Work-In-Progress

Public Announcement

2008-07-06T22:26:22Z

Ahem ...

Let it be known throughout the land:

I H.A.T.E. P.A.C.K.I.N.G. and M.O.V.I.N.G.

That is all.

Carry on.

(I certainly am!)

More Words

2008-07-01T00:14:48Z

From the same magazine article today ...

Chyron - looks like it should be Greek, mythological, fantastical... something. In a way, it is. It's the scrolled information that runs along the bottom of a television screen ad infinitum on any 24/7 cable news channel. Was used to describe the running commentaries we all carry in our heads, not always to our best interests.

Lambent - softly bright or radiant. Was used to describe the movements of figure skating, as a metaphor for how we imagine things versus how they actually are.

What can I say? Words seek me out!

3 Things Meme

2008-06-29T18:02:40Z

I took this from smcmullan, but several flisteds are playing.

Rules: Post 3 things you've done that you believe nobody else on your F-list has done. Indulge in remorse if someone calls you out on a listed item. (Some versions of the rules state that I must find something else if anyone can claim to have done one of my 3.)

1. Faced down the barrel of a Soviet weapon at the Berlin Wall.

2. Was sold in marriage by my father for some camels (# greater than 3) and, possibly, a goat (but I was never sure.)

3. Was locked in the vault containing the Persian crown jewels, including the Peacock Throne (the new one, of course,
also called the Sun Throne.)

What special things have you done?

Words

2008-06-28T20:20:27Z

I'm in love with words

Always have been. Once upon a time, I kept a dictionary in my bathroom, considering it the quintessential bathroom reading material. Yes, I learned to read the dictionary. I'd go to look up a word, and all these other interesting ones would show up along the way, and they'd lead to looking up still more so I could understand the definition of a former word ... So, yeah. I read dictionaries.

Periodically, I hear/see/come across really nice words. Words that just tickle my fancy at the time, usually independent of the context in which they are presented. Here are some of the most recent ones:

repine
palisade
savage (death)
undulate (isn't this a wonderfully sounding word?)
shroud

My favorite word has always been the word meander. In script, it ... well, meanders. Your mouth meanders to shape the word in speech. This is beyond mere onomatopoeia. (hmmm. What's the visual equivalent?)

Stay tuned. Words happen every day, and sometimes I take notice. I'll post.

Too good not to share

2008-06-24T16:53:59Z

compliments of my mother-in-law

Mom sent me the following in email. Since the "original" has no attribution, I can't share it, either.

AN INTERESTING HISTORY LESSON
              Railroad tracks.

              This is rather fascinating. Be sure to read the final paragraph. Your understanding of it will depend on the earlier part of the content.

              The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number.

              Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US railroads.

              Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

              Why did 'they' use that gauge then?

              Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

              Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.

              So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

              And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels.

              Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Therefore the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot.

              Bureaucracies live forever. So the next time you are handed a Specification/ Procedure/Process and wonder 'What horse's backside came up with it?', you may be exactly right. Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses. (Two horses' backsides.)

Now, the twist to the story:

               When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad,there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah.

              The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site.   The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRBs had to fit through that tunnel.

              The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.

              So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's butt.

              And you thought being a horse's butt wasn't important? Ancient horses' butts control almost everything.

              ....And CURRENT horses' butts are controlling everything else....Any questions?

~Author Unknown

Warm Friends ...

2008-06-24T15:47:18Z

... warm house.

Sunday, our friends and family met The Tree House, and The Tree House met our friends and family -- and the extraneous new neighbor or two.

I very much wanted to have an open house as a house warming for our new house. Husband wanted to "get it over with" if we were going to do it. And I have learned from experience that, if I wait until we're "settled," we will never have a house warming. So, we took over a bare minimum of tables and chairs, threw a couple of futons over un-upholstered love seats I inherited from my mother (original upholstery was far too smokey for civilization) and brought in party trays. Add guests and tours of the house, and you have instant house warming.

Not all of our dearest and nearest could join us, but sufficient number of good people did attend, and the house was indeed warmed to the idea of fun, laughter, love and friendship. It has been declared a party house; now it merely has to live up to its reputation.

Thanks to all who helped with the birthing of this dream.

We invited our new neighbors, who are really great people. One has already offered to help with our landscaping (I very much admire what he did with his own -- they live across the road), and the other has already offered to help us get our land native and into conservatorship. He and his wife actually live outside the subdivision, on the road that parallels our main road. They bought 4 of the subdivision lots, however, and just finalized the paperwork last week to turn it into land preserve, so it will never be developed. Their parcels constitute the main portion of the wetlands (we have the rest), so there is state aid available, and he is going to introduce us to the right people. His wife works at the feline refuge where we got the sisters, Trick and Treat. So we already know we're compatible folk.

We also invited the artisans who made our house so special. Erik, of course, was the man of the hour. As I recall, he gave his
card out to 4 different folks, so I hope I've brought his some business! Ron Dean, who did the beautiful work on the entryway slate tiles, also came in for some accolades. Erik described to Ron what we're thinking of doing for a surround for the fireplace in the family room, and Ron is going to give some thought to how he would incorporate the same slate tile into the surround, and give me a quote.

The youngest of my father's sisters-in-law, and the one cousin on my father's side who was closest to my parents and kept in touch with me, both came. They did a lot of catching-up, although I could only join in spurts. Still, it was nice to have some real blood relations there to represent all the ones spread across the country.

Now, the move starts in earnest.

DHD friends: I've not forgotten you. I owe more stories about the construction. I have a list of things I've not discussed, and I'll be posting those over the next weeks. Orlo -- I will have time to check in on your blog, now, so I'll see you there.

What's in a name?

2008-06-15T21:04:57Z

... as sweet by any other?

