Boxing for Power

More good news of progress:  After rehearsal today (for the musical "Annie"), my best friend Jim and I put in  a new meter box and breaker box down here at the Nickel Manor.  Sound boring to you?  Well not to me.  This will make the place safer, and get it ready for me to start the gradual process of rewiring.  Now whenever I have the cash together, I can call the power company and have them make a new pole drop- aka pigtail- and move my meter over.  I can then patch the old breaker box to the new breaker box to keep my plugs and lights live until I finish rewiring each room.  It's a big step in the right direction.

Fencing without a rapier

Progress in being made (passive voice intentional).  I got the chain link fence mostly finished. Unfortunately I ran about 15 feet short of fence.  I don't really feel like forking out $75 for 50 feet when I only need 15.  I'm looking around for someone who has "left-overs".  Also got most of the hardi-backer floor in the restrooms. They should be done shortly.  I've had helpers part of the week for the heavy lifting that I can no longer do.  That has helped a lot.  Shout outs to Matt and Sean who take turns working for me.

Also this week we have new residents at the Manor.  We have what appears to be a pair of hawks living in the creek area east of the property.  One or the other of them have been on my fence each morning, leaving just before I could get a picture.  Kathy got one this morning with the long lens on her camera.

My goal is to have the "main room" ready enough for the Lamb Family reunion this fall.  Lots of work still to do.  More as time goes by.

A ghost of a chance

Interesting event.  Last night, Sonshine Paranormal Investigators of Ft. Worth, Tx came to the Manor to...well...investigate for paranormal activity.  I haven't actually had any problems, but as an old building, it's sure to have history and emotion.  The old "if these walls could talk" sort of thing.  They stayed for quite some time.  We, meanwhile, went to see the next to the last performance of "Ghosts, the Musical" at the Texas Theatre in Palestine, Texas.  I think that's a nice piece of symmetry, don't you?  Afterwards we went to Switch, Brick Oven Pizza and Wine Bar for a late supper with the cast.  Leaving there around midnight, we swung by the Manor, and they were still there taking a break.  They were still going to work more.  I guess I'll find out sooner or later what they found or didn't find.  I will of course post a link to their site when it's up.  For now, here is their main page.

http://www.sonshineparanormal.com/default.html

Got any spare change?

Okay...change of plan.  Again.  The new plan has me doing a rush job on the basics of the building, water and electricity and some others, by summer 2014 so that we can move in rough.  That means also sanding floors, repairing windows, and at least one of the full baths ready for rough habitation.  We will then move in with just the basics and live there while we/I keep working on the place.  That would free us up to sell our current house and put that money into the refurbishing of the "Manor".

Sounds like a good plan, but it really puts the onus on me to get a move on.  It also means I'm going to have to hire some help for the summer- a strong back to lift and tote the things I can't anymore.  So new project list to be completed by summer's end:

1. finish putting up fencing for security
2. install new electrical panel and 2 sub-panels
3. sand upstairs floors
4. run water and drains to upstairs bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry area
5. repair all windows including basement

Then by Year's End:

1. move major table tools to upstairs or basement from street level
2. begin wiring upstairs enough for kitchen, laundry, and bedrooms
3. install wall in between bathrooms upstairs
4. cut door from master bedroom to Master Bath

By June 30:

1. refinish floors in bedrooms and kitchen
2. plaster upstairs walls that need it

Seems like a lot to me, but it's a goal necessary for continued marital harmony.  It's going to take focus, skill, and much luck.  It would be nice to hit the lottery.  Yeah, right... like getting hit by lightening while being bitten by a snake as you are recovering from a shark bite.  "The odds ain't in my favor."

Ask me again in August 2014 how things are going.

Windows are the eyes of your car.

Okay...FINALLY got those pesky doors and windows on the GEM car.  That was last weekend.  They work great!  Today, Scott welded the broken pipe rack brace, so that's fixed, too.  Also put in a lavatory in the "restroom to be" so that I have running water available on the main floor now.  Mowed today.  Raked up twigs and piled up branches ready for the fire pit Saturday night.  And had a long conversation with one of my favorite people on the phone for nearly 2 hours while sipping a beer.  Life is good.  Below are some pics.

...without the wind at your back...

Wow!  When we last left our intrepid explorer, he had just bought himself a new e-car.  Yesterday, after many life-altering delays, he started work on attaching the rear window and canvas (Jeep-style) doors.  Estimated time on the instructions? Less than one hour.  The instructions clearly state that you must install the rear window first as you won't be able to after installing the snaps for the doors.  Good thinking.  Should take 30 minutes or less.  3 HOURS later, the window is in with a break in one corner.  No hardware was included for the window install, so I bought sheet metal screws at Lowe's, pre-drilled the holes, and so on.  The heads of the Taiwan made screws SNAPPED OFF!  even when done by hand.  Not stripped out.  Not got stuck.  Snapped off like a crawfish head...leaving a new hole to be drilled in both window and roll cage or the screw drilled out.  At first I was going to abandon the project until a new window + correct hardware could be ordered, but my "manly ego" and natural stubbornness took hold and sat on my shoulder whispering "Figure it out.  Find a way.  You can do it.  Buy a pizza. Have a beer."  Well I did, dammit!  [not the pizza and beer part, though]  So today, after lunch, I will finally install the snaps for the doors and the doors themselves.  I am man, hear me roar!

A Real Jewel of a GEM

Okay.  We've bought a new vehicle: it's all electric, governed down in speed, and takes me pretty much everywhere I need to go for work.  It saves me huge in fuel costs and when I get my solar panels done, its fuel will be $0.00 !  Hah.