Looking Good in the Neighborhood!

Well it took a lot of work from a great team but the sheet rock and mud are up, the color scheme decided and most of the paint is on the walls!! Whew! Thanks to Marcel, (who knew a professional chef could swing a paintbrush as well as a knife) the tippy top of the walls were done. Over the weekend sister Trisha once again donned her work clothes and rather than load dumpsters, rolled and rolled and rolled. As you'll see the downstairs is a sandy beige through out the entry, kitchen, living room and hallway. Daniel's room, as painted mostly by him, is the dark blue/grey. Dark, go figure! The upstairs reflects the sense of being in the trees by being greenish but w/a blue tint as the master bedroom and bath will be the touch of Hawaii Colleen loves so much. All the color's match the woodwork, fabric samples and such thanks to neighbor Trish. What an eye for color, the more we painted the more we liked our choices! This week the cabinets are due to be delivered and installed, the doors and woodwork are schedules for the 23rd and the carpets for upstairs and the downstairs bedrooms are scheduled for the 26th. Arne's trying hard to make it livable by the fourth of July. Check out the slide show; Mud and Paint Fun, and look for the surprise photo slipped in. Actually number 19 should be really special for some people like Joe:)

Long Time Waiting for the Update!

Well, it's been a long time since there has been something to update and then wham, it all happens at once. After a long cold winter that made it difficult to get to the beach let alone work in a house w/no heat we had a trip to Atlanta, GA for the World Championship Robotics Tournament. No missing that when you are in charge of the crate and unpacking the robot. When life settled down again it was time to get serious about passing inspections. We finally did May 17th on the structural, other such as electric, gas, water etc were long done. Arne did some gentle prodding to get through some unusally phrased concerns of the inspectors but we are done! This weekend, Memorial Weekend the insulation goes in. Of course Lincoln City requires it to be inspected but no one is available Monday since it's a holiday. Hopefully Tues will be the inspection, w/sheet rock starting Wednesday. Wednesday also should bring the gas meter allowing the furnace man to come Thursday and get us heat. The cabinets were ordered the 15th so 4 weeks from now we need to be ready for the installers. All in all it still looks good to have an open house July 4th. Everybody keep your finger's crossed. More pictures soon...........

Get Back to Work!!!

Hello if there is still anyone checking this blog site! We are now, finally ready to move to the next step, electricity! Arne has been trying to get to work but something always interrupts the schedule. Snow, ice, robots....Yes robots. Arne has been helping with the robotics team for Daniel and just when we think we have a weekend to work the team schedules a work session. Last weekend Colleen and Arne were able to escape for the day and map out where and what would happen with the lights and plugs. Next week Arne will attempt to get started running the wires in the walls so the insulators and sheetrockers could move forward. Of course since assuming he will be at the house to work he has scheduled the State Heritage Tree Tues.am meeting in Salem, the robotics want an extra meeting for 4:30 Mon pm and..... of course he puts up with Colleen nagging "When will it be done?" "When can we at least camp there?" She's hoping to camp spring break which would require some heat, and water. Hmmm. Everybody keep their fingers crossed. Maybe!!

WE HAVE A DRIVEWAY!

One thing has always concerned us over the years. If you ever visited you know the parking is almost non-existent and the driveway was dangerously close to the crest of the hill making it difficult to back out. Well, problem solved! Not only is there parking for at least 4 cars including under the car port but the driveway no longer requires four wheel drive. The sharp hill has been grated and the vegetation is cleared as well as dug out to create a small parking lot. Our friend Chris returned w/ his back hoe and not only has landscaped w/ the back fill but created the most beautiful boulder wall around the area. At long last Colleen can feel safe parking and driving on to the property. Yippee! Check out the photo's at right and also see the fireplace installed, the plumbing started and the french doors in place. In yet another sleepless night Colleen came up w/the idea of a wet bar for the upstairs great room! A small sink and small frig will keep drinks and clean up easy for those pool games, video games or movies. No excessive running up and down the stairs! Also in the pictures is the attempt to capture the new view out of the master bathroom looking at Cascade Head. The view of the Head from the head as cousin Karen says!!! This week the plummer continues the rough in and Arne begins the electrical. What a birthday gift for Colleen last Saturday as she got to pick out all the plumming fixtures. Oil brushed bronze was the favorite and the manager just insisted on giving us huge discounts for our business!! Stay tuned for more updates. The insulators are ready once the rough in is ready, it's up to the plummer and Arne now!

Yes, it's been awhile!

Well I guess there are fans out there because I've heard complaints I haven't updated as of late. The work did slow for a period of time as we waited for the windows to arrive. They did and we're off again. The windows are set, the siding is to be finished this week with the "gutter guy" to be here next week. Arne in the mean time has been "digging out" the space under the house to make more room for the duct work and such. Had to evict a happy family of rats to do so but they moved on with the agreement they never return! The heating system is well on it's way which includes the gas lines for the stove, fireplace, etc. Arne decided to hire a plummer after talking w/an old friend who's son is starting his own plumbing business. Ryan Stolze had great ideas and is ready to tackle the project, soon soon soon. Time to shop for fixtures, oh boy!! So many things to be focused on, Arne has been doing a great job handling it all. Keep checking and I'll try to update once a week as before!! I've included some new photos w/the windows and siding but I think it's easy to see why we've now renamed the project our "Tree House/Beach House"

No News is, well, no news.....

There's not much to report the last two weeks or so. Arne's been finishing little odds and ends while we wait for windows to be delivered. The siding crew were to start last Wednesday but got a little delayed and are slated for next week. The heating/gas man was also delayed but without windows and siding there's not much reason to heat! Stay tuned for more progress......and keep the fingers crossed wet storms continue to hold off a little while longer.

More pictures

Each week adds more and more. Check out the new pictures of walls and structure. Arne decided it was too difficult to save the old bathroom as it was due to rain damage. Or maybe he just likes demolition? In anycase all but that jacuzzi tub of Colleen's is demolished and the walls expanded to make it a little less tight. The shower will be flipped to the other side to accomodate the new door position and then tiled rather than the tiny pre-fab. The walls were pushed out some taking space from the mud room but giving elbow room to the rest of the bathroom. For those that don't know the story Colleen found the jacuzzi tub in a back corner of Lowe's where they put damaged goods. (Okay I was lost looking for something, it's not a fabric store after all). Anyway, when she approached a manager to ask if he would sell the tub at a discount because there was a crack on the ledge (not where water sits) the gentleman said sure, "how about 50$?" Needless to say it is a prize posession not just because of the price but the comfort it brings to sore joints. It was the one thing that absolutely could not be touched in the remodel. Arne came close but the tub is safe, and truly the only thing so far that was left untouched!!! Hopefully the next update will show roof and siding done........expect the weather to improve once we have that done since it hasn't co-operated so far!!!

Now we're covered...

Well the trusses went up, then the dry sheathing and tar paper so Monday we get our roof on. The windows are ordered so ten days before they come but there's always things to do. Arne is at it this weekend and we'll try to add an update Monday (that is if he figures out how to take pictures on his phone, Daniel and I stayed home so he's on his own technology wise)......

Doesn't anyone have any comments???? Let us know your thoughts!