We never named our current house. It never occurred to Husband, and my life was changing too much for me to come up with any. I've never named a house, before. Cars, yes. All of them, in fact. Except for the Taurus -- no name ever came to me.    But I've always wanted to name my house and use it in my return address.

Well, we finally named the current house, after all. You may have noticed it in my Location entry -- "Havoc House." Sometimes, when a name fits, it simply blinds you - or beans you one. (My poor hips knows where every box is ... until it gets moved, that is.)

But we (read: I) had no such luck with the new house. I wanted something that would reflect how this was my child, the creative output of my own effort. Something to reflect the peace and security that home represents to me. Something to suggest a place of sharing, of music, of friends. Something that would include our commitment to the nature around us and to the land. Something poetic. Husband wanted something of one word -- preferably one syllable. Nothing romantic. Nothing saccharine. Tough requirements.

Research was begun. Myths were explored. Gaelic translators were used. Lists of beds&breakfasts were consulted.

I suggested, in turn, "Haven," Havenhurst," "Tor Haven," "Conservatory," "Havenwood,"   Husband suggested "Nest."

Despair was felt.

So, there I was at the house sometime last week. Husband had asked me to decide where in the kitchen I wanted to put the wall phone. I sat at the hutch (at the southeast corner of the kitchen) and surveyed my turf as I ate some leftover pizza, which we had brought for the Jensen brothers on their last day on site. The phone location just jumped out at me -- next to the door to the laundry/mud room. Free to wander (and wonder) my eyes drifted in the direction of the view outside the screened porch. There was a hefty breeze (tornadoes in Iowa) and I could hear the trees chatter despite the closed windows and the running HVAC (which, granted, is quiet.)

Tree House.

I rubbed my head to soften the pain of the clue-by-four and considered this from all angles. Reflects the nature around us. Yes. Is a kind of retreat where one can feel safe and protected. Yes. Can also be a place to gather buddies. Yes. Is a pun, which is always a plus for Husband. Yes. Short (although two syllables) and easy to remember. Yes. Fits both of us. Yes. In other words, perfect.

Thus are houses christened.

Side note: Husband threatened to paint a sign on a plank of wood stating "no gurlz." for the front door. I told him he should feel free, as I would place a "no boyz" sign on the bathroom door.    So far, no one has posted anything.

Moving Day!

2008-06-04T22:13:07Z

Well, in a way ...

If you've made sure there's both paper towels and toilet paper (in each bathroom), tissue in the kitchen, some microwaveable lunches in the freezer, milk and juice in the fridge, and if Husband keeps forgetting to pick up the jacket he hung up in his clothes closet, then can't you say you've started the moving?

We thought we were going to sign the mortgage papers today, so we planned on stopping at the grocery store just next door. It turned out that we were visiting the bank to answer any questions we had. We didn't. It was a nice conversation, but not what we had planned on. The actual papers won't be ready until next week. However, we did lock in the rate at yesterday's level, so we're set to go.

So, in the store, it was just as easy to buy a few extra of things we were buying to stick in the fridge at the new house. And of course, we were simply going to drop them off and head home to do more packing.

But you can't just set food in a new fridge still dripping with packing material and the miscellaneous dirt streak here and there, now can you? So, two hours later, we had finally done enough to feel we had started, and we headed home -- the old home.

So, we are declaring the move officially underway.

End date? Stay tuned ...

Deadlines ...

2008-05-22T23:21:57Z

... can be good things.

Who knew?

Of course, a good deadline requires at minimum two characteristics:

It must be realistic
Failure must not really matter

Our moving deadline appears to fit the bill.

Erik is leaving on June 9 for his annual fishing trip. Nothing gets between Erik and his fishing trip. I think it's the only real relaxation he gets all year. So, everything is either finished before he goes, or it doesn't happen until after he returns. We are so close to finished, now, that Erik would really like to close the contract before he leaves.

This isn't impossible, and it may not even be difficult. For one thing, he has a draw ready, and it brings us up to the brink of the construction loan amount. So, we stop once the money is gone, regardless. Secondly, most of what is left really can't be done right now, anyway. Things like the final grading, finishing off the driveway ... all of that can't really happen until the ground dries out a bit, which means not until July at the earliest.

The C of A (which is the county's agreement that the mechanicals are all done to code) is already done; the last inspection was last week. The C of O (which is the zoning board's agreement that we built what was approved, and we can now actually live there) was applied for on Monday. Once Erik gets that, he can attach it to his final draw, and the bank and I roll the loan over into the mortgage at whatever rate is the current rate at that time.

So, if all goes well, we'll start moving on Jun 9, or a little before. When we finish, of course, is still undefined.

If all does not go well? *shrug* We wait until Erik gets back. But, we'll be able to start packing and moving boxes into the house, in any case.

I'm getting excited.

Simple Gifts

2008-05-21T20:56:11Z

and small pleasures

Watching a hawk surf the thermals.

So, when do we move?

2008-05-10T23:17:45Z

Good Question.

Current answer: After we get the CO (Certificate of Occupancy) and before Conclave. Turns out COs come in two flavors.

Or at least, from whatever government agency the CO comes from, which I have yet to understand but which Erik knows exquisitely, so I'm covered. This flavor requires a series of inspections, for the various trades who had a finger in this little pie. Electric inspection. Plumbing inspection. Environmental inspection. Water test and approval. I-don't-know-what-all -the-rest-is inspection. This process started last week, and Erik hopes to have it finished by the end of next week. So far we're flying through the inspections with flying colors.

This actually provided a bit of a laugh. The plumbing guy came around, and was extremely unhappy with the special drain closets for the catgenie boxes. (I talked about them in a 3/4/08 entry, remember?) The apertures are completely open. No doors. Nothing to catch possible overflow so as to prevent water damage if anyone should choose to take a shower.

