I also want to just say, much thanks goes out to Michael Janzen of Tiny House Design for giving us some serious "post-support" on this project.
He has been following along with our project, and has been posting regular updates on his site about us. I greatly appreciate his support, even if he doesn't get the site name right. ;) We should probably switch it up, as our current name seems to confuse people... (it's an escape from density... the density being the weight of responsibility created by owning many things.)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Healing, and the Path Ahead
Hey, what's up friends?
I haven't posted much here lately, because I have been utterly stressed from traveling 1800 miles while fighting a nasty head cold. Last night I managed to turn over a leaf or two in the healing process, and I thought it would be only fair that I make my presence known to you internet folk. ;)
I can't help but wonder who reads this thing... if you're out there reading, feel free to comment just to say hi to us... I do wonder who is following along with us on this journey.
I've been sick since the second day of traveling. It is my own fault, granted... for the week or two before we left, I had allowed my diet to deviate severely. I had also stopped exercising almost completely, save for the physical labor involved in moving and arranging things in the house. My immune system was inevitaby suppressed by the time we left. The rest is history.
Now that I am feeling better, I am starting to take a look at the road ahead. We're trying to figure out what our next move is. Kevin's grandparents, Kenneth and Helen, were kind enough to offer to allow us to stay in their back pasture for as long as is needed. For this I am quite grateful. They are very kind people, and have gone out of their way to try to make us feel as welcomed as possible.
However, despite their kindness, I still feel myself drawn towards Austin. I am going to speak with the owner at Covenant Canyon RV Park about our situation, and see whether or not there might be an opportunity for us to do some interior work on the house while staying there. Wherever we do it, we will need a storage area (like a temp. shed or something) to move most of our boxes into until the furniture is done... and we will need the owner of whichever property we end up on to be okay with a little sawing and hammering. (Luckily, the hammering will be inside, and we have good insulation.)
So, there are two distinct branches that need to be fleshed out in order for us to progress reasonably from this point. One is the physical labor of the construction of bookshelves, desks, flip up tables, and more shelves.
The other branch is more administrative... there are several appliances and accessories that I purchased in a rushed state, and I am sorry to say have turned out to be inappropriate for our application. Unfortunately, I have been so caught up in the chaos of making the move (and fighting my illness) that I am not entirely sure anyone is going to give me my money back at this point. However, I still have to try my best, and that is the second branch... calling up various vendors and attempting to return items after their return period has ended. I have an inverter to exchange, a hot water heater to exchange, a monitor arm to return, and a missing refrigerator to confirm that I have not been charged for. Whew.
I have to admit, I have been downright disappointed with all these mishaps, and I will certainly spend more time considering and laying out my plans in the future. We have also learned a valuable lesson on the subject of using LOCAL vendors.
I cannot stress enough that I recommend anyone interested in such a project to use LOCAL vendors for everything that you can, despite the inevitable draw for the uniquity of unusual internet purchases. In the event that any sort of exchange or return is needed, the convenience is critical in the face of all the chaotic aspects of organizing such a project.
In addition, as I said... it is important to really consider your plans thoroughly. Make sure you are buying the right thing. It is really all too disappointing to find out that your 700 dollar purchase is not the right item, two or three months after the purchase. Much less to have this happen over and over again with different utilities and appliances. It's disheartening to say the least. Down right depressing and confidence-smashing, to say a bit more.
Anyway. I hope it is a lesson to those of you out there who might rush such a project. This is a custom job, and there are a lot of quirks that must be considered.
But I digress.
We are moving into our next phase, which will most likely be painting the exterior. This will be paralleled with my attempt to tackle the "mis-purchases" issue.
From there, we start looking into RV parks in the Austin area that will allow us to build some furniture while on their land. Should we fail to make any progress towards this possibility, I will have to ask Kenneth and Helen how they would feel about us staying a bit longer, and possibly using their barn to store some of our stuff while we build furniture inside.
While they have been most gracious in letting us stay here on an unexpected whim, I would not want to impose upon them by asking so much of them. So, we will pursue the possibility of finding an RV park that would be comfortable with such a project first.
This is a wild and new reality for me, and it feels so open-ended. I don't really know how things will turn out, and that is half the fun. I feel so grateful to have a wonderful girlfriend, family, and friends who understand me and support me no matter what I do.
