Ummm...errr...we're finally back

Yeah...sorry. Finally back in the game. Long story short...it's not the best time to have your home appraised.

Things got a little scary there for a little while. We've been sitting with a demolished 1/3 of our home for a bit too long as we stepped gingerly through the mortgage minefield.

The demolition has been the best part so far. We were able to fully demolish the main floor of the house and fit it all in a 20yd dumpster. One aspect of the house that sped up the process of demolition was the method in which the drywall was originally attached to the studs. Construction adhesive doesn't do the best job of attaching to studs after 40 years...who knew? :o) The drywall came down in huge chunks which was a huge timesaver for us. Ron introduced us to the art of ladder-walking which sped up the process and sent shivers down the spines of those representing OSHA.

The old kitchen fought gallantly to stay on the walls, but its resistance was ultimately futile. Cabinets dropped on a corner fell like a house of cards, and there were giggles all around each time they were tossed on the floor of the garage.

A couple of other thoughts from demolition. Gas from drain lines...not the most pleasant aroma.

The project is smaller and the loan is closed so construction is ready to start and it did today.

Day 1 Activities
1. Portable toilet delivered this morning. It's emblazoned with the moniker "Happy Can". It's resting comfortably by the mailbox in a Walden-like atmosphere under a magnolia tree.
2. Dumpster showed up.
3. Lumber delivered

Work Completed Today
1. Laminated beam set (three of them sandwiched together. Individual beam is 14X2). It's freakin' huge!
2. 24X24 concrete pillar poured in the crawlspace to spread the load.
3. Wall framed that will make up the third wall of the kitchen
4. Ceiling joists cut in preparation for the tray ceiling
5. Temporary supports put in place to compensate for cut ceiling joists.

Next Steps...
1. Hopefully the tray ceiling will get framed in this week
2. The wing wall by the front door needs to be moved, thickened so the vent for the furnace can be hidden in it, and an arch cutout be framed in there as well.

Canine Reaction
This was of significant concern due to outsiders being in our home and making a bunch of noise with power tools and other construction related lunacy. We were pleasantly surprised that the man & little lady were okay with the work in the house after a few minutes. They are being placed in the bedroom with the television on (I may move the station around for variety over time). It's nice that they didn't decide to rearrange the furniture (aka destroy it) and behaved like the little angels they are.