Now, the aperture in the master bath is currently tall enough for someone to stand in, though it would be uncomfortable to take a shower in it. The water source is a hose from the gray box standing approximately 3-4" from the floor. It's sorta understandable that the inspector was confused by the fact that this aperture, which will be a closet-ish thing when finished, did not yet have the shelves, which might have made the thing clearer to him. On the other hand, the other catgenie closet is under a counter top, and the inspector had already had a hissy fit when he saw that one (just inside the garage door.) Besides, this aperture is a grand total of 6" from the master shower. The one with a shower head. And hand spray. And water massage spouts. And a seat.

So, Erik had to go to the county office and fill out the paperwork to explain how this deviation was code-compliant and not a hazard. He shrugs it off. One of the office guys at the county told him that the inspector has to find <i>something</i> wrong, or it looks as though he's not doing his job. Erik and crew didn't make any mistakes, so this was the only thing odd enough to be worth the effort.

This comes from the mortgage company. They send their appraiser out to verify that 1) we build the house we said we would build where we said we would build it and 2) it's actually finished (read: in shape to be sold in a foreclosure.) This is reasonable; the house will be the collateral on the mortgage when we convert the construction loan.

But, unlike with the county, we don't know what has to be done to get the CO. With the country, we only have to meet code. The prissy plumbing inspector was not at all worried about the missing shower glass, for instance. The county doesn't care if you decide not to paint the outside of the house, but the real estate market does. That kind of thing. We can anticipate some of it, but we don't know for certain which missing detail might foul us up.

Why is this an issue? Because the things that are not done are all the aesthetic touches I have not yet truly determined. Take the shower glass, for instance. It's a walk-in shower, remember, nestled in a corner of two outside walls. The single inner wall is designed to be half regular wall (where the shower head is) and half decorative wall. It will be glass, that I know. But we want to have an appropriate design etched in the glass for interest. "Appropriate" is yet to be defined; artist and I are going back and forth with ideas.

The artist doesn't want us to rush, because he wants us to be happy with the finished product. But Erik would like to get things finished, and I'd like to start moving. But that depends on the mortgage CO.

Round and round we go; when we move, nobody knows.

What I do know is that I've got the stressy stomach I haven't had since I quit my job in Chicago. I don't *feel* stressed emotionally, but my body sure feels it. I think it's the inability to DO. It all needs to be done, but I can't do it.

AAAHHHGHGHG!

How does my garden grow revisited

2008-05-10T20:09:21Z

OMG - Deer

In comment to the previous post, I replied to questions about deer-as-pests issues. I then thought of more, so here's another post.

Yes, I have had 15 years of struggling with our deer in the current house. I expect the guys at the new house to be even bolder, since we were brash enough to build our home on their feeding ground. Whatever will we do with the deer?

Talk about dilemmas. Husband and I really, really like watching the deer. The deer really, really like eating my lilies. (Not to mention all the other vegetable matter they favor, like tomatoes!) What to do?

For the perimeter of the house:

Plant anything that will grow in our conditions that the deer simply don't like. For instance:

Yarrow
Ornamental chive
Ferns
Butterfly weed, Butterfly bush
Fritillary
Lavender
Spice Bush
Lemon Balm

Plant (heirloom) tomatoes on the balcony above the courtyard.
Plant deer-delectable flowers in the courtyard only, block courtyard with decorative tall fence and gate.
Hope they don't eat so many of what they like that I can't have color throughout the season.

I'll consider those last sacrificed to feed our deer-watching habit. You know; bird seed to attract the birds, plants to attract the deer.

Turns out, there's a nursery that specializes in deer-resistant plants and strategies right here in Michigan. It's not close enough for me to go shopping regularly -- it's roughly located on the palm just above the love line, under the driving finger -- but they deliver, which is good enough for me. It also has a forum, so all my gardener friends might want to take a look.

As long as I'm hyping sites, I should add Old House Gardens, which I am happy to support. This site has an interesting frittilary I may add.

Both companies have interesting stories. The Deer-Resistant nursery was started by a gardener in Michigan country land frustrated enough by the constant fight with deer that he decided to learn which plants they would NOT eat, and only plant those. From that came a business. He does not guarantee a deer-free garden; he points out that if deer are hungry enough they will eat anything. But he's had decent success with what he's planted. One of the secrets is to go for heavily aromatic plants. Which does not explain why they like lilies for desert. I guess it depends on the aroma.

Old House Gardens was started in Michigan by a fellow who bought a Queen Ann era house in a district with historical preservation rules. He wanted to put in a garden that would have existed when the house was built -- and found that most of the plants were extinct, or as good as extinct. He started to hunt them down, which led to a degree in Landscape preservation, which led to his business. His purpose is to create a market for the original stock of as many of the old bulbs as he can -- rather than their modern hybrid counterparts. He not only sells the bulbs, but entices small growers to take on some of the stock and become suppliers, thus increasing the life expectancy of these bulbs. They are simply beautiful, and OHG believes in nothing but the highest quality possible.

As always, I'll be blogging here about how things proceed. Meantime, let's talk about moles, mice and cut worms ...

How does my garden grow?

2008-05-09T18:58:44Z

I'm trying to figure it out, myself.

Thanks to all for the helpful comments on my Anti-Lawn entry. Some of you [waves at Eva] really gave me lots to chew on. So I think you deserve your own entry, rather than just a return comment.

First, let's define the scope. Our total lot is 25 acres, of which 75% is wooded. The other 25% is divided between pasture/field and swamp. Except for the mountains of the Upper Peninsula, we basically have an example of any topography found in Michigan somewhere on our property.
We cleared two areas on one of the wooded parts of the property. One for the house itself, plus the equipment to get around. The other was an unanticipated 1/8th of an acre we had to clear for the geothermal loop. Both of these rest on the high ground of the tallest of the two hills on our property.