Thank you all for showing me that it is okay to follow my dreams. I will do my best to make something beautiful out of this opportunity, as I am sure Sam will. And I hope that we can share it with all of you through this vehicle.
I haven't posted much here lately, because I have been utterly stressed from traveling 1800 miles while fighting a nasty head cold. Last night I managed to turn over a leaf or two in the healing process, and I thought it would be only fair that I make my presence known to you internet folk. ;)
I can't help but wonder who reads this thing... if you're out there reading, feel free to comment just to say hi to us... I do wonder who is following along with us on this journey.
I've been sick since the second day of traveling. It is my own fault, granted... for the week or two before we left, I had allowed my diet to deviate severely. I had also stopped exercising almost completely, save for the physical labor involved in moving and arranging things in the house. My immune system was inevitaby suppressed by the time we left. The rest is history.
Now that I am feeling better, I am starting to take a look at the road ahead. We're trying to figure out what our next move is. Kevin's grandparents, Kenneth and Helen, were kind enough to offer to allow us to stay in their back pasture for as long as is needed. For this I am quite grateful. They are very kind people, and have gone out of their way to try to make us feel as welcomed as possible.
However, despite their kindness, I still feel myself drawn towards Austin. I am going to speak with the owner at Covenant Canyon RV Park about our situation, and see whether or not there might be an opportunity for us to do some interior work on the house while staying there. Wherever we do it, we will need a storage area (like a temp. shed or something) to move most of our boxes into until the furniture is done... and we will need the owner of whichever property we end up on to be okay with a little sawing and hammering. (Luckily, the hammering will be inside, and we have good insulation.)
So, there are two distinct branches that need to be fleshed out in order for us to progress reasonably from this point. One is the physical labor of the construction of bookshelves, desks, flip up tables, and more shelves.
The other branch is more administrative... there are several appliances and accessories that I purchased in a rushed state, and I am sorry to say have turned out to be inappropriate for our application. Unfortunately, I have been so caught up in the chaos of making the move (and fighting my illness) that I am not entirely sure anyone is going to give me my money back at this point. However, I still have to try my best, and that is the second branch... calling up various vendors and attempting to return items after their return period has ended. I have an inverter to exchange, a hot water heater to exchange, a monitor arm to return, and a missing refrigerator to confirm that I have not been charged for. Whew.
I have to admit, I have been downright disappointed with all these mishaps, and I will certainly spend more time considering and laying out my plans in the future. We have also learned a valuable lesson on the subject of using LOCAL vendors.
I cannot stress enough that I recommend anyone interested in such a project to use LOCAL vendors for everything that you can, despite the inevitable draw for the uniquity of unusual internet purchases. In the event that any sort of exchange or return is needed, the convenience is critical in the face of all the chaotic aspects of organizing such a project.
In addition, as I said... it is important to really consider your plans thoroughly. Make sure you are buying the right thing. It is really all too disappointing to find out that your 700 dollar purchase is not the right item, two or three months after the purchase. Much less to have this happen over and over again with different utilities and appliances. It's disheartening to say the least. Down right depressing and confidence-smashing, to say a bit more.
Anyway. I hope it is a lesson to those of you out there who might rush such a project. This is a custom job, and there are a lot of quirks that must be considered.
But I digress.
We are moving into our next phase, which will most likely be painting the exterior. This will be paralleled with my attempt to tackle the "mis-purchases" issue.
From there, we start looking into RV parks in the Austin area that will allow us to build some furniture while on their land. Should we fail to make any progress towards this possibility, I will have to ask Kenneth and Helen how they would feel about us staying a bit longer, and possibly using their barn to store some of our stuff while we build furniture inside.
While they have been most gracious in letting us stay here on an unexpected whim, I would not want to impose upon them by asking so much of them. So, we will pursue the possibility of finding an RV park that would be comfortable with such a project first.
This is a wild and new reality for me, and it feels so open-ended. I don't really know how things will turn out, and that is half the fun. I feel so grateful to have a wonderful girlfriend, family, and friends who understand me and support me no matter what I do.
Thank you all for showing me that it is okay to follow my dreams. I will do my best to make something beautiful out of this opportunity, as I am sure Sam will. And I hope that we can share it with all of you through this vehicle.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tourniquet Journey
Not sure if I spelled that word right. Anyway.
