First the hitlist. Crazy Matt S (as I've come to refer to him) is usally the person who writes/sends out the weekly email asking for volumteers once he and I speak and get a sense of what we're planning to do for the wekend. Once in a whle he writes a recap and that's what I'm pasting in today because 1) he writes better than I do 2) I'd like to share some of my thoughts afterward of where this is taking me personally. So grab a cup o' Joe and settle in because it might take a few minutes to read it all - both Matt and I are fond of words ;-)
Matt wrote:
"This last Saturday was a big day and much was accomplished.
Rick, Tammy, Dalton and Creighton Stifel came in and with the dogged assistance of Doug Meyer and Ron Vander Kamp managed to place the big beam across the remodeled master bedroom. This was no easy feat as the ceiling had to be braced with a temporary wall while three separate beams were sistered together to make a 6"x12"x14' beam that now spans the new master (see the attached pdf for the crew’s beam dedication). When it was all said and done, their beam was in, the wall was built and it looked great. Big ups to the beam crew.
In contrast, the kitchen crew of Matt, Ben, Steve, and Ryan were slightly less productive. Hey, we got it done but we did move a bit slower. The beam crew had actual tool belts and stuff while the kitchen crew had a sharpie, a pie in the sky attitude, and a healthy dose of ignorance about the likelihood that the brick veneer could come crashing down on their heads.
In our defense, we had to slip a 4"x10"x11' beam into a tight spot between the framing and the brick and that wasn’t easy. There were nails everywhere, a fair amount of demo, and a changing game plan as we removed old construction that presented hidden issues. Before it was all done, I had the beam sitting on my head while we tried to get the last inch and half of the beam back into the gap.
Did I mention that what I built had to be removed because I jumped the gun, not once, but twice? We had to put the beam up three times. Why people ask me construction questions is beyond me.
At the end of the day, with help from (many) others, the kitchen crew prevailed and managed to get their assignment completed. Now to get a header under the brick so we can open up the whole kitchen.... Yeeesh, that’s not gonna be easy.
Big ups to Eddie Friend as he installed electrical boxes in much of the house. Erin Burns, Elisha and Mary took out old wiring and kept that ball rolling. Sean O kept right on knocking down and building up wherever he was needed.
The third floor crew got a very big start on the new bedroom. They pulled up wood flooring and started wall construction and the attic is slowly being transformed into an entirely new space. (Phil, Dan, Jim, Amy...uh, who am I leaving out?) I apologize if I didn’t mention everybody. Either way, you rocked.
Once again, Cheryl Eckert managed to put together a killer spread. Thanks to all the chefs as the food was tasty and fit the bill perfectly.
Keep an eye out for updates. We’ll be running wires, plumbing and HVAC soon enough. Thanks again to everybody.
M@"
__________________________________________________________
Nice huh? Very witty, now I get to share some of the 'mushy' stuff. Maybe not so much mushy as just things that are weighing on my brain and keep floating around in my head (which is why I usually get about s hours of sleep a night).
First, I was breifly resting this past Saturday and watching the Beam Crew work their magic and was talking with another person who said something that stopped me in my tracks. he said "That's the cool thing about all of this, is seeing in the mind's eye how this all is going to be used in real life. There's Ellie's little room over there (through the bare studs) and that we can already hear the Disney music playing or dance music blaring. And this huge space for the master bedroom is going to be a great space to retreat to. This is going to be a great house John."
Now it wasn't so much what he said but that he was talking like had thought when I first decided to move forward with this house. It made me realize that some folks are dreaming this house into reality as much as I am. It's a great thing. Sometimes I get lost in the details and forget to keep that dream in focus, the dream of my family living here. It's more than a project, it's my home. God works in amazing ways n that I think I was getting a bit too caught up in the project of the home and needed a reminder. Heard it loud and clear.
Later in the weekend I went back to the house to look at what had been accomplished because I wasn't able to see everything before leaving on Saturday. It's then that I was able to start dreaming again about the laughter, yelling, wispering, crying and celebrating that will go on in this house in the years to come. I'm still unsure about a lot of things regarding this house (which room will be Ellie's and what design the walls will have or what sinks will be in the bathrooms or how I'm going to get all the walls to be the same depth as the original plaster and lathe so the woodwork fits) but I do know I made the right decision. I also know that Leslie is there with me every step of the way. I may not be able to hear her words, but I feel her love. It is going to be different than we planned, but I hope the same love and happiness fills the rooms.
I will hold a number of events/parties in the future and I hope you are able to attend at least one of them. It will mean the world to me that you do. Leslie and I always looked forward to opening our home to our friends and family, and if you're reading this I consider you one of those. Thank you for taking the time to read about my family and my dreams and I hope someday you will tell me about yours.