The plan is to keep the remaining woods, woods. (We may have to cut down just a couple of trees where they encroach too close to the house, but we rather hope not.) So, in terms of gardening, I have around the house itself, and the geothermal loop.

Long-term plans for the geothermal loop area is to plant wildflowers throughout. Plant Husband's chestnut trees at the back (North), fruit trees in the middle, and build a gazebo/grotto thingie at the entry to this area, visible from the house. The short term plan is to plant annual wildflowers to keep the area relatively weed-free.

That leaves the house area. On all sides but the north (front) of the house, the average width between house and woods is 20 yards. On the north we have about 75square yards to the east of the driveway, and approximately 200 square yards on the west side of the driveway. It is this front, western area I am calling my "lawn."

The soil is clay, rainfall except in summer is generous (we are in a rain forest, after all -- it's just not tropical). Winters are cold, but lately have stayed above zero degrees F, and don't go much lower than 20 degrees F. High temperature is usually in the 80s during the summer, with an occasional spike higher, but no one temperature stays around for long. We are in three lake areas (although not anywhere near them for real estate sale purposes. Lake Michigan is west of the state, Erie southeast, and Huron east and north. (I think the UP actually kisses Superior, but that's not where we are, so I won't include that.) We are directly on the crossroads of weather systems from the west, north and south. If Florida gets a hurricane, we'll get lots of rain. If Minnesota gets socked with snow, we'll undoubtedly get some of it, even at the eastern edge of the state. Canada air constantly wants to push Florida air around. Basically, if you don't like the weather right now, just wait an hour, and it will have changed -- particularly in the summer. Our hardiness zone is 5a-6b (I will probably get 6b in my courtyard, but not the rest of the area.) As soon as it arrives (on order) I will start measuring the real sun exposure on each side of the house and report back.

So far, my nebulous plans for around the house are as follows:

Put down cardboard, newspaper and leaf mulch (think layers) over everything but driveway, so get rid of and deter weeds until I'm ready to plant.
Put in hardscape. At minimum, this will be pathways around the house, so we can get everywhere without breaking an ankle or dying of poison ivy itch.
Put in raised beds. These will be attractively arranged on both sides of the paths; shorter, showier plants on the house side, increasingly tall and blend-in-with-forest plants on the woods side.
The front "lawn" This is my problem area.

The "lawn" must be something which does not require mowing. It can't stand too tall, since deer ticks are a real possibility. It must out-compete weeds. I don't know how much sun it gets, but I know it will at least be partial shade. It would be nice to have something pretty and interesting.

I'm thinking we'll plant some pretty (as opposed to the stately woods trees) on the east side of the driveway: Redbuds, Lilacs, whatever. The outer edges of the "lawn" to the west of the driveway could be shrubs, lessening the amount of ground cover necessary.

Eva, Vinca, holly and ivy are not invasive in Michigan. They are not native, but they don't cause harm. The two major plants to avoid here are Purple Loosestrife and garlic mustard (the latter, unfortunately, has already invaded our property.) Hydrilla is not yet here, but is close, and the state is trying very hard to keep it out. Vinca (periwinkle) is one of the covers I'm considering, in fact. I also thought about wild strawberry. Yellow/White sweet clover are invasive in Michigan, but the other clovers are not. They may be too tall for my purpose, though. Oh, and I forgot to mention that we have some raspberry canes near the private road, which I'd love to bring to that area east of the driveway, within easy reach of the kitchen.

Anonymous asked if I had seen the NYTimes article about mosses. Yes, thank you. Husband is considering using moss to mark/cover the trenches so we can find and walk easily on them to check/service the septic tanks et al. The article says that they don't stand up well to dead leaves, though (which seems strange, since they grow under trees ...) so we may have to do some more research, first. That could be an option for us, if it an establish well enough.

Nothing is carved in stone. We won't be able to do the final grading until later in the summer, after the wet season. When we're done, the ground will slope away from the house, which is sitting at the top of the hill. Right now, all the disturbed ground is still settling, so there is a slight cant house-ward. That won't be permanent. The area I will be gardening most is flat; the sides of the house may be a problem, but that's why I'm thinking about raised beds.

Yes, Eva, this is exciting times. I need to see what is already there before I make final decisions. I am but beginning to make plans, and I will be fine-tuning it all through the year, as I see what my land has to offer. So far, I'm dreaming .

Do I like to garden? I don't really know. I'm certainly interested in it, and I love having natural beauty around me, but I've not really gardened before. In the last few years, my hip problems have kept me from doing much. But I have hopes that I can stabilize that condition enough that I can do at least raised beds. So I'll find out.

One thing is for sure, though. I like having the gardening done, and enjoying the fruits of the labor. Making the flower/branch arrangements through the house -- yeah, that I like a lot.

[edited to add light requirement for "lawn."]

The Anti-Lawn

2008-05-04T19:21:23Z

AKICILJ

It is not possible for me to mow a lawn. Well, not impossible, but certainly unwise. I am allergic to grass clippings. When I had my 1/5 of an acre lot to tend before my marriage, it would take me an entire weekend, starting after work on Friday, for me to mow my lawn. For every 10 minutes of mowing time, I would spend 30 minutes recovering from the asthma attack. I quickly decided to afford a lawn care contractor.

In Chicago, there are lots and lots of entrepreneurial lawn maintenance companies with immigrant (read: cheap) labor. Not so much in SE Michigan. So, lawn care falls to Husband.

Husband hates mowing grass. And, as is true with most human beings and most certainly true of most husbands, he can be remarkably unable to do that which he hates doing. For Havoc House, we finally broke down and hired help, which is more expensive for less service than I had in Chicago, but much better than the nothing we were doing for ourselves. We can (just) manage that with our 1 acre lot. But 25 acres?

