) saying that all visitors must report to the office first. If you don't see an office trailer, ask the closest worker you can find without going out onto the site. Wait at the gate if you have to. Do NOT enter the site unless you have direct permission. This is for your safety as well as to keep from pissing everybody off. If you get to speak with the superintendent, tell him specifically what you are looking for (scrap lumber, rebar etc.)and what you want it for (you're trying to build a little shed or greenhouse etc) but don't go into some long, drawn out spiel. Keep it specific and to the point. They don't have a lot of time. Also, I have found it helpful if you use the correct terminology. Tell them you are looking for 'drop' or 'dunnage', not just scrap wood. 'Drop' can be any material (wood, metal, whatever) left over after they have cut off what they need. It's what drops on the ground. Get it? Dunnage is the 2x's and 4x's that heavy materials are shipped on. It's usually oak, poplar, hickory or pine anywhere from 4 to 8 feet long. It makes good, free firewood. But whatever you are looking for just ask as specifically as you can. I always say to tell them what your project is also because if you get a friendly bunch they might suggest other materials that would also work if they don't have what you are looking for. Construction workers are very creative and resourceful.
Say 'yes sir' and 'no sir' and do exactly as they instruct IF they allow you onto the site. If they tell you to wear a hard hat, DO IT and do not take it off while out on the site. There are so many rules and laws now, about what even we can do, that the safety regulations are a major concern. The superintendents can actually be personally sued for accidents on their jobsites so they don't fool around. This is why many companies won't even allow people to take their trash. If you get hurt on a site they are in some major doo-doo. And above all, if they tell you no and not to go out onto the site, do not under any circumstances think you can get around them and go out there anyway. These men are not people to mess with. They will not react kindly. Many of them have well earned their reputations for being coarse, misbegotten thugs. But it's not because they like being mean, for the most part, it's because the world of construction is very harsh and you sometimes don't get a second chance.

Which brings me to the second subject, safety. If they allow you out there, realize what you are getting yourself into. Even if it is just a house site you can still get stuff dropped on you and there is often heavy machinery running. Watch what is going on around you constantly. If you hear a backup alarm on a machine, look for it! Do not walk under any scaffolding, ladders or structure if people are working up there. You most likely will have someone with you (they will not let you just run amok) so they will guide you. Just do what they say and watch yourself. Jobsites, especially commercial ones are very dangerous. Many men are killed every year from falls, stuff falling on them, electrocution, soil cave-ins and such. If you see Danger or Caution tape up, do not cross it. The photo above was taken on one of my last jobs. Those are concrete tilt-up panels that make those walls. We pour them on the ground and stand them up basically. They weigh between 35 and 45 tons apiece and are only held up for a time with those two little sticks of iron. Realize and respect the environment where you are going. If one of these panels falls on a man, they scrap him up with a shovel. And yes, it happens.
Lastly, dress appropriately, especially you women. While it is true that the men are certainly more generous to women, don't go out there dressed like you just got off the street corner. They might like to see your boobs hanging out but they are definitely not going to have any respect for you and be inclined to help you. That is also a good way to get one of men hurt. You distract one for a minute with your cleavage (yeah, and they are going to look) and that might be enough time for him to cut something off he needs. Act responsibly. Wear boots if you have them or at least sturdy tennis shoes. Men, same for you. Bring a pair of gloves. Act like you have picked up a shovel or hammer before. Be courteous and appreciative. Remember, they are doing YOU a favor. And don't be too greedy. Don't go out there asking for everything you lay eyes on.

I know with my company, we try to reuse as much of our waste as we can. We distribute it amongst ourselves, we try to give it away to others if none of our guys want it but not all companies do this. However, I always say, it never hurts to ask and I am not trying to discourage you with this post. Many companies are glad and encouraged to give away leftover materials these days. Also, keep in mind that even if some materials are left over, the owner always has first choice. They often elect to keep materials. I mean, they have paid for them. Even still, you can often find lumber, plywood, steel, rebar, concrete block, sometimes glass, insulation (all types), doors (although usually commercial type) door hardware, toilets, sinks, faucets, plastic, you name it really. Many times you can even get plants and shrubbery. If you still have questions, please let me know or if I did not make something entirely clear. I'm happy to answer any questions.