We've been doing our best to make do living in rather crowded conditions in our half-finished house in a self-storage facility. It has been very difficult to get much of anything done, due to the limitations on storage space. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of anxiety that set down upon me in light of the idea of moving into the house so unfinished... or the compounding of that feeling that was created by the idea of actually moving the house in an equally unfinished state.
However, I have pretty much decided to bite the bullet and do the best I can to make it happen. We're just going to eliminate everything we can, and basically lay what's left across the floors of the house so they can't crash around much.
I'm at the library, taking advantage of the sporatic option of internet access. I'm trying to tie up loose ends... still don't know WHERE my fridge is (the replacement one.) and I'm hoping the vendor who sold me the hot water heater might do an exchange for an actual on-demand tankless heater. (This one turned out to be the wrong choice.)
Anyway. It looks like we are going to attempt a launch on wednesday. We'll see if we have our truck and everything else lined up by then. Hopefully we can manage to get everything taken care of in time. If not, we might have to camp out in someone's driveway for a day or two.
That's your update. Sorry they are not more in depth or often, but it is hard to work with the limitation of having no net access. That's one of the great things about post-move... we should have internet access at Kevin's mother's for the next month, which will allow me the information access I need to get things done at a decent clip.
We've been doing our best to make do living in rather crowded conditions in our half-finished house in a self-storage facility. It has been very difficult to get much of anything done, due to the limitations on storage space. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of anxiety that set down upon me in light of the idea of moving into the house so unfinished... or the compounding of that feeling that was created by the idea of actually moving the house in an equally unfinished state.
However, I have pretty much decided to bite the bullet and do the best I can to make it happen. We're just going to eliminate everything we can, and basically lay what's left across the floors of the house so they can't crash around much.
I'm at the library, taking advantage of the sporatic option of internet access. I'm trying to tie up loose ends... still don't know WHERE my fridge is (the replacement one.) and I'm hoping the vendor who sold me the hot water heater might do an exchange for an actual on-demand tankless heater. (This one turned out to be the wrong choice.)
Anyway. It looks like we are going to attempt a launch on wednesday. We'll see if we have our truck and everything else lined up by then. Hopefully we can manage to get everything taken care of in time. If not, we might have to camp out in someone's driveway for a day or two.
That's your update. Sorry they are not more in depth or often, but it is hard to work with the limitation of having no net access. That's one of the great things about post-move... we should have internet access at Kevin's mother's for the next month, which will allow me the information access I need to get things done at a decent clip.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Isn't it funny...
Isn't it funny how when we make a big deal out of something, the universe will sometimes show us that it was not such a big deal after all. Sometimes in rather round-about ways that allow you compare to much worse scenarios.
So, let's say the silicone nightmare really wasn't so bad.
Here is the update:
After talking with Bub about the situation, he informed me of a temperature mix valve in the shower that will prevent water from flowing if the hot water line is not on.
Since I had not yet actually tried the heater, (I've been delaying turning it on because... well, let's just say I had a bad feeling about it.) it became the obvious next step.
So I came home and got things lined up. I opened the cut off valves for the sinks and turned on the hot water flow. I then climbed up to the loft and opened the valve to let the cold water into the heater. I heard a lovely rushing sound, and was pretty pleased with myself as I waited for the tank to fill.
Just as I was about to climb behind it and plug it in to get ready to turn it on, POP, WOOSH... i had NO idea what opened, but SOMETHING was spraying water out from what seemed to be the back side of the unit, which was stuck up against the wall in an unaccessible way due to the stabilizer frame bub built to hold the unit in place.
After a complete freak out complete with screaming, swears, and crying, I managed to get ahold of myself a bit. Moth came over and helped me deal with it...we soaked up whatever we could with towels, and messed around with it some more to try to figure out what happened.
Finally, I took the drill out and took the framing off so we could slide it away from the wall a little.
What I discovered was a second pressure relief valve opening, much like the one on the top with the pressure relief line installed in it.
I was pretty confused at first... I didn't understand why that plug popped when the top relief spigot never activated at all. I STILL don't entirely understand how that relief valve works.
After leaving a crazy voicemail, I heard back from Bub, who mentioned a small brass screw-plug thing that was in the "spare parts" box. He didn't know if this was what I needed, but thought maybe it was supposed to go in that second opening, whichever one you don't use for the relief valve.