So, in designing our new house, I promised Husband there would be no need for mowing. Since most of our landscaping is woods, this seemed an easy promise to make. What non-wooded area we have around the house is destined to be garden beds and pathways. Still, there are two areas of ... well, that's the question. If not grass, what?

I'm doing a lot of research into ground covers as alternatives to grass. Creeping thyme, clover, mondo grass ...

So, all you established gardeners out there -- what do you suggest as a walkable, drought-resistant, non-mowing, low-maintenance ground cover to replace a lawn in zone 5? (We might be in a little pocket of zone 6, but I can't guarantee it.)

Thanks!

Easy as Pie

2008-05-02T22:32:19Z

It's always easy to get money to flow away from one.

Erik is aiming for CO (certificate of occupancy) by 3rd week May. So I figured it was time to find out how we go about converting from our construction loan to a mortgage. Because of the choices we made at the beginning, it turns out to be quite easy, indeed: Two signatures (each) at a single meeting. Done.

We took out a construction loan where we paid for the mortgage closing costs up front. In effect, we contracted both the loan and the mortgage at the same time, with the second to kick in after the first is paid back (by the mortgage on the now-completed house.) It's amazing how many different financial instruments are out there. As my DHD friends know, it really does pay to shop around.

The advantage of this is, of course, that everything is essentially done. We can even refinance -- actually it's not a refinance, since we aren't really changing anything. The instrument was originally set up so we would convert the mortgage at whatever the rate is the day of conversion. So, we'll go from a 5-yr ARM to a 30-yr fixed mortgage. And, since rates are lower now than they were last year, we'll get a better rate out of it. Because of our good credit rating, we qualified for a loan which also keeps the rate no higher than the initial one. So, if rates go up in the interim, we simply remain where we are.

The advantage to the bank is that they get a lock on the customer -- it's so easy for the customer to stay that they run little risk of losing the mortgage. They also can relax a bit on the reserves for this particular loan, since the chances are it will not be called in a year.

So, like I said, easy as pie, right?

Wellllll .... not so fast. This is, after all our life we're talking about. There has to be at least one complication.

Which is this: CO does not equal CO. Huh?

Well, there's the legal CO from the local government(s) which allows one to move into the house. Doesn't meant the house is finished, but that electrical, plumbing, roof, etc. are at a quality to meet the local code. This all hinges on a series of inspections, which Erik will be arranging for with the various authorities. These will be taking place the next two weeks, if all goes according to plan. With CO in hand, we are authorized to actually live at the new house.

For the bank, however, it has to be more than just live-in-able. It has to be worth what the appraiser said it was worth in the beginning; i.e., that it will still act as collateral for the loan. That measure is a higher bar than mere occupancy. And, until we have this clearance, we can't lock in our rate and execute the mortgage. And the mortgage rates, which are not related to the Prime rate as much as they are to LIBOR and 10-year Treasury Notes, are being stubbornly unstable but mostly high. Not to mention that house prices are still falling, particularly in the one-state recession called Michigan the last 5 years or so. sigh.

Still, we're sanguine. We put a hefty down payment in the shape of the land (which we bought outright.) We've also covered some of the expenses directly, so they don't count as part of the loaned money. And, we didn't do the whole amount through the construction loan. To keep the loans under jumbo rates, we took the above-normal rate amount in the form of a second mortgage (equity loan) on the current house. So we should be ok if the worst happens and the house has lost value. But we don't think that's what will happen, any way. We think the biggest worry we'll have is the interest rates.

Long before we decided to build our house, the family mantra was "It never gets boring out, does it?" Heh.

Dinner and a Show

2008-05-02T21:00:52Z

If you are comfortable being Fools together, it must be love.

Despite our best efforts, our 15th wedding anniversary came off extremely well.

"Despite?" I hear you ask. Yes, we tried quite hard to screw it all up.

The dinner

First, we didn't make any plans at all until oh, noon. We decided we'd get a good dinner at a nearby restaurant, take it to the new house, and eat there. That was the full extent of planning. No, I lie. On my way home from PT, I asked him if we had any of the sparkling juice left, and if so, could he stick it in the refrigerator. But that was the end of the planning.

Just before we were ready to go, we argued about which restaurant to go to. Once decided, Husband tried to find an on-line menu. *snort* Our great metropolis possesses a grand total of two (2) stop lights, within one block of each other. It prides itself on being ye olde quainte back to oh, 1880. The Internet is a word you hear around here every now and then. It gets you blank stares, above which you can see the dialog bubble: "you're not from around here, are you?" On-line menu was not to be found.

Without an online resource, Husband's ability to do just about anything is seriously impaired. Ok. I exaggerate. But not by much. So, while he was frantically scouring the Web for non-existent sites, I packed up our supplies. Two TV trays, check. Two candle sticks complete with candles., check. Plates and tableware, including a few for serving, check. Napkins, check. Two glasses, check. All of this went into one of the plethora of boxes scattered through Havoc House. Nothing matched, of course. Plates were our everyday black stuff. Bowls (for salad) were paper. Glasses were plastic. Tableware stainless steel. But hey, it's what I found first.

Into a cooler went the bottle of sparkling juice, butter and sour cream (since you never get enough when you take out from a restaurant.)

By now, Husband has given up on menus, and decided we'll wing it. This means we'll drive to our first choice, see if they have what we want. If so, order. If not, go on to the next place. Repeat until success. So, he starts to pack the car. The two TV trays go in first. The two camp stools go next. I move them off of the TV trays and put them farther back in the trunk, and cover the trays with our outdoor furniture cushions (to make the camp stools more comfortable.) The box goes in the trunk. My purse and jacket go in the car, as do I, to start the engine. Husband gets into car. Off we go.

