Installation of the panels and electronics

So, we've got a crew of four installing the hardware for the solar system...brackets, racks, panels, inverter, and the connections.  They feel they'll get done today. At first they were a little nervous about the three story building, then they realized that the roof is only slightly pitched (15 deg) and consequently easy to work on.

brackets and racks for panels

So we're rocking!  As I wrote this, I got an email from the the company, O3 Home Solar, that we are ready to start the next step, connecting the system to the grid and dealing with the power company.  Moving along indeed.

UPDATE:  Tim and I discovered an issue.  We did not get the system that allows us to draw power during a blackout.  He was right that our contract didn't call for it.  So I called the office and spoke to Ronnie.  Between the two of them we figured out a solution and settled it very quickly and professionally.  It takes another service call, but we got it handled.  Yay.

[any further updates will be new posts]

I'll get by with a little help from my friends...

January 2015
Things are moving in the right direction.  My friend, Greg Ellis has been "helping" with the plumbing.  I write helping with, and mean doing.  We had made a boo-boo earlier when placing a toilet drain...too close to the side wall.  While working to correct this, he offered to finish the rough-in plumbing.  What a mensch!

I've decided that instead of finishing the corner of the front fence as planned, I'm going to build a brick pillar for the mailbox instead.  I've readied the forms for the concrete pad, but ran out of daylight before I could do the pour.  I'll try to get it before the rain on Thursday.

I've agreed with the owners of the property behind to split the cost of the fence between us.  I'll buy the materials later and submit a bill.  We'll work on it together.  I've got to get the fences done.  I've had too many things stolen from the yard to leave it open any longer.  It was bad enough before, but no that they have taken the chain-link fence between us down, even more people pass straight through.  That's going to stop.

I've found a floor guy who will do the floors at a reasonable price.  I need to do that before putting in the cabinets.  Need to start the electrical soon (it keeps getting put off for other things).  I also need to get the plumber to run the gas lines.  They are needed for the fireplaces (downstairs and upstairs), the hot water heater, and both HVAC systems.

At an auction a week ago, I bought an English pub sign.  The Brookes Arms closed and was being demolished.  The sign made it to Palestine.  We'll put Nickel Manor on it with possibly our coat of arms or some other graphic.  It should look great out front.

Lots to do, little money to do it with, and not a lotta time to spread around.  Ah well, the life of a landowner.

I was Framed!

Not a long post tonight.  Having trouble sleeping, but just as I began typing, I started getting drowsy.

Life has been a speed bump in the road to complete the Nickel Manor.  Health, work, family, financial reality all have had their feet on the brakes.  But we're moving again.

The now hoisted and nailed bathroom wall.

I have finished framing in the kitchen, and I have nearly finished the the two upstairs bathrooms' framing.  I am to have some help on the plumbing (which I never finished), and then I shall tackle the wiring.  Sometime before the end of time (or December 31) I will hopefully get moving on the kitchen cabinets with Mike R's help.  There will be an ending, Bonarotti! (movie quote, so sue me)

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.

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.

The Nickel Church (Avenue A Baptist Church) Adventure

OK, my old blog is no longer accessable by me, so a new version has appeared. Today marks the beginning of a new adventure for us. We are purchasing a church built in 1882. It hasn't been a church since about 1910, but has been a residence upstairs and a business downstairs. Some "before" pictures can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnickelchurch.shutterfly.com%2Fpictures%23n_5&h=60fde New pictures of the downstairs will be added next week.