*Marty Robbins

Faraway Voice

I hope all of you enjoyed being with your loved ones yesterday, whether you actually celebrate that contrived holiday or not. And if you do, that's good; I'm not being pissy. It's just that Valentines, along with so many of the other holidays, has just become so dang commercialized. Of course, not that I have to worry about it! I spent the day alone, as usual, but did have an interesting 'visit' in the wee hours of that morning nonetheless. I'll get to that later.
As some of you may remember, I'm supposed to be at work this morning but alas, things haven't worked out well. We had more snow and a lot of ice again last night, so I was unsure whether we would go in this morning. I called Daddy Rabbit before sunrise to ask him what I should do. He said there were multitudes of wrecks already and since I live even further north of the job, maybe I should just stay home. It would be okay for today. I heard shortly afterwards that they actually shut down part of one of the interstates I travel. Well, he didn't have to twist my arm since it is freakin' COLD today. Well, about 7:30 a.m. Daddy Rabbit called me back to ask where I was. What? I was confused. I said, you told me not to come in! Long and short of it, my throat was so bad sore and hoarse that he did not recognize me; he thought, from the sound of my voice, that I was one of the men! When he realized I was still not over this crud, I was told to stay home until I did get over it. I don't think it's a bug however. I believe that my allergies have just gone nuts from having this wood stove burning all the time and the drainage has my throat severely irritated. That is one of the main reasons that I installed that stove in the basement, as I have been questioned about that a lot. I thought having it there would help but I am so sensitive to any kind of smoke that it has still gotten to me. So, anyway....maybe spring will come soon!

Now, back to what I mentioned at first. I had woken up very early Sunday morning, slightly restless. Still dark out so I snuggled back into the warm covers and soon fell asleep. I dreamed I was at work, mowing grass of all things. I don't know where that came from. Some of the guys I work with were there but as is often the case in my dreams, they didn't look like what they look like in real life, yet I knew it was them. (does anyone else dream that way?) I was just kinda milling around and I seem to remember knowing that I was dreaming, when I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see that it was the Switchman. He always looks exactly like he looks in real life and those sparkling blue eyes pleaded with me slightly when he asked, "well, what do you want me to do?" Of course, he has often appeared in dreams to tell me something but this is the first time he ever asked a question and I considered my answer for a moment. I mean, what a question! And although it was completely out of the blue, I knew exactly what he meant. I reached up and put my hands on the back of his hands, which were now resting on my shoulders. "I want you to do what you truly feel, in your heart, that you should do. I want you to do what you feel will make you happy, not me." And I meant it, every word. With that he nodded silently and disappeared and I went back to mowing the grass.
I've had numerous dreams, and I'm sure many of you have too, where you carry on a very real seeming conversation with someone else. Sometimes someone who has passed on. But to carry on a conversation in dreams with someone for 2 years! I have often wondered if he ever has similar dreams? Wouldn't that be freaky if he had the same dreams at the same times! Okay, I'm just goofing now, but it is somewhat comforting, even strangely so, to at least get to see and speak to him in that other world.


*Katie Melua

Vibes And Stuff

I was really betting that we were not going to get that much snow, even by our standards of what is much. However, this one proved me wrong. I think here at the house, we have about 2.5 inches and it's still snowing. Yes, I know that is nothing compared to what ya'll get elsewhere but for Alabama, it's a little something.

I still have not been able to shake this bug that I caught. One day I feel pretty good and the next I'm knocked out again. I really need to recover before I go back to work next week 'cause it will not be a good thing to be sick and having to work in the cold and mud. I was getting really frustrated that I have not been able to devote much time to the house but I finally just said, whatever, and decided to relax. I'm not going to get the siding finished by then so I might as well just try to get over this sickness and maybe piddle around on the house when I feel like it.
I'm glad to be going back to work because I have actually run out of materials for the house. I have 3 pieces of siding and am getting low on paint. I did receive my federal tax refund today, YEA!!!! So, that's great. I am making a list now of apple and cherry trees and a few other fruiting plants I want to order. I really want to make a better effort at equipping my land with food-bearing plants.

