It was the best of times...

...it was the worst of times. Today was a day of highs and lows. I met with electric company engineer #2 to figure out where the line should run. Again. He took one look at the flags B had put out and said “No. That won’t do.” And we were off and running! I was very nice, but firm as I explained that yes, I realized it wasn’t ideal, but a straight shot from the electric pole to the house would run right through our leach field. Obviously there needed to be a turn. B went through all this with engineer #1 last month, who apparently didn’t listen. So I told #2 about our whole experience thus far.

Once #2 realized not only did I know what I was talking about, but that I was highly annoyed this whole thing has been a mess from the beginning, he changed his tune. He ran some figures and gave me a total. I knew that we had written a check last month, but couldn’t remember what it included. So I wrote him another one on the spot to expedite installation. (Remember when I told you to set aside a lot of extra money? This is why.) In the end, #2 ended up checking things out back at the office. We had indeed already paid for the service, but it was a lesser amount as it was based on a direct line. #2 decided to eat the cost and shredded my check. That was a step in the right direction for service recovery. But I’m not going to be completely satisfied until our permanent power is up and running.

Another low came as I was walking around the house measuring walls & windows so I can work on furniture placement & window coverings. I was in the laundry room and noticed the wall the W&D are on looked awfully shallow. It was not quite 2 feet deep, and our W&D are 33” deep. That would have landed the edge right in the middle of the door to the half-bath. I had just finished texting Kasey when he pulled up to the job site. Excellent timing! We took a look, and he assured me that it wouldn’t be a problem to move the doorway. If something like this is going to happen, this is the time to catch and fix it.

I don’t know if it’s the worst, but certainly the most annoying thing about today was the mess the tape/mud guys left. They came in just as I was leaving around 11:15 so I didn’t see them working. I got back around 3 and went in to check out their progress. The entire house was taped and mudded. I’m assuming there are more steps to this process, so I’ll reserve any comments on workmanship. But I will complain about the mess they left behind. There are dollops of mud all over the floors- I’m hoping it's still there because it's easier to clean up when it’s dry. This mess, however, made me livid!

I don’t know how well you can see, but there was a giant puddle of standing water right in the middle of what will be my family room floor. I understand a lot of water is used to mix the mud. But standing water on OSB is NOT a good thing! I immediately went home to get a towel to sop it up.

In spite of those rough spots, there were a few highs to balance them out. The well was drilled this morning, and they hit great water 15 feet down. Unfortunately the law says they had to go deeper. In the end we have good water- no iron, sulfur- so I’m happy.

The (tiny) temporary propane tank was delivered and hooked up.

The gutters are up and look really good.

And the stone looks AMAZING!

 Next up....buying a dehumidifier and finalizing paint colors and lighting fixtures. First world problems, my friends.