Baby it's cold out there.

Okay, so I've been pretty lax about working down at the Manor for a bit.  It gets really cold in there!  Freezy fingers get smashed and slashed and gashed pretty easily.  Boy's gotta be careful.

Once I got my propane heater back from the "Grinch's Lair" (Jeremy Janz, Sonia Martinez, and Ian Warmke), I am able to work pretty well.  I've done some down there, but it's hard to find the time.  So much to do- so little time.  There are three upstairs windows I need to rebuild, one ground level window to finish rebuilding, and most of the basement windows to redo.  After that, rehang the garage/basement "barn door" and work on sealing it.  Those are the next things on the agenda.

After that, plumbing to the upstairs.  It shouldn't be too hard to rough it in since we will have a  "wet wall".  (Am I over-using quotation marks today?)  I want to get this done before spring break in March.  I am NOT on track for a July move-in so I must get myself in gear.

...in sickness, and in health...

You must have noticed- no blog entries here for a while.  That's because I was sick for nearly a month.  It was one thing leading to the next.  As a result, I have done almost nothing on the building.  It's a pain, believe me.  Better things coming.  Be sure of that.

It's Just a Frame of Mind

This has been a busy busy week.  Along with all the other things listed earlier, I have framed in the walls around the cellar stair opening and reinforced the basement doors for security.  It is now several times stronger (burglars will not be able to just kick through it like before).  I have also rebuilt the window and frame in the bell-tower.  I've got it boarded up right now, but I'll get glass in it soon.  I have also been continuing to clean and re-organize the place.  Progress is being made.  Now back to school for a while.

Entropy Schmentropy

I have made great strides this week.  Some of those strides have been backwards and sideways, but still...great strides.  I have done a lot of cleaning and organizing.  Much needed, I must say.  Among the many things I have tackled is the glass (or lack of) in the windows.  Many windows have glass that is broken or cracked.  While working to prep one of them, I took off the thin plywood that covered the hole where the glass should be.  When I did, the whole window fell to pieces.  Even the base plate under the window was rotted.  I now have to rebuild this window.  I suspect that there are others in a similar condition (two of which I already know).  This will slow down the overall process of sealing the building against the cold wind.  Damn.

Speaking of cold, I am doing something I shouldn't.  I bought a kerosene heater... the "jet" type.  Makes a lot of noise, but puts out a lot of heat.  Thing is, it's supposed to only be used in "a well ventilated place" like outside.  I'm using it in the great hall.  Have to remember to ventilate now an again.  But boy does it keep the work space warm and dry.

I did finish hanging the door I wrote of, and put in the mortised door latch and lock.  Looks good.  Tomorrow I must finish re-building the windows and try to cut the glass to re-glaze them, otherwise I'll have to hire the work done.  I can't afford that.  More pictures coming tomorrow.

Major Progress...Sergeant Success

Okay...since last we met...
We got the meter moved over and the "pigtail" drop from the power pole connected.  Woohoo!  Shortly after that, Jim V and I got the power connected over from the new breaker box to the old so that we still had power to work with.  Of course we didn't just patch it over; we made important improvements to the system to make it safer as well.  Oldest fuse box-- gone.  Old meters--history.  Questionable connections-- reconnected.  I also started pre-wiring the basement.

This weekend, I have been busting my tail to get other things done.  Finished decking the floor in the "new" bathroom.  Put electricity into it, too.  Hung a solid door that needed lots of work.  Got a lot of cleaning done, and made a lot of progress on straightening up the main floor.  I'm trying to get it ready for Kathy to teach yoga there soon.  Kathy got into the act as well.  She took the shop-vac upstairs and started getting that in shape, too.

Everything is moving forward.  One weird and troubling thing... the walls were sweating so bad there were puddles on the floor.  This humidity coupled with the thermal mass of the thick brick walls makes for a lot of condensation.  Going to have to deal with that, too.

Next week, Thanksgiving week, will be a holiday for me all week.  Going to bust a gut to get lots done, while learning my lines for "Nevermore" (see http://notonys.blogspot.com). Going to be a busy life for a while.

It just floored me!

     Today I finally made some real headway on the floor of what will become the handicapped accessible restroom.  I was having trouble largely due to the fact that, as with much of this building, nothing is regularly spaced.  The slots for the floor joists vary as much as 4 inches from one to the other.  Even their lengths vary as much as 2 inches.  But, regardless, I have one-third of the decking down now.  When the decking is done, I'll lay the hardi-backer down, then the flooring.

     On an even more positive note, the inspector passed the new breaker box and meter assembly.  By the end of business Wednesday we should have the meter moved from the old, rather dangerous box, to the new, and a new power drop from the pole connected.  Then the wiring can start.  We will start with the upstairs- the living quarters.  Once that is done, we'll do the main floor.  Of course is has to be commercial code, whereas the upstairs is residential code.  Once all that is done, the basement will get the electrical make-over (also commercial code since it is connected to the floor above).

     One sad thing to report:  Some #@%&$# bag shot our male hawk. We have, sorry, had a pair hunting the area of the creek that runs along the property. I found the male in the yard Saturday... dead with a gunshot to the body. There can be no reason and no excuse. And since red tailed hawks mate for life, the female is now a widow. No more baby hawks.  I'll call the game warden Monday.

A friend in deed...

Yes, the space was intentional.  My best friend (other than my wife) is Jim Vincill.  Among his many talents is that of an electrician.  He called to tell me he wanted to get started working on the rewiring process in the Nickel Manor.  He found an electrician who was willing to pull the permit and safety check our work (for a reasonable fee, or course).  When the wiring gets really rolling, everything else gets in gear as well.  Thanks, man!