I also am planning a budget and seeing how much I can save when I do go back to work. I believe I will be able to save at least 60-65% of my income and come the end of the job, that will be a decent amount of money to work with. I really want to start adding some active solar elements to the house and building accommodations for chickens and such.
We had a very nice meeting of the Blount County Bloggers last night also. For those of you not familiar, that is me, Rurality, CountryPeaPie, Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore and MountainMelody and also Sharon, who doesn't have a blog but we are trying to talk her into it.

Oh, and in reference to Annie's Field Guide To Men as Rurality put it; those are just men that I have mentioned on this blog that have some relevance in my life now, or did, in the course of this blog. I listed them because a reader asked me about them and I know at times it may get confusing as to who I'm talking about. They are not all men that I have dated. After a couple of comments here and some discussion last night, I thought maybe I should make that info clear. Yes, some of them I have dated but the married ones, NO. They are just friends and yes, I do believe that men and women can be just friends.

So, I get asked a lot of how (financially and physically) I built this house, so I want to do a few posts on that. And by that I mean, how did I acquire funds etc. and continue to put so much of my income towards the house, how do I acquire salvageable material and stuff along that line. Anybody have any specific questions in that area?


*Tribe Called Quest

Not A Word (it's Wednesday)

It's Raining Men

Sorry for no photo but there just hasn't been much to photograph lately. I have also been at a loss of things to write about in recent days. You know about 2 or 3 weeks ago I had that great surge in motivation and energy, which i realized today coincided with that warm spell in the weather. Unfortunately, with the recent sickness and returning cold, my enthusiasm has plummeted about as fast as the mercury. However, today was not too bad of a day and I did accomplish a little on the siding but nothing major enough to warrant photos. I also spent a good bit of time splitting firewood today because I won't have any time for that after I go back to work. So, getting to the title of this post; I'm sure you are wondering...
Recently a new reader asked about "all the mysterious men" in my life. Now, don't freak, I'm not going to go into details but I thought I might do a run down because I've noticed I have several new readers lately and some may be confused about who is who.

Edit: if I dated any of these men, then I say that in their description. If I don't put that in there, then I have not dated or had any physical relations with them. This includes most of the men I work with, the BFA and the Switchman. They are friends only!

First, we'll start off with Allen. Now, he is a man I've known for years and that I used to live with but we broke up about 2 years ago? Something like that. He was a major factor in this house being built as he did most of the framing, plumbing and electrical. I'm very fortunate that he has been such a good sport to always help me but we have always been good friends and I guess, always will. And I have helped him quite a bit too! He is actually now, my next door neighbor but there is a lot of land between us so no one would really know. I do eventually tell any guy I date seriously that he lives nearby and so far, no one has really objected. I have often wondered if that little situation would ever be a big issue for anyone.

Cat Daddy is a guy I know through work that I have dated some and we remain friends. We keep in touch and still have dinner occasionally. We are good buddies but again, just don't have enough in common for anything lasting. That's one of the problems I have: I love blue collar men but often don't have enough common interests or they find many of my beliefs weird. Like my hatred of Wal-Mart. Anyway, when I'm feeling down or have some good news, I call Cat Daddy because he's my sympathetic ear and vice versa. We are each other's 'shoulder to cry on'.

Little Rabbit is a guy I used to date years ago and who has recently been calling some since he got divorced. I don't care to get back together with him but he is okay to talk to once in a while.

Daddy Rabbit is one of the superintendents that I have worked for the most and a dear friend also. He is somebody I can go to for advice or when I have a problem and who has been a great help to me in my career. And in case you're wondering, yes, he is married but I've known his wife for years too and like her a lot. He is quite handsome though and one of those people whose eyes actually twinkle when he laughs.

The BFA is the Big Fancy Architect that helped me design this house. He is a very well-known commercial architect and we have become pretty good friends over the years. I've never actually built one of his commercial buildings but have done a lot of other work for him. I think he likes me because it gives him someone to fuss with and I'll tell him to kiss my ass when he gets on my nerves.

Head, Anthony, Steve and Hippie are some of my best work buds and we have an absolute blast on jobs together. Head and Hip are on this job I'm going to, so it should be a lot of fun.

