Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Seems like everyone's stopping by the site now that it's readily seen from elsewhere in the neighborhood. I love meeting neighbors, however far flung, but it might get a little irritating down the road. Plus, it's fun to watch people's reactions. I'll be planting flowers, like I was Sunday, and people traipse right past me on my property, like I'm the gardener or something. Which I am, I guess.
Anyway, I make it a point to take off the dirty glove, extend a big grin that stops 'em in their tracks, and say, "HI! What are you up to? I'm the owner." I like watching the startled flicker in their eyes.
The biggest news is that the Grok God made his color choices:
Galusha will be: http://www.colorcharts.org/ccorg/resources/colors.aspx?ProductID=662&CBN=Y6MP-LRAM-J0K5
Mabel: http://www.colorcharts.org/ccorg/resources/colors.aspx?ProductID=662&CBN=2DT4-GJR6-8AY9
The GG used colors found in the sky to make his choices. I'm a little worried about the Mabel color, but Galusha seems to be right on. All comments appreciated from ye blog faithful, as always.
Anyway, I make it a point to take off the dirty glove, extend a big grin that stops 'em in their tracks, and say, "HI! What are you up to? I'm the owner." I like watching the startled flicker in their eyes.
The biggest news is that the Grok God made his color choices:
Galusha will be: http://www.colorcharts.org/ccorg/resources/colors.aspx?ProductID=662&CBN=Y6MP-LRAM-J0K5
Mabel: http://www.colorcharts.org/ccorg/resources/colors.aspx?ProductID=662&CBN=2DT4-GJR6-8AY9
The GG used colors found in the sky to make his choices. I'm a little worried about the Mabel color, but Galusha seems to be right on. All comments appreciated from ye blog faithful, as always.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
I'm sorry to have left the blog on such a down note. After a volley of e-mails, the neighbor seems to be calmer, and I hope she'll warm to the final result. With the trench gaping, and the piles of dirt, it was hard to feel any kind of love for the project.
Things look much better now, and at least I have different worries -- like the crews doing damage to the neighbors' place (twice) and leaving my door unsecured (thrice). Still, the trench is filled and the dirt smoothed. The addition of a few cubic yards of gravel atop the boot-sucking mud makes walking around the site way easier.
It's fun going out every morning, especially now that there's so much to, uh, supervise. One crew is still framing Mabel's second floor. The other is finishing window trim in & out and putting on exterior cladding. With sheetrockers coming tomorrow, things seem to be on a fast track. I already have four meetings set for Friday to tackle all the next steps, from cabinets and finances to fireplaces and lighting.
Yes, lighting. I continue to struggle with lighting and the cabal of it all. Tonight's trip to Home Depot (ugh) may help to avoid the former. Yeah, I'll show them. Someone pointed out this might be why interior designers get paid so much.
P.S. New picures of M & G, dated 6/21/2005, at right ------}
Things look much better now, and at least I have different worries -- like the crews doing damage to the neighbors' place (twice) and leaving my door unsecured (thrice). Still, the trench is filled and the dirt smoothed. The addition of a few cubic yards of gravel atop the boot-sucking mud makes walking around the site way easier.
It's fun going out every morning, especially now that there's so much to, uh, supervise. One crew is still framing Mabel's second floor. The other is finishing window trim in & out and putting on exterior cladding. With sheetrockers coming tomorrow, things seem to be on a fast track. I already have four meetings set for Friday to tackle all the next steps, from cabinets and finances to fireplaces and lighting.
Yes, lighting. I continue to struggle with lighting and the cabal of it all. Tonight's trip to Home Depot (ugh) may help to avoid the former. Yeah, I'll show them. Someone pointed out this might be why interior designers get paid so much.
P.S. New picures of M & G, dated 6/21/2005, at right ------}
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
A neighbor e-mailed me today:
"I am writing to tell you how disappointed I am with the houses you are building. I feel you mislead the neighbors telling them you planned to build some nice little cottages on your property. From my point of view, the places that you are building are NOT cottages and they seem to be totally out of sync design-wise with the kind of homes on our block. I am just glad these homes are not in my back yard."
I wrote back, saying I thought the existing wide range of styles, designs, and eras on the street was a valuable thing, and I hoped to add to it. I don't know where the neighbor got the idea that Mabel and Galusha would be cottages, but it's unfortunate that it became part of anyone's thinking. It's the first time someone's out-and-out criticized Mabel and Galusha, and I feel kinda hurt and protective.
I just hope the result mollifies her. No doubt, the shape the place is in now is far from pretty. There's a trench from the street on back, and piles of dirt you can hardly see over. This spectacle was my first sight on coming back from vacation, and then I also heard that some damage was done to the neighbors' fence when a piece on the front-end loader broke. The fence is repaired, but it seems like everyone's nerves are a little frayed and any incident can send someone over the top.
With Hawaii just days behind me, it's surprising how fast I'm right back in the thick of it. One point of solace: I've got to be at least halfway done. Right?
Check out the new photos coming soon.
"I am writing to tell you how disappointed I am with the houses you are building. I feel you mislead the neighbors telling them you planned to build some nice little cottages on your property. From my point of view, the places that you are building are NOT cottages and they seem to be totally out of sync design-wise with the kind of homes on our block. I am just glad these homes are not in my back yard."
I wrote back, saying I thought the existing wide range of styles, designs, and eras on the street was a valuable thing, and I hoped to add to it. I don't know where the neighbor got the idea that Mabel and Galusha would be cottages, but it's unfortunate that it became part of anyone's thinking. It's the first time someone's out-and-out criticized Mabel and Galusha, and I feel kinda hurt and protective.
I just hope the result mollifies her. No doubt, the shape the place is in now is far from pretty. There's a trench from the street on back, and piles of dirt you can hardly see over. This spectacle was my first sight on coming back from vacation, and then I also heard that some damage was done to the neighbors' fence when a piece on the front-end loader broke. The fence is repaired, but it seems like everyone's nerves are a little frayed and any incident can send someone over the top.
With Hawaii just days behind me, it's surprising how fast I'm right back in the thick of it. One point of solace: I've got to be at least halfway done. Right?
Check out the new photos coming soon.
