That really floored me...

Lots of work done since last time. Got the concrete floor in the belltower poured. Not the best concrete I've ever done, but it was a confined space. Oh well. Put up new walls on the concrete as a base for the floor we put in level with the "main hall". Then Jim and I pulled out the decaying doorway to the front and replaced it with a treated lumber and Hardipanel wall. This will be home to my new electrical meter and breaker box.

Other end- Kathy pulled the tiles in the NW corner basement room, getting it ready for a cement floor. I tore out the floor/ceiling of the NE basement. I've now replaced the joists and taken out the corroded plumbing. The tiles still have to come out of there, then we'll be ready to concrete the floors of the back three rooms. Progress!

Concrete ideas and abstract platts

What a day! Started out to concrete the floor of the belltower readying it for a new floor a level above. After buying materials, went to pay the water bill. Not a big deal, right? While I was there, I decided to check into the procedure for getting the city to close and legally abandon the unkept, unused dead-end road between my neighbor's property and mine. In theory, they're fine with it... just need owners of all abutting properties to sign off on the deal. Since my neighbor first suggested it, no problem. Au contrar, mon frer!

Turns out a wedge of property I was told belonged to the city, doesn't. It's an unusable postage stamp of land between me and the creek. It took me fully three hours to find the owner's name (both at the city and the county tax assessor) and to find out he's in Dallas. This isn't going to be fun.

Needless to say, no concrete today. Tomorrow, I'll pull up the dirt-mounted tile in the belltower and put up the forms. It's cool in the basement so I'll pour in the afternoon when it's too hot to work outside. "Plan? There ain't no plan!" - PigKiller from the last Mad Max movie Beyond the Thunderdome.

Just another brick in the wall...

For a few who have asked, this is the condition of the bricks in the back. As I said, apparently the repairs done 100 years ago after the fire were done inccorrectly, whether by design or by mistake. The hole is actually much bigger than that now. It must all be rebricked above and repointed below. Then the whole wall must be stuccoed to protect the friable bricks. BIG job! but I'm up to it.

Countdown to construction... 3...2...1...

Five more days until I can get started as the general contractor, plumber, electrician, carpenter, landscaper, decorator, and day laborer on the Nickel Church Project. We've come to start calling it "the Manor" so that people don't think I'm actually going to use it as a church. My plan is to commit to 30 hours per week as a minimum in order to get things moving. However, it's summer in Texas which means HOT. HOTTER! HOTTEST!! Afternoon tempuratures around here run from 97 degrees F (36.1 C) now to about 103 degrees F (39.5 C) by August. Early starts and a siesta in the afternoon. We mzungu can't take too much heat 'til we adjust halfway through the summer. Probably won't post anything else here until I've started again.

Water!!

We now have a water supply to the Nickel Church! When the water was turned on, it leaked. Okay, it was a geyser! After digging up the line from the meter to the wall, I found that the very old pipe had simply corroded away. It is now replaced with schedule 40 pvc, and "poof" we have water. Now I can do masonry and concrete and maybe even put in a working toilet.

It's just not fair...

...when I'm getting older, but Patti and Lanelle aren't. In Dallas this past weekend, I met with to dear friends from the past that I haven't seen in a long time. (Always think about, but never see.) When I see them- it's like time has frozen in awe. For me- it's like time has thawed and I'm freezer-burned. :)

We had lunch at which time I put my foot in my mouth so hard that I now have athlete's tongue. But feelings were mended and my behavior was amended. We had a fun night at Sullivan's. Jazz combo, good food, a couple of drinks, and a sweet server named Tia who had just moved in from Philadelphia. All in all a great day with the girls.

After parting on Sunday morning, I hung out long enough to shop in The Great Indoors for fixtures on the building. Some nice stuff and helpful people- prices high, but otherwise not all that special. I think I'll just order from local businesses and support the local economy.

Luau

Tonight, the beat of my heart (Kathy) and I will go to Tyler, Texas for a luau-themed party. We will be the guest of Charles and Scarlett Drane, the notable socialite couple in Palestine. Should be a lot of fun. I'll update this after I return.

Esta noche, el latido de mi corazón (Kathy) y voy a ir a Tyler, Texas, para un luau-fiesta temática. Vamos a ser el invitado de Carlos y Scarlett Drane, la pareja notables socialité en Palestina. Debe ser muy divertido. Voy a actualizar esto después de que yo regrese.

In other news(?), I'll be heading to Dallas to catch up with some very dear friends from the past: Patty and Lanelle. We were quite a team a few years back. I'm sure they haven't aged as badly as I have. Of course they started out a lot better looking than me anyway. Should be a ball. I'll also see Charles II this weekend. That's a good thing for many reasons and on many levels. Catch ya later!