Fred is the man I got my land from. He is an older gentleman that was born and raised in this town but moved away to work. He returned here after he retired and bought this land. We became friends after he came into my shop and we discovered that we both have art degrees and do pottery. Fred doesn't have any family of his own so Allen and I help him out and try to do whatever he might need assistance with. Oh! I forgot to mention! Fred's Birthday was Sunday; he just turned 83 or 84? Which is it Fred? I forget. Hell, I can't hardly remember how old I am. Anyway, Happy Birthday Fred!!




*The Weather Girls

Gloomy

Crap! this is the most dreary, gloomy, miserably cold, suckin', wretched day I've seen in a while. I really don't care for cold weather in case you're wondering. And yes, I know it doesn't get as cold here as it does in other regions but the cold here is wet and sloppy and seems it just penetrates right to your soul. I am so happy I'm not having to work in this stuff right now (I've done enough years of that) but my time is drawing short and I will probably get in on some mud-sloppin' cold construction site days this year .
Today is just one of those days best spent creating friction with a loving partner and a warm fire burning. I'll have to settle with the splitting maul keeping me warm. Bleh. Not near as much fun.
I was making such good progress on the house but since this rain has settled in I haven't gotten any further than what I showed ya'll in that last post. Maybe it will clear up tomorrow.
Well, keep warm and think happy thoughts of spring!

*CCR

Just Around The Corner

Do you see the significance of this photo? As of yesterday, the siding has completely wrapped the house now. Except for the clerestory area but that's okay, I'll get to that. And what's more, the siding elevation matched up when I connected this corner!
I said I was not going to take time to paint as I went but I think actually, I will paint this section before I move that pick board because it is so heavy, it's just a pain to take down and set back up and all that. As soon as I finish this side I'm going to move around and top out the east side of the house that you see on the right there. Then, I'll do the clerestory. I probably should have done the clerestory first and been done with that but I didn't have that foresight.

I woke up feeling kinda crappy again this morning, which is not good. I thought I was over this thing and I was supposed to get into Birmingham today. I have been informed that I will be returning to work on the 15th of this month so I have to be drug tested beforehand. I'm excited to be going back to work but now it's a mad rush to get as much done as I can on the house because I don't think I'll have much time in the coming months. In what is becoming the norm, the owners of this new building pissed around for about 4 months not being able to decide on some things and now that they have finally decided to start, still want the building done at the original completion date. I'm like, no, you delayed us 4 months starting, so you get the building 4 months later but our company says sure, we'll have it done. From what I'm hearing we are going to be on some major overtime and this will leave little time for my house. However, the building is supposed to be finished around September, so if I can work like hell until then, save all the money I can while on this job (which should be a good bit), then I can just take off again at the end and finish the house completely. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Oh, yesterday afternoon I thought I'd do a little dirt work around here because it seemed that the soil had dried out enough and I knew it would be raining again today. Well, it hadn't dried out as much as I thought and I got that Bobcat so stuck! The machines with tires are bad about such whereas the ones on tracks are virtually impossible to get stuck, although I have seen it done. Fortunately, it was down in the valley and not up here next to the house. I tried a few things to get out but couldn't even push myself out with the bucket, so I called Allen and he got Oliver to come to the rescue. I had that machine marred up past the carriage but ol' Oliver snatched him out like it was just a cardboard box. I thought he might strain just a little or something but no...didn't even hesitate. Sorry I didn't get photos. I did think about it but didn't feel like slugging up to the house to get the camera.

As you have noticed, I changed the look of the blog again! I decided to go with this layout since my posts can be long sometimes and this should help to minimize the amount of scrolling needed to read the whole post. If some parts of it are not showing up well to you, or it's not easy to read, let me know.

*Cock Robin

South side Of The Sky

Hey!! guess what?! This is my 500th post!! Yea! and to think you all have been reading all this! Oh well, I hope ya'll have been enjoying it. Wonder if I'll ever make 500 more?

