Wes's House: There's Kinda a Floor

after the "weird scene". the beginning of a night that would lead to a day off!

I took a day off of both work and house building on Wednesday to start this blog. Thursday, the 6th day of construction, it was really important to get my tarp back up- the place was kinda trashed. The area where we made movie rain was buckling and there were a lot of leaves and various debris lying about. it didn't bother me much because i'm not particularly proud of the floor as it is. The cassette player worried me a bit, but it sounds just fine.

Will helped me anchor in some 2 x 4s on the brick wall to screw down the tarp. it worked reasonably well, but the masonary bit that came with my anchors couldn't always get through the brick or cement. i'll have to buy a better one next trip to the store.

the blue tarp properly installed. It casts a really odd light on everything, which makes everything both inside and outside more beautiful.

(see above).

I also had to add a brace to the back wall. Once the tarp started blowing around in the wind, it was pulling the walls all over the place. I really hope we can avoid any storms for the next week, because those walls need some love before they could weather a big natural event.

Friday I priced materials at the store and felt pretty confident the plan was worked out to a "t". Then I went out far too late and slept in. Home Depot was a half-zoo. The wait to get a big orange cart was long. Only after I offered a man in line some help loading his car in exchange for his cart was I able to procure one. he worked for Snapple, and on my declaration that Snapple was pretty good, he gave me three bottles. Carrying three bottles of Snapple while shopping for huge pieces of lumber was a daunting task. I stuffed my leather jacket pockets, feeling like college but without booze.

All my wood on my hard-earned cart. not pictured, three bottles of Snapple.

A man named Larry got me to hire him for transportation back home while I was in line (or as New Yorkers call it, "on line"). I had a ton of stuff. no way was I going to be able to push it home on the sidewalk like the floor materials. While loading the 16 foot 2 x 8s, the wood got hung up on something and somehow tore the side of my right ring finger off. It didn't hurt, and I didn't know there was a problem until I went for the next piece and there was blood all over my hand. oh well. it didn't bother me much today, but I was worried it would. all is well that ends well.

still, it's pretty gross.

After my finger issue, I needed some food, so I ate. slowly I gathered enough steam to clean out the cabin floor and the pick up the piles of junk around my front door. After finishing the last little corner of the floor, it was time to make leek and potato soup.

Emily's dad was over fixing things in the house proper, while I got up the first posts and crossbeam in my place. There wasn't much to it, but it was an important accomplishment being the first raised lumber all screwed down and good to go. The outer wall is falling away from the house, so the next step will be to pull that in somehow.