Perhaps you, oh wise ones, have noticed what we did not. It was not until we were a within a few hundred feet of the new driveway that I mentioned I packed candles. (My intent was to model for Husband how romantic I wished this meal to be.) He asked me if I had remembered matches. I had not. But, he pointed out we would have the burners on the stove, assuming it's connected.

We arrive, and I prepare to back the car into the garage for easy unloading. Finn, who is doing the finishing carpentry work (specifically, the shoe molding) had other ideas, however. His saw horse, lengths of shoe molding and press board were between the garage door and the house door. So, we parked among the mosquitoes, and schlepped things into the house.

Husband fashioned our make-shift table, which I set. The stove is functional, so I light the candles. I use napkins as place mats (yes, I brought extra). The cushions work well on the camp stools. Before serving dinner, I take a picture for posterity. We then sit down. I unpack the food from the carry-out containers while Husband goes to the cooler ...

... which, as you have no doubt noticed, never made it into the car. No butter. Ok, I was the only one who wanted it for my baked potato, and there was enough for that. No sour cream. Ok, I wasn't going to finish the potato, anyway, so what I had would suffice for this meal. No fake champaign (let alone the real stuff.) We ended up using our new well water.

See. When you can simply be bumbling fools in front of one another, you know it's love.

The laughter at our own expense was delightful. The toast was heartfelt. The view magnificent. The atmosphere ... well, not exactly the Waldorf-Astoria, but the drop cloths and the sawdust and the loosely strewn tools and the paint rags did lend a certain atmosphere of hope and anticipation, so we were content with our restaurant.

The show

And at dusk, right on cue, came the deer. A small herdlet (about 6) came from the private road right up to the house, and ambled their way across the property. Well, at least 5 of them ambled. One, obviously the kid of the crowd, bounded all over the place, running ahead, running back, skipping around the stragglers, running back up front and away ... At the end of the show, when all the deer had crossed over to the east side of the property out of sight, the kid came running back towards the west road. Mom, or at least a responsible adult, came trotting none-too-happily after. Kid was rounded up and taken, presumably, to bed.

Taking our own cues, we cleaned our mess, repacked the car, and went home, where we -- finally -- popped the sparkling juice and enjoyed the comforts of Havoc House.

We consider it one of our better celebrations.

We Interrupt This Journal ...

2008-05-01T21:38:09Z

... for a brief announcement.

Today, Husband and I have been married 15 years. (And they said it would never last.)

Given our hectic schedule, our empty pockets and circumstances, we've decided to do a low-key celebration. We will pack up eating things, tv trays and camping stools into the car, stop at a great grilled-beef place for a take-out dinner, and eat at our new house. By candlelight. With sparking grape juice. (We may even light the fire, if enough of the newness has burned off to not asphyxiate us.)

Low key, as I said. But awfully special.

Thanks, Love!

Water, Water Everywhere

2008-04-27T16:27:01Z

Even some to drink.

We've taken the plunge. We bought a no-salt water conditioning system. Not a water softener. This is an important thing to understand, because there are a lot of "no salt water softener" claims out there. This system does not soften the water; it renders the hard water to avoid the bothersome affects of hard water.

Reynolds Water Conditioning Co. (serving the area since 1931, credentialed by the Water Quality Association) is our supplier of a system patented and manufactured by Next Filtration Technologies. Their product is called the Next Scale-Stop. This product is based on TAC (Template Assisted Crystallization) which has a whole lot to do with advanced surface chemistry techniques to change the chemical form of the calcium so it does not scale or cause scum, but flows through to the sewer/septic system.

There is currently only one standard-setting organization currently for physical water treatment(PWT.) Formulated by the German Society of Gas and Water Specialists (DVGW,) which is roughly analogous to the US public health departments, the test is called the DVGW W512 test.

In essence, the test puts water into two water heaters, one of which has the product being tested in front of the water heater so it gets "treated" water. For 20 days, the heaters are cycled through normal household level use. The heaters are drained, the scale is collected dissolved by a mild acid, and the levels of scale found on the two heating coils measured. To pass the test, the tested device must get a score of 80%, which is to say the treated water heater leaves no more than 20% of the amount of scale left in the raw water heater. The Next ScaleStop is the only one so far to pass the test -- with a score of 99.6%

There are many PWT systems touting the TAC technology, but they have yet to be tested.

For the scientifically inclined, the skeptics and the curious of my readers, here is an article on the technology and test for your reviewing pleasure. (Requires Adobe reader.) Important - There are many, many water treatment systems out there, the majority of which are based on licks, promises and bogus science. Filtersorb, for example, will crop up in a lot of Google searches for "template assisted crystallization." It might be ok, but it has yet to undergo the W512. In addition, the claims they make for their product are lifted specifically from the W512 test report for the Next product. Buyer beware! (The woman who sold us our unit used to work for Filtersorb and left to go to Reynolds and the Next system for ethical reasons ...)

We're excited about this. Making ecologically-friendly choices during our construction is a priority for us. An area not far from us has already banned water softeners (ion exchange) and is offering breaks to get folks to trade current water softeners to other systems, to avoid the brine effluent. There is no effluent from the ScaleStop; water comes in, and the same water goes out. Very green.

No more hauling salt. No more nagging Husband to haul salt. No recharging times. Less water usage. Minimal maintenance. What's not to love. Yeah, this is the first time we've dared to go on the edge of the technological wave; we usually like to be the second generation user, not the beta tester. But we've made an exception for this. I will keep you all posted.

I drank the treated water last week. Tastes like well water, which is not my favorite, but it is significantly better than the water at Havoc House. For the time being, we will not be putting in an osmosis unit, although we may add it after we move in and I really use the water. Since installing the system (fronted with an iron filter) we've seen no build up of any kind, including rust, on our white fixtures. So far so good.

