Someone was busy tonight. Remember when we were puzzling over the weird cross bracing in this picture?

Lee got busy tonight.

This is what that wall looks like from my kitchen and from the bedroom now.

Someday I hope to post about putting up a wall instead of tearing them all down.

Lee’s Note: I’d like to say that I did not simply throw caution to the wind and knock out the cross braces.  First I consulted with two different people involved in construction.  Everyone came to the same conclusion, namely:

1. This appears to be some sort of shear bracing
2. This has absolutely no value as shear bracing

Given the fact that the lath and plaster walls I took down added considerably more shear strength than these silly little diagonal pieces, I knocked them out as well.  Since we live in a potentially siesmic area, I’ll look into added more shear strength to the house overall before I close up the walls.

Our immediate order of business is to mount a 200A electrical panel inside this wall.  I’ve got 52 feet of 2/0 aluminum cable (at $4 a foot) which will carry the house load from our newly installed meter main outside, through the crawlspace, and then up into this stud bay.  Here’s hoping I can get that all done tomorrow. If so, hot water will be a 5 minute job.

Lee and I worked on cleaning out the trash shed. I am really quite disgusted every time I work on it. I think that it is worst in some ways then all the other trash that we had to dig through around the property. The reason being that it is full of recyclables and outright garbage (like fast food wrappers etc.). The other stuff that we had cleaned up while it was still trash (rotting clothes and whatnot) it wasn’t usually household nasty stuff. I really don’t understand why the former tenants didn’t take this stuff to the dump. It makes me mad and grosses me out that I am having to dig through their household waste.

I had to laugh though as I found carpet under all the trash on the dirt floor. Lee say’s maybe their plan was to vacuum it every ten years but then they couldn’t because of all the garbage they piled on top of it.

I found two dead things. One which we think was another dead cat so that would bring the count up to three. The other was just a pile of jumbled bones. I don’t know my skeletons so my guess is maybe a dead rat or squirrel?

The last couple of afternoons I have spent outside cleaning up sticker bushes, brush, trimming or cutting out small trees, pulling up ivy, and picking up fallen limbs and trash. I am now working on my second burn pile as the first one got too big again. Anyways I thought that I would show some more pictures.

The first two are of the front yard. They are the pictures that I forgot to take after Jim and Sallie were done cleaning it up last Saturday. Doesn’t it look nice? I love not having any trash in my front yard!

Next is an area that I cleaned sticker bushes out of and limbed up small trees by the fence line. It looks much better. Since the sticker bushes are gone you can actually see the ferns that were in that mess. By that is an  area that I still need to work on. Night and day in the difference though. One area you can walk through without getting torn to shreds. The other you walk through at your own risk.

As I was working I came across two different types of mushrooms. I would say “YUM” but I don’t know my mushrooms. So it might be “YUM” and then ‘CLUNK’ as I dropped down dead from bad mushrooms.

Then as I was working back by the barn clearing out tree’s, sticker bushes, limbs, and other assorted stuff I came across tree slime. What may you ask is tