Days 49 (Thursday) and 50 (Friday) completed week 10. They also completed our time with Eric (who leaves for his new life in Arizona on Sunday). That makes ten weeks of dedication and skilled craftsmanship; 50 days of bleeding, sweating, smiling, laughing, hammering, sawing, measuring, crouching, sanding, caulking, painting, cleaning, and growing a beard (he didn’t really have one when we first met him). So, in tribute to Eric, and all of his hard work, I asked him what song he’d like to title his farewell post. He said, Green Day’s “Time of Your Life” in honor of his grandfather who died this summer (they sang it at his funeral). We’ve had a lot of life lived all around us this summer. It’s been pretty amazing, and pretty overwhelming at times. I hope it was worth all their while.
As far as task completion goes, the Team finished sanding, painting (first coat), caulking, and installation of the head casing boxes, painted the corbels, hung the basement door (including hand chiseling the hinge sockets), replaced and painted some window trim, and straightened up the garage a bit in preparation for Eric leaving. (Insert sad face here.) They managed to do all this while Dave was sick, and Eric was concurrently packing his life into boxes. Not bad for the end of a very draining two week stint. Good work, Team, as ever.
Also, Jeff checked in with Team Quarry to determine the status of our countertops: we should see them early (to mid) next week! So excited! With some more punch-list type stuff to adjust, and some more carpentry to do, we’re in good shape to move on to the next stage of Phase III: Finish! (Not sure how many stages there are… you can tell when the pace changes, though, and we’re about to hit another big wave of work.) We’re also waiting on the plumbers to come and do some tweaking on some of the things they installed a few weeks ago (everything’s fixable, right?), and to give the Team specs on the baseboard radiator before the rest of the trim package can be installed, caulked and painted. Soon, we’ll have countertop install, tile backsplash install, final electrical (we miss you, Brad!), and more finish plumbing which will inject some much needed energy into the project. It’s a long road, but the view is spectacular!
On a side note, I would like to publicly thank Eric for everything he’s done for us. Eric, if and when you return, we will always have an empty glass to fill for you, an empty chair for you to sit awhile, an extra plate to feed you, a warm smile to greet you, and open arms to welcome you. You have been amazing to us, worked so hard, offered seasoned advice and expert opinions, made us laugh, smile, and even cry a little (in sympathy for your loss). Our home wouldn’t be the same without your influence, and I thank you for being part of this experience with us. I wish you every happiness in your new life! Mwah! xoxo
Some pictures… enjoy!