So, progress is continuing on the south side of the house. I'm trying to make good headway but keep having to take time to prime more trim or go buy more drip cap or blah, blah, blah. I hope to finish this side in the next day or two though. I'm over the windows now so it starts going faster once you get away from having to cut around those things. I'm not taking time to paint these sides because it all can be reached easily off a ladder later and I need to just get the last bit of house covered up. I think I'm about to run short of trim for the clerestory windows so I will have to go soon and have some more made at the lumber company. Hopefully, I won't lack much.
It's still too wet to do much with the Bobcat and they are predicting more rain Thursday and Friday. I hope we hit a dry spell soon because I really need to do some more dirt work around here.
The house looks so plain right now. I'll be very happy to get to the point where I can start stonescaping around it and planting vegetation. To the very far left, under the stained glass window in that inside corner, I am going to build a couple of terraced planting beds and plant a herb garden with maybe a couple of small fruiting plants.

Allen came down and helped me get that 24' pick board set up that you see in the photo. I had the ladders there and already had the ladder jack on and all and was complaining to him about how aggravating those jacks are to get on the ladders. He said they had sat out in the weather for too long and probably just needed some WD-40 on them. "They get to where they are too stiff one minute and too floppy the next," he said. I couldn't help but snicker, "Hell, the older I get, the more often I hear that complaint." ba-dum-bum!


*Yes

Growin' Up

A couple of new readers recently asked a few questions about my past and how I got on this crazy road I'm traveling now. Well, some of that is my words not theirs but anyway...I thought I'd take the time to answer one of those questions but don't worry long-time readers, I'll go back to posting about the house. I just thought I'd intersperse some of these new questions amongst the regular topics.

As would be expected, I guess, I did grow up in a rural area, a little farther north of the town I now live in. It was a small family farm where we grew a lot of our own food and raised an assortment of animals. In a lot of ways, it was an idyllic childhood full of long, lazy summer days spent swimming in the creeks and fishing. Running barefoot through the cool, freshly plowed soil making a game of gathering up the potatoes before Daddy could make the next pass with Pepper, the plow horse. I especially remember Christmases and Halloween. We always seemed to have plenty on all the holidays and they were full of all the quintessential elements. Lots of family, treats of all sorts and back then, kids could dress up in handmade costumes and roam up and down the country roads after dark without fear of real-life terrors. We only had to worry about the older boys jumping out from behind the bushes and then we'd scream and laugh and it was all in good fun.

We had a lot of good fun when we were kids but there was unfortunately, an aspect of my childhood that I was happy to leave behind and I did so, the same as my siblings, just as soon as I was old enough. We were not abused and were always fed and clothed but I did witness a lot of abuse, mostly of women and animals. My two best friends were sisters that lived about a half mile away, so we were very close, like family. Their step-father was one of the most truly evil men I have ever known. In fact, most of the men I grew up around were real sonsabitches. It's a wonder I have such affection for men now. But that's another story. My own father was fairly humorless, strict and paranoid. We were looked upon as indentured servants basically. Free labor for him until we turned 18 and could go to college. He made the most of his time but in return it did strengthen my back and my resolve. I have seen many older people grow up to adapt the 'habits' of their parents; to just continue the cycle of abuse and ignorance in which they were raised. Thank God there was something in me that vowed I would use every ounce of my strength to be just the opposite of what I saw growing up. I saw how my mother was treated and I said I would die before I would let any man hold me back or sit and tell me I had no business trying to be someone.
When I finally got to college, one of my first classes was drawing (I knew I wanted to major in something art related) and that professor was absolutely a Godsend. He was the first person to ever encourage me and tell me that he thought I could be a success. Because I was very quite when I was little much of my family, and some teachers, decided that there was something wrong with me. They told my parents that I was autistic. Everyone knew I was different and they took any opportunity to point that out to me. I never understood what was so unusual about myself but I did understand that many of them pretty much wrote me off. I would never amount to anything in their minds and to this day, none of my remaining cousins will have anything to do with me.
At any rate, this professor helped me, gave me a scholarship and with his assistance I received a full academic scholarship to the University of Montevallo, where I completed my degree. From there I went to work and eventually found employment with the company I'm with now. That's all in the archives though.
I hesitate to tell many people about much of what I've experienced because I always imagine that they will think I'm making it up but the sad thing is that I have actual written proof in some cases. One of the last things my father did before he died was write a letter to me to express his sorrow and sympathy over my 'situation'. I was divorced see, and you know, a woman can never have anything in life without a man there to give it to her and I guess I had blown my one chance in his eyes. When I graduated with honors from college, one of my oldest cousins actually attended my senior art show. She made sure to tell me that she was really shocked that I was able to do such work. 'I just can't believe you had it in you', she said. A couple of my close 'friends' at the church I grew up going to, would literally not speak to me anymore after I went off to college. I have been told that I was flat-out stupid, would just wind up pregnant, have ruined my life and cursed myself to a life of solitude for choosing to work construction. And that's the encouraging stuff! lol! just kidding.
So many people, especially women, have told me "I wish I could do what you do!" or how do you do all that stuff by yourself? "I wish I had your skills!" and all that. Well, I'll let you in on my secret...and to quote a new favorite song of mine...
I think there’s one thing I will say to you
That there is nothing that you can’t do
Cause it’s all about your attitude
Don’t let them get to you