This morning, I climbed up there and pryed out the plastic "cap" in the relief valve, and screwed in the brass plug. It seems to be water-tight, and must be it's designed purpose.
I don't know why the plumber didn't know about the need to close up this second valve opening. I'm kind of frustrated that he didn't. Now I am worried about how much water poured down the back side of the shower area with the batten insulation and everything. God knows, really.
I gave up entirely on this project last night. That is how much the straw broke the camels back. I literally said, "I'll throw the whole fucking thing in the trash!"
I am feeling a little more balanced about the situation now, but I am still entirely terrified that we will develop a mold problem behind and around the shower. Pretty much the worst possible place for a whole bunch of water to fall, after we urethaned and I meticulously sealed in the entire shower, god-knows-how-many-gallons falls BEHIND the shower.
Mold is pretty much my worst enemy, and if we end up with a mold problem I will probably cry like a little girl.
Well, enjoy your relatively predictable reality!
So, let's say the silicone nightmare really wasn't so bad.
Here is the update:
After talking with Bub about the situation, he informed me of a temperature mix valve in the shower that will prevent water from flowing if the hot water line is not on.
Since I had not yet actually tried the heater, (I've been delaying turning it on because... well, let's just say I had a bad feeling about it.) it became the obvious next step.
So I came home and got things lined up. I opened the cut off valves for the sinks and turned on the hot water flow. I then climbed up to the loft and opened the valve to let the cold water into the heater. I heard a lovely rushing sound, and was pretty pleased with myself as I waited for the tank to fill.
Just as I was about to climb behind it and plug it in to get ready to turn it on, POP, WOOSH... i had NO idea what opened, but SOMETHING was spraying water out from what seemed to be the back side of the unit, which was stuck up against the wall in an unaccessible way due to the stabilizer frame bub built to hold the unit in place.
After a complete freak out complete with screaming, swears, and crying, I managed to get ahold of myself a bit. Moth came over and helped me deal with it...we soaked up whatever we could with towels, and messed around with it some more to try to figure out what happened.
Finally, I took the drill out and took the framing off so we could slide it away from the wall a little.
What I discovered was a second pressure relief valve opening, much like the one on the top with the pressure relief line installed in it.
I was pretty confused at first... I didn't understand why that plug popped when the top relief spigot never activated at all. I STILL don't entirely understand how that relief valve works.
After leaving a crazy voicemail, I heard back from Bub, who mentioned a small brass screw-plug thing that was in the "spare parts" box. He didn't know if this was what I needed, but thought maybe it was supposed to go in that second opening, whichever one you don't use for the relief valve.
This morning, I climbed up there and pryed out the plastic "cap" in the relief valve, and screwed in the brass plug. It seems to be water-tight, and must be it's designed purpose.
I don't know why the plumber didn't know about the need to close up this second valve opening. I'm kind of frustrated that he didn't. Now I am worried about how much water poured down the back side of the shower area with the batten insulation and everything. God knows, really.
I gave up entirely on this project last night. That is how much the straw broke the camels back. I literally said, "I'll throw the whole fucking thing in the trash!"
I am feeling a little more balanced about the situation now, but I am still entirely terrified that we will develop a mold problem behind and around the shower. Pretty much the worst possible place for a whole bunch of water to fall, after we urethaned and I meticulously sealed in the entire shower, god-knows-how-many-gallons falls BEHIND the shower.
Mold is pretty much my worst enemy, and if we end up with a mold problem I will probably cry like a little girl.
Well, enjoy your relatively predictable reality!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Silicone Nightmares
Sooo... i finally broke down and sealed the shower yesterday, even though we haven't finished the ceiling paneling in the bathroom.
I siliconed in every nook and cranny around the shower... made the mistake of starting near the bottom, so by the time I was trying to do the top the fumes were near unbearable. I was nearly suffocating trying to finish the top.
So... I finished the whole thing, then tried to turn the shower on. No flow.
So I thought there must have been an on/off valve somewhere preventing the flow. Oh no. "It's probably inside that access panel underneath that Bub told me about." I thought.
But I had already siliconed in the whole area, and done a nice job of it too.
I accepted defeat for the time, and told myself that I would peel off the silicone and dig into the panel in the morning.
Morning came, and I tried to get at that silicone. That stuff does NOT come up easily, especially off soft pine boards and oak hardwood floors. (Kind of terrified about trying to put down another layer now.)
