The details

Here's Rob, caulking the interior for painting. He'll go through many many tubes of caulk, but it makes all the difference in having a smooth finish. Like sanding the trim, painting it, sanding it again, and then painting again.

We tried some more paint colors in the kitchen. At Lowes you can get little sample cans of all the Valspar colors - what fun! We like the general color combination, but not the specific colors, except the dark terra cotta. So I'll go back today and get a couple more of green and dark yellow. The orange I picked for our bedroom turned out to be a neon cantaloupe color, which is fun, but not what I'm looking for. Having the colors up will make such a difference. As a note, usually you paint earlier in the home-building process, but we chose to concentrate on the septic. Also, we put the floors in a little early, I think because Rob wanted to get the trim up.

Today Rob is going to redo the main floors one more time, as the finish didn't really set before it got messed up.

The electrician finished, and then had to do a couple more things for the inspector, but should pass final today. He's been easy to work with, and our only complaint is the light switch in our bedroom ended up behind the door. That's something we should have noticed right off, but we weren't thinking about the doors much at the time.

The health inspector let Rob fill in the last 2 lines after he came out last time, and now just wants to see the water flow through the distributor box before signing off. Huge, major accomplishment on Rob's part, to have built this very large septic system by himself for a somewhat picky inspector.

Financially, we are still on budget. The extra gravel for the septic took our driveway gravel money, but there is time to do that later. Today I'll talk to the counter makers, but that shouldn't cost much as we are doing formica. That will last a couple of years, and then maybe we'll upgrade. I don't know the final cost for the tankless water heater vent. They had said 2 or 3 hundred, but that was before they noticed it has to be stainless steel, so we'll see.

one line closes, another ...

gets filled with gravel. The septic inspector finally came out, and liked what he saw! woohoo! He didn't tell us to add more footage, like Rob feared he would. He didn't reject or fail it except to say one piece of pipe should be 2' long, and he wants to see each line with gravel over the pipes before we put the dirt back over. We ordered another load of gravel. So the far left line got covered because it was that new type of pipe that is wrapped in styrofoam peanuts and fabric and doesn't require gravel. That allowed Rob to reach the two outside lines with the backhoe, and hopefully the inspector will look at it today. Then Rob can fill them and drive on them to reach the last two lines. More detail than you care to know about our septic system, I know. This has been very consuming - Rob feels that we are being asked to over-build and jump through extra hoops that are outside the real authority of the health department. I just want it done already so Rob can focus on the finish work inside, and because I'm missing planting season with the yard not being ready. This weekend are the big plant sales locally.

Electric will be done today. I went to 3 places yesterday trying to find a breaker he needed. The fourth place had a generic that will work. But he's ready for inspection tomorrow. The AC guys are designing the vent for the tankless heater. It is a double-walled stainless steel vent that will have to be special ordered. That mostly leaves the plumbing to finish.

Find two things

in this picture, two things of significance. One is the ac unit set (see it there by the house?) along with the registers inside. (ME, to the installer: "How did you get in the house?" INSTALLER says, "I found the key." umm) Other thing is that DitchWitch, setting the electric line underground from the pole further down the driveway. Yay! Progress! Two things in one day! And did we pass the septic inspection? Not yet. For the second day, the inspector didn't show. Our nerves are wracked...

Meanwhile, waiting for the inspector, I sealed the grout in the bathroom and on the screened porch. Swept up some sawdust. Went for a walk on the other side of the pond, which has mysteriously filled with water again. I think someone dammed the stream further down. Nice.

Oh, and earlier today, spent another $400 at Home Depot. Cabinet knobs, door knobs...

awwww, she's so cuuute!

Dad said if I don't have a new picture of the house, put up a picture of the goats. This is Honey, my tiny pygmy.

We were scheduled for a septic inspection today, but it got put off to tomorrow. We are on pins and needles, holding our breath and crossing our fingers, nerve-wracked. The inspector doesn't seem to like Rob, Rob threatened to report him to the state, and Rob has built this septic field almost by hand, so for all those reasons it will be a huge relief to pass, but we don't expect to.

Meanwhile, back on the pond - trim is up and being prepped, kitchen counters are in, so is the dishwasher and stove. Bathrooms are tiled, our vanity is set. Shelves are built, doors are hung. Electrical is mostly done, we're still waiting for the AC unit to be set (that was also supposed to be today), and the electric will be run to the house in a day or so. I set up an account for propane, and the gas lines should be run this week. Moving in April seems realistic at this point.

A hole in the wall

No longer a hole in the wall - its an entertainment center! This was Rob's first project today, next was the built-in computer center in the spare room. And see the kitchen cabinets up on the wall? Its all coming together. I know - you wish your husband would work this hard. Rob is really amazing when he is in gear.

The electrician was in for a couple of days, putting up lights and fans, attaching switches and breakers. Most of which I was buying as he was installing. Why did I wait? It seemed like it would be so easy, because every time I went to Home Depot I saw stuff I liked, so I thought I'll just get it when its time. hmm. I over-guessed myself on three of the ceiling fans, and should have gotten bigger ones. I got a dark metal vanity light with dark glass, then Rob pulled out a ceiling light we bought months ago that's light metal with white glass. For me, its harder to start decorating from scratch. I need something to go off, to modify instead of create. I guess eventually I can modify what I'm creating now.

We're waiting to hear from the environmental health inspector about our septic. When Rob asked for a line reduction, the guy changed it from 4 100' lines to 5 of 80'. ??? We're hoping he'll settle for 4 lines of 80', which still seems excessive to us.

The weather has turned cool and cloudy, but so far we have not had the 3 days of rain that was predicted.

In and out

This turned out to be a cool shot. I was working inside, sanding the trim, and Rob was out the window, digging the septic lines. And that's what we did today. The boys played in the pond.

The septic went well today, after Rob finally replaced a broken pin on the backhoe. He might finish that line today, then 2 more to go. The electrician came yesterday to make a list of materials, and I guess is going to finish the electric set-up this week.

Shelved for now

These are the built-in bookshelves Rob made yesterday. The big shelf on the bottom, next to the door, is where the doggie door is. This is going to be the quiet area of the living room, away from the tv. I love the idea of big bookshelves, and these look great.

We have arranged for one last loan to finish the house. Its going to be down to the penny, but it will work. Rob is putting in massive hours doing what he can like the kitchen cabinets, and these shelves, and as soon as we have the new loan we'll call back the subs to finish the electrical, propane, and HVAC.