G.W. Builds

If you don't know who the Griswold's are - too bad.

Charlie's Dad - Darrell has been here for 3 weeks helping out Charlie (and thus helping out us). We saw him off last night at an 'all you can eat' sushi dinner. He's flying back to Atlanta to see his Grandchillin'

On Friday, we started framing JB's house. On Saturday, I injured my back and really thought I was going to be in trouble for a while. I spent the day laying on the floor in the RV and then - at Dale's suggesting - I went to a semi-local resort and got a deep tissue massage on my back. It helped a lot. It seems I had muscle spasms. I worked gingerly on Sunday on my plumbing and then after dinner - JB, Dale and I all worked on the electrical. PHOTO is JB at his house - sunset on sunday.

We've been working on Charles' and JB's house the last couple of days. During that time, I had local laborers put my roofing on - they did a good job.

Today Charlies trusses came around lunch time. We put them up and got them spaced before dark. You can see the morning photo and the evening photo here.

When I got a dumpster for the project (which you have to do for any construction project), they sent out a really beat up dumpster that was hard to get the lid open on. I didn't take a photo of the really beaten up dumpster because there was no story to tell at the time - it was just a beaten up dumpster. When it was time to get it emptied, I requested a better dumpster because of how hard it was to get the lid open.
The dumpster company (at least the person who delivers dumpsters) decided to show us the "dumpster equivalent of spitting in someones food" when they replaced it. We were at lunch when the new one came - so I didn't get to 'refuse' it.
I took this photo to the company that supplies the dumpster and the owner said that this dumpster was never supposed to leave his lot and he will have me a new one the next day.
We thought it was all kinda funny - but also kinda bad.

It's colder here in the desert - at night - than most people back east would think. It's not uncommon now for the water supply to the RV I'm living in to be frozen in the mornings when I get up. The desert has a large temperature swing throughout a normal day - normally at least 40 degrees. It's been in the 20's overnight lately, with highs in the 70s during the day. Here's a photo of the ground taken out the RV window one morning as well as the roof of my house.

Charles and his father - Darrell and I spent monday afternoon and tuesday putting on the roll roofing as well as the facia. It really has given a new look to the place. The photo of Darrell and Charles shows Charles' lot in the background with the forms all ready for concrete. His slab will be poured on Thursday. I also installed the front vertical window that I had ordered on tuesday night in the cold.

I got well on friday and got a lot done over the weekend. I finished all the vent plumbing as well as the gas lines. I also built an arch that I had envisioned for the transition from the living area to the bed rooms.