The Remodel, July 11, 2020

 This week, the stem walls did get poured.  The forms have been removed, but the trailer is still out front with a few miscellaneous things still hanging about in the back yard.  The roof is all stripped except for a small part of about 10 x 2 feet on the garage.  But the big mess below was picked up by me and Mike on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Now we have a clear path into our garage once more.

 The cabinets that were on the driveway were picked up on about Wednesday 7/8/2020.  The "REStore" came and got them. I can picture them cleaned up, painted and with new hardware, giving many more years of good service. Plus a few minor repairs to damage that happened when they were being pulled out. They were installed to STAY.

Dirt- Moving took place on Friday the 10th. Poor Mike was SO SORE that night, and he wasn't even doing the shoveling. He was on a tractor.  They (he and Larry L.) moved a lot of it, but there is still much MUCH more to move and re-arrange. Maybe even haul away.  It's important that we not disturb the grade of our garden so the irrigation water will be able to flow downhill to the trees and shrubs.

Mike also did put on the waterproofing coating on the foundation walls. That also hurt his hands quite a bit that night. He hasn't slept well lately due to severe soreness of joints.  And muscles!  Yesterday brought on cramps like he's never, EVER had before. And he's experienced severe cramps.  This old age stuff. Not for sissies, that's for sure.


Here are the results of the dirt-moving excavation work done on Friday.

Here's Mike applying the waterproofing goo. It's silver (like for roofing, but still waterproof) instead of black and it is SMELLY stuff. I had to go put his pants outside, the smell was so strong at bedtime just from the pants being in the same room.  Like paint, kind of. It was better than tar, but still potent.

Mike doesn't seem to think he needs any more dirt in "the hole", but what IS there must be moved around. He does have to do something about that last basement window. The other two are covered, but not waterproofed  yet.  That's the job for Saturday, July 7. I'm at work for 4 hours, so sadly cannot help.

This is a very persistent asparagus plant. It may have come up from 3 feet of dirt. perhaps. 

This has been such a gorgeous rose bush!

This is a view looking at the very north west corner of the new foundation from under the apple tree.

This is like the tractor he rented to do the work. The apple tree really gave him grief! Stepping in and out of it was rough on his legs, apparently, or he wouldn't have had such awful cramps.