I guess that's sort of an old cliche' by now but it is all about your attitude. And maybe part of it was just damn Scotch-Irish stubbornness but I chose not to listen to everyone that told me I would never be anything. And you know what? I eventually met some people that encouraged and helped me. You see why I love my guys so much. Most of the men I work with have been my biggest cheering section. Guys that a lot of society wouldn't piss on if their head was on fire but they have stood by me for years and helped me. Of course, there are times when I get discouraged as my long-time readers know. I can piss and moan with the best of them! And I can be too independent sometimes. You have to be careful not to let hateful events from your past get too tight a grip on you or you can become relentless and miss the joys in life. You have to want to be successful (whatever that means to you) for yourself, not to prove somebody else wrong.


*Bruce Springsteen

Can't Hardly Wait

New posts coming soon, I promise!


*The Replacements

The Unexpected Song

God give us rain when we expect sun.
Give us music when we expect trouble.
Give us tears when we expect breakfast.
Give us dreams when we expect a storm.
Give us a stray dog when we expect congratulations.
God play with us, turn us sideways and around.

~Micheal Leunig ~


*Sarah Brightman

Stayin' Alive

Hey People! I think I'm still amongst the living and am feeling somewhat better. Thank you for all checking in on me and your concern. That made me feel better! Doctor said it was not strep but was some type throat infection and an ear infection on top of that. I still have my tonsils and have always had trouble with tonsillitis and ear infections if stuff gets my allergies fired up. So anyway, I got a big shot in the ass and some horse pills to take. I was beginning to wonder if even that was going to help but when I woke up this morning the swelling and pain in my throat was much relieved, thank goodness. Just got sore spot on my butt in return!
So, I haven't been this sorry in a long time. I've laid around and slept most of the time but today I did manage the energy to split some firewood. I actually split a little yesterday but it was basically only enough to last one night. Today I was splitting some more and Allen happen to come down to get a ladder, so he helped me, and now I have enough to last well into next week. Thank God for all those years of hard work that built me up enough to be able to do that kind of work even when I'm sick. I do have a gas heater that I can use, and I did when I was really in bad shape, but I'm getting a little low on gas and am trying to conserve that all I can. I still haven't heard if they are actually going to call me back to work so I am having to keep a very tight budget right now and propane is still pretty expensive. The wood heater has done so well this year as far as helping keep costs down. I normally buy 100 gallons 3 times per winter but this year I'm still on my first 100 gallons. I'll tell you what though; this summer I'm renting a wood splitter and I'm getting all that done and ready before next winter, so I don't have to keep taking time here and there to split more wood. That's a pisser.
We are supposed to get bad weather starting tomorrow, so I'm going to use that time to throw all those orders you people have put in for pottery. Sorry it has taken me so long to get started. I was going to throw last weekend but that is when this crud jumped me.
So, ya'll stay warm, I'll stay warm and hopefully spring will be here soon! Maybe I'll have something to post about in a day or two. Oh, last week sometime I sorted through old posts and categorized some that had previously not been labeled. For those new readers that were wondering about how I got my start etc., you can check out the "herstory" label for more info but I'm still going to do a post with more on that.