Don's New Toy!

I haven't updated in quite a while, or so it seems! I can't believe how time consuming building a house can be! We go to the house almost everyday. That's both good and bad! The good is that the guys working on the house know we will be there so I think it keeps them on track! The bad (several reasons) is that it seems to go so *s*l*o*w*l*y*! It's also bad because we see some of the things they do...my pet peeve is that a lot of them smoke and they put their cigarettes out on the floor!!! I'm tired of picking up after them (cigarettes and trash) but I do it! If I don't pick up their trash...Tess does! She has eaten so much crap, it's unbelievable! For Don (and me as well) one of the bad things is getting there and finding the heaters on and the doors wide open or the heat still on after everyone has gone! The worst was coming in with the doors TO the garages open with only the garage doors being covered in plastic! I think the temps were in the low 20's at night then! I think our heaters have been hooked up for a month (or maybe a little longer) and we've/they've already gone through an entire tank (400 gallons/500 gallon tank) of propane! With the cost of propane at it's winter high...that's an easy $900! Now, we won't be using as much when we actually live there because for a lot of that time, it was still "open" to the outside. The garage doors were covered with plastic and the doors didn't have knobs in them! Plus the attic hasn't been insulated yet nor the bottom of the house!

Anyhow, Don and I recently purchased the lot in between us and our neighbors with them so now we have about an acre and a half of land. Everyone has been telling Don that a little lawn tractor just wasn't going to cut it (the grass that is)! Bill, our neighbor told Don about this great little tractor that a local guy had in his shop. After going and looking at it (and knowing NOTHING about tractors) he bought it! It's a used Kubota and although it's older than Don had hoped, it looks and runs as if it's in great condition! In fact, when Don went to look at it the temps were in the low 30's. The guy started it without "turning on" ? the glow plugs (ah, don't ask me...I don't know anything about diesels except you don't put gas in them)! The thing started up with no problems and ran like a champ! The guy delivered it the next day. Know where Don parked it? In the RV garage! Hope he doesn't plan on parking it in there forever! It IS a tractor! :-)

On Saturday Don polished it up, ran it around the yard and even cut some of our dormant grass! Today, we again went to the house and he proudly showed me his polish work! He started it up, showed me how to drive it and off I went as well! I even put the "finish mower" (the part on the back) down and ran it across a small part of the yard! Hope he doesn't get any ideas 'cause I won't be driving it much after today!!!

The house is coming along, slowly but surely! The cabinets have all been delivered with the exception of two that are supposed to be here tomorrow! The trim has just about been completed and the painters have already started caulking and puttying! They worked on Friday and got two rooms completed! It's amazing how long it takes to do everything! They have changed out our front door (I LOVE it) and are finishing up our deck (short 16 boards - UGH!) and back stairs! They've delivered the hardwood for the study, dining room and foyer and the tile guy will come in sometime in the next week or two and start the shower. He can do that while the painters are there and won't be in their way! The cabinet guy will be here tomorrow to set and trim the rest of the cabinets they just delivered! I've picked out lights and tile but haven't quite made up my mind on paint colors!!! For so long, I've only been able to post a picture of the "space" the kitchen was going to be in and now that there are cabinets...you can actually get a feel for it! I asked our contractor a week or two ago if he thought we would be in BEFORE we left for Baker-Vegas (mid-April). He thought about it, tried to think about scheduling and said we would be "close"! I hope that he knows that I EXPECT to be moved in BEFORE we leave! We may not have everything unpacked, but I want to be IN before we leave! I don't think he wants to have the house just sitting, so it seems like he's getting things on a roll! At least I hope so! If you want to see the latest house pictures, you can check them out at www.picasaweb.google.com/vickileith It's Emerald Lane, Part 7!