I was busy cleaning up my study to provide access to the windows for replacement. The room was piled floor to ceiling with stuff but the closet was empty. I went to Home Depot and got a shelf and installed it in the closet. I had intended to make my own but that intention is several years old so the quick fix is the purchase method. I installed the shelf and cleaned up most of the day.
The contractor called and asked to start the siding Wednesday so both projects may be finished this week.
I repaired the doorbell which hasn't worked for years. What would you expect at an electricians house? Actually quite a productive day but there is much to do before Wednesday. Tomorrow starts with a doctors visit then back to work.
Tuesday: (08/05) Busy day made busier by the unexpected early arrival of the siding folks tomorrow.
I started the day with a followup visit to the doctor. My little kidney stone hasn't been seen these past two weeks but fortunately I've been feeling good waiting for it to show it's face. It's almost ready to pop out but that knowledge doesn't make me worry less waiting for the fun to start again.
I treated myself to a Chinese buffet lunch near the hospital before heading home. It was one I haven't tried before called the Super Buffet on Saratoga Avenue in San Jose. Real good.
I had to finish a few things before tomorrow. I repaired several vent screens. Don't want any critters moving in.
I also repaired all the rafter ends that had been sawed or rather hacked off to provide clearance for the old patio cover. I installed new end pieces so the siding and soffit can be installed correctly. I'm sure, if the contractor did it, it wouldn't be as good, especially since they hadn't seen the problem because when they were here before the patio cover was still in place. I also cleaned up and put away a lot of stuff that had accumulated on the patio.
I finished up just before 9pm and then picked up dinner at our local beanery Taco El Grullense getting a nice super nachos.
Wednesday: (08/06) While I waited for the contractor to show up I did a few last minute things. I removed the fencing that was against the house. Again, I know what the contractors best friend, the sawsall, can do to fence and I prefer a little better removal which allows reinstaallation after the contractor leaves. I also remembered to move a couple of big planters that were against the house that have bougainvilleas. That can be a sticky job but wasn't bad other than the weight of 30 gallons of dirt.
Fortunately, as I sit here, at noon, waiting for the contractor, who was supposed to arrive at 10, I have good entertainment. They are finishing up the house being built across the street. They are installing the paving stone driveway today.
It works every time! The contractor arrived at 1210 with his truck very over loaded with most of the material. These workers, like most of the people working on the house across the street, live in the valley around Sacramento. The price of gas has to be hurting them. The foreman across the street says he spends $350 a week on gas. Glad I'm not doing that!
After dropping off the load, they left to go to Home Depot to get the lumber that was needed, another truck load. So, work didn't start until near 2pm but even with the delays, they nearly prepared two sides of the house with furring. At this rate they should finish fairly quickly.
Lou picked up a Pizz'a Chicago pizza for dinner.
Thursday: (08/07) We expected both the return of the siding folks and for the window installers to arrive about 8am. The window installers arrived near 9am while the siding installers arrived just before noon.
All the windows except the garage were installed today and a little of the touch-up work done today. The garage window could not be installed because it's 13" too narrow. Oops! In addition, we learned that the door is not yet available. They don't schedule the installation until all material is in. The installer confirmed all th material was in the day before but when he arrived to pickup the windows and door, the door had left the building. So it's on order again, hopefully with front of the line privilege. The windows look great!
Even with such a late arrival, the siding guys completed the most difficult part, the area above of sun room. They had to brace the roof to allow to work on the weak tin roof. They also have some missing material like more than half the vent covers. That may make them have to stop until they get them since all the other work rises from the vents.
Lou and Dawn whipped up a cranberry Asian pear pie. The pears come from Dawn's pair tree in the front yard. The poor little tree is overloaded with fruit this year. Dawn planted this tree from a seed she saved from a pear our neighbor gave her. It's probably 10 years old now but due to not getting out of a pot into the ground for a few years, it's only about two inches in diameter and has only had a max of 17 pears before. This year there are more like 71.
My job is photo journalist. I'm taking hundreds of pictures some of which will end up being posted here when th job is done.
Friday: (08/08/08) This is supposed to be a lucky day, who knows?
Everybody showed up by 9am today. The window installers did their touch-up. The windows look quite nice. The before picture above left is quite different from the finished windows and siding on the right above. They left about 2pm. They still have the one window that was too small and the front door to install when they both arrive later
I learned that this same siding installation crew is working on installing siding at Pier 39, a tourist trap shopping center on a wharf in San Francisco. Now that is a BIG project. They're doing a great job here. Today they finished a lot of the front and the side of the garage. That was with three people working today. There were only two installers the previous two days. Obviously, this is going to take a few more days. They do have most of the most difficult parts done. They even started the "ginger bread" scalloped shingles on the upper front. They look nice.
You can see how hard we are working watching all the work.
Saturday: (08/09) I started the day by setting up Dawn's desktop computer to use the wireless network. The cable that used to go to her computer exited via the study window. I haven't been up to crawling under the house to relocate it so I went wireless. All our laptops are anyway so why not the desktops too? I'll also have to reinstall my outside WiFi hotspot antenna some day as well. For now some of the neighbors may have to connect elsewhere.
I spent the rest of the day preparing for painting some areas that may not be covered by the siding or trim. It's much more difficult to paint the small exposed areas after the siding is up. The problem areas are around the doors and the two windows we didn't replace as well as the electric and telephone services. I also built a box to cover the sprinkler valves on the front of the house. Before quitting for the day, I primed all but the windows. This kind of work I could easily do without. I hate painting as is evident by the look of the house before we started.
Dawn worked at making some paper. She's wanted to do it for a while and we saved a lot of the shredded paper from the junk mail which she then placed on one of the screens from the windows that were replaced.
Lou worked on her dolls. She and Dawn also went grocery shopping. We usually do that on Thursdays but were too absorbed by the work on the house.
Sunday: (08/10) We started the day with a nice breakfast of peach blintzes and smoked sausage then went to the Palo Alto Farmers Market for a look. We don't usually get much there because the prices are so high but we do enjoy visiting and looking around.
More painting. Everything got it's color coat of paint today.
I picked most of the remaining Asian pears from Dawns tree, one of the duties of those gifted with height. Lou and Dawn spent the day baking. Peaches were on sale so they made more blintzes to freeze and they also made Asian pear and cranberry pies.
Oh boy, tomorrow the installers are back!
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