If you read the WCP article referenced above, it will explain why the ScaleStop claims to not only prevent scale, but to eliminated existing scale from old water systems. Just thought you'd like to know.

I received another benefit from this decision. The saleswoman and I hit it off instantly. We've exchanged email and personal information so we can keep in touch. She wants to see how the house develops, and I want her help in creating my cutting garden.

See -- building my dream house has been very good for me!

Do me a favor, will ya?

2008-04-25T20:49:58Z

Pretty please?

Should we meet at some point in physical space -- a con, a mutual friend's home, a party , etc. -- would you please let me know who you are by your LJ name?

Some of you I have figured out. Others of you I suspect I've only met here. But there is a large group in the middle, and I'd hate to miss out on knowing who you are when it's safe for you to tell me.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Half the fun's in figuring it out. I'm ready for the other half of the fun, now.

Thanks!

(PS to DHD folks: just let me know who you are by the name you used on DHD, and that's good enough for me! -- Unless, of course, we should happen to meet.)

We Interrupt This Journal ...

2008-04-21T18:45:03Z

For an important green announcement.

If you missed the NY Times online this past Sunday, you missed a rich write up about all things green. The Magazine for 4/20 had a multi-article feast on GREEN. I won't vouch for the pure scientific accuracy of it all -- it's written for the general public, after all, by science writers, not scientists. Still, it was revelation to me just how rich we are in options I'd not heard of.

Now, if only a nation (hint, hint) would stand up and say, "We do this now. Today. Priority #1. Focus of our economy on this," as opposed to step-by-tiny-step goals ... we might have practical solutions sooner rather than later.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Find it here.

NYTimes.com is free, but does require registration. I have yet to receive a single piece of unwanted email or notice in 8(?) years.

Maiac -- This one's for you

2008-04-10T16:21:11Z

A comment

which really belongs in the "words" conversation going on in your blog. But it's too long for a comment, so I'm making it an entry. You don't mind sharing the topic, do you?

Previously, in Maiac's "What do you call it" conversation: I brought up word variances between British and US English, -- torch vs flashlight, for example -- which reminded Maia of the spelling variances -- -re vs -er, for instance -- which reminded me of one of my "Madrid stories."

In our school, there were a total of 600 students, K-12. These 600 students represented up to as many as 47 different nationalities. The colloquial, inter-student language was a patois -- not any specific patois, mind you, because its nature morphed with the nationality mix of the student body. Language courses were taught in the language in question, beginning from day 1. (Immersion theory. Worked.) All other classes were taught in English. The only English language media available were 1) British papers and BBC wen folks visited England, and 2) Penguin books, out of England. (Yes, "Stars and Stripes" circulated among the AF kids, but that was a different school altogether. The "International Tribune" was available, but expensive, and not read by the families for whom English was not the home language.

In other words, our grounding in language, grammar and spelling was ... fraught. The grammar problem was solved the year before high school with a mandatory, year-long course in English grammar. (Who remembers diagramming sentences?) The spelling was ... something else. To this day I tend to write "honour," although I write "color." I simply cannot remember if it's "grey" or "gray" unless I'm using a package that automatically checks spelling for me, so I use either whenever.

One year (my 10th grade) into this polyglot nightmare came Mrs. Nickel. Young, energetic, dedicated, and eager to bring noble service educating her students. Writing was a fierce focus, so we did a lot of it.

One morning she strode into the classroom just after the bell, and we could almost see the clouds, lighting and raves trailing in her wake. Without a word she slammed our notebooks (with the latest writing assignment) on her desk, turned on her heel, picked up a piece of chalk and wrote in HUGE letters: J U D G M E N T. She then turned around, fixed us with her eyes -- later we would all swear they were red -- as she promised "The next person who puts an extra "e" in judgment will fail this course!"

Silence.

In fact, it was a rather quiet class. Everyone kept heads down, and Mrs. Nickel was not too companionable.

After class (I had a study hall next, where my presence was not required) I approached Mrs. Nickel and reminded her that we mostly read Penguin books.

"Your point?"
"Well, that's where we pick up most of our new vocabulary.l"
"I repeat: Your point?"
*sigh*

See, the Penguin books we read all clearly stated "For sale in Britain or Canada." The spelling was always British. I explained this. Mrs. Nickel was appalled.

"They change the original?!!"

Not only did they change spelling, they changed every variance. When I started reading Perry Mason mysteries, Drake bought "petrol" and hid things in the "boot" of his "automobile." It didn't go so far as to substitute "Bollux!" for "Damn!" but it would not have appeared exceptional if they had.

The question of the spelling of judgement never came up again. And yes, I know I just "misspelled" it -- my browser tells me so. But I can think for myself -- and I think of this as one of the gray (grey?) areas, and besides, I can never remember which is which, anyway, so how do I know my browser has it right?

Help! I need somebody ...

2008-04-04T16:21:36Z

With a little information

Husband has heard tell of a new (just released in the last year or so) water softening technique that does not require any kind of salt (nor potassium or other salt product) to do its thing. It sounds a bit on the edge, but as far as he can tell, it is chemically sound (he is a chemist by training.) However, it's enough on the edge that he'd like some info from someone other than a salesperson.

Do any of my home construction fans here know anything about this?

Thanks in advance!

Aaaaaand they're off!

2008-04-03T00:02:24Z

It's a race against time

May 1. That's the first hard deadline we've faced in this entire process.

Good things happen if we can get the CO (certificate of occupancy) by then. Things we'd like to have happen. But it's going to be veeeerrry close, indeed!