I said "fuck it" and took a knife to it.
After cutting the board free and wrenching it out with a hammer-claw wedged into the tiny space between the peck's pipes, I discovered the climax or anti-climax: no knobs under there.
My frustration had at this point reached a crescendo and I began shutting down. I sat for about 20-30 minutes, more or less just staring at a wall.
What else could be done at this point?
-
I called Bub this morning, and got him to contact his plumber. It turns out that the water will not flow to the shower unless the hot water is on due to some temperature-check-valve or something. Personally, I don't entirely understand this, but it is an answer that means I might be able to take a shower tonight, so I am embracing it.
What sucks (read: pisses me the fuck off) is that I already ripped the damned silicone off that bottom panel. I could rip my own fucking hair out over this situation, if only that would do anything helpful.
So all I can do is take home a razor blade and try to scrape the god damn silicone off the floor and wood without taking off the urethane underneath. (Oh my God.)
-
I'm on the verge of a psychological check-out here... God damn.
I siliconed in every nook and cranny around the shower... made the mistake of starting near the bottom, so by the time I was trying to do the top the fumes were near unbearable. I was nearly suffocating trying to finish the top.
So... I finished the whole thing, then tried to turn the shower on. No flow.
So I thought there must have been an on/off valve somewhere preventing the flow. Oh no. "It's probably inside that access panel underneath that Bub told me about." I thought.
But I had already siliconed in the whole area, and done a nice job of it too.
I accepted defeat for the time, and told myself that I would peel off the silicone and dig into the panel in the morning.
Morning came, and I tried to get at that silicone. That stuff does NOT come up easily, especially off soft pine boards and oak hardwood floors. (Kind of terrified about trying to put down another layer now.)
I said "fuck it" and took a knife to it.
After cutting the board free and wrenching it out with a hammer-claw wedged into the tiny space between the peck's pipes, I discovered the climax or anti-climax: no knobs under there.
My frustration had at this point reached a crescendo and I began shutting down. I sat for about 20-30 minutes, more or less just staring at a wall.
What else could be done at this point?
-
I called Bub this morning, and got him to contact his plumber. It turns out that the water will not flow to the shower unless the hot water is on due to some temperature-check-valve or something. Personally, I don't entirely understand this, but it is an answer that means I might be able to take a shower tonight, so I am embracing it.
What sucks (read: pisses me the fuck off) is that I already ripped the damned silicone off that bottom panel. I could rip my own fucking hair out over this situation, if only that would do anything helpful.
So all I can do is take home a razor blade and try to scrape the god damn silicone off the floor and wood without taking off the urethane underneath. (Oh my God.)
-
I'm on the verge of a psychological check-out here... God damn.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Moved in.
We moved all of our crap from the hotel into the little house yesterday, and brought the cats there before work this morning.
Woohoo.
The place is still a disaster area... there's no space to do anything, much less unpack... and there's no furniture whatsoever, so we can't unpack anything really. We're supposed to just live in it like this, I guess. Wonderful.
I wonder if the water heater works.
Woohoo.
The place is still a disaster area... there's no space to do anything, much less unpack... and there's no furniture whatsoever, so we can't unpack anything really. We're supposed to just live in it like this, I guess. Wonderful.
I wonder if the water heater works.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Uncle Bub!
Just spoke with Bub for a status update.
He said he put the cabinets bases in, and the counter top. The plumber is coming today to finish.
He also said our light came in, and that will be installed as well when electric is done, tomorrow.
He said we can touch base after his vacation to get the rest of our cabinets installed. (He's calling them again now to find out what's up with the delivery on those.)
He also said that the electrician advised against a make-it-yourself cable, so I guess we will be using pre-mades after all. I'm not sure how pre-mades daisy-chained can be more water tight than a single cord with heads attached, but oh well.
You've been updated!
He said he put the cabinets bases in, and the counter top. The plumber is coming today to finish.
He also said our light came in, and that will be installed as well when electric is done, tomorrow.
He said we can touch base after his vacation to get the rest of our cabinets installed. (He's calling them again now to find out what's up with the delivery on those.)
He also said that the electrician advised against a make-it-yourself cable, so I guess we will be using pre-mades after all. I'm not sure how pre-mades daisy-chained can be more water tight than a single cord with heads attached, but oh well.
You've been updated!
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