We're definitely in the finishing stages. Faucets are in (except for the one I forgot to order for the outside-water line in one of the laundry sinks, which is en route.) Woods has been finished with its last coat, cork floors go in fairly soon, and then the final coat of paint and floor finishes. Erik and I did a walk through last week, and I came away with a note-book-page-long list of to-dos for each of us. We'll do a second walk through sometime this week with Husband, who finally decided to return from DC!

My list

Put the surround and mantle around the fireplace in the family room.
One sink is not draining properly; need to check the others.
Need to order the custom glass half-wall for the master bath shower.
Need to get the lights in. They are ordered (as of 3/31) but they need to arrive and be installed.
Need to install the new catgenies (arrived yesterday)
Closet design -- Erik has a guy ...
Choose a color for the doors for final paint job
Husband's workshop needs a door -- Erik has offered to give us the temporary (industrial) door we've been using for the garage.
Water softener and treatment system. What, from whom, order, receive.
Test everything
First (crew) cleaning
Final (professional) cleaning

Erik, too, has a list

Finish tub deck and vanity in master bath
Caulk around tub and vanities
fill nail holes in trim
remove two side splashes we didn't like; caulk instead
closet access panels
door stops
light for stairway and living room lights (hall) - currently on a single circuit - can we put each by themselves?
basement cement cracks
estimate for using the same slate we used in the entryway for the fireplace surround (a girl can dream, after all)
Install the access panel on balcony (so I can hook up a hose to the tap just below to water plants.)
Missing kitchen under-cabinet light
Missing under-cabinet light in the toe-kick for the powder room.
Install screened porch door.
Finish stairwell from garage door to ground from the deck.
Finish plumbing fixtures (toilets not in yet -- just one for the moment.)

And, of course, these are just the ones we've thought of so far. I'm sure there will be more.

Luckily, most of these are NOT required for the CO. We have to have a minimum of lights in each room and by each doorway, but they don't have to be fancy -- bare light bulbs will pass inspection. The fireplaces are to code, now, although not as pretty as they will be. So, once we have the toilets and the master bath usable, we expect we can pass inspection.

I'll keep you posted on how we proceed. Pictures soon.

Today is Blog Against Torture Day

2008-03-29T22:56:27Z

Or, so several folks I've flisted have informed me.

Most of the original things I had to say I posted in response to their posts. So, I won't repeat all those points, here.

Instead, I want to pursue line of thought I've had since reading everyone else's comments. catalana pointed out that she was interested in morality, not law. That got me thinking.

I consider it immoral to tell lies. Sometimes, it is also illegal (perjury, for instance.) However, I "lie" all the time. I tell someone I'm fine after he's stepped on my toe. I tell my mother I'm happy to do something for her, whether I am or not. I tell lies of omission even more often, for simplification, for time constraints, for the sake of being polite ...

So, why am I so calm about how easily I transgress my moral code? Before all this discussion about torture, I would have said that I was committing a smaller transgression on order to avoid a larger one -- I say everything is fine because it's not so un-fine that it's worth distressing the poor guy who has apologized -- and I know I will be fine in the end.

But now, I think I am so calm because the consequences of my transgression -- to me and to others -- are immaterial enough that I don't agonize over the issue.

So, what if I up the ante? How do I feel about killing? Easy - it is immoral. Period. (These are my moral standards I'm discussing, here, so I can be as adamant as I choose.) And, yes, that means I am against capital punishment, which, as a form of killing I must find immoral.

But I was all for the execution of Timothy McVeigh. I heard a politician put it thusly: There are certain crimes for which capital punishment is the correct response -- treason, killing law enforcement officers, and habitual, serial murder. "Correct" because these are three circumstances in which the punishment of death is commensurate with the crime and the crime's affect on society. Or to put it another way, the only way to prevent recurrence of the crime is to end the criminal. These three cases indicate such a high level of depravity that rehabilitation or redemption is improbable.

So, here I have something I consider immoral (being "correct" does not make it "moral") that I am willing to condone as expedient., Under limited circumstances, with caveats up the wazzoo, but still, condone. This makes me extremely uncomfortable. Rightly, so. So uncomfortable, in fact, that I would likely change my stance were I the potential executioner. Does that put me in denial? Very likely. I haven't figured out what to do about it, yet.

So, now we arrive at a higher ante still -- torture. For me, this is immoral. There are no exigent circumstances under which I could condone it. For one thing, I don't think it is as expedient as capital punishment, for instance. So it is harder to imagine a circumstance where I could justify its use. Without that, though, I consider the consequences of legal torture to be so negative that to condone it at all is the denial. Unlike capital punishment, which at least does solve problems on some level, torture merely creates new problems without solving the old.
What did I learn from this line of thought? That the larger the stakes in terms of consequences of the action, the less easy it is to condone the action, and the easier it becomes to declare it categorically immoral.

That doesn't say a whole lot about the immutable nature of morality, does it? It might, though, explain why so many of us have trouble articulating our thoughts -- we're dealing with a subject of infinite shading, and all of us are at different places on the spectrum.

I think this "day to blog" deal was a ... um... character-building exercise.

Let's not do it again, for a while, ok?

Let There Be Light (2)

2008-03-24T21:43:00Z

So, I placed the lighting order, today.

We are now estimated to reach a total of 5% over budget. (We were at 2% before I started making aesthetic choices.) Still, low enough that we're going to swallow it. You only build a dream house once, right?

So, most of the lighting is simple half-moon sconces, But I am very excited about the lights for the entry way. There are 4 sconces in the foyer, two on each wall. I found a pair (left/right) sconces that I think do a nice job of repeating the flow theme from the tiles. They also emphasize the inside/outside balance I've got going. What do you think?

And, if that's not cool enough for you, there are these larger sconces in a similar theme. These will flank the entryway from the living room side.

Things are progressing.

I am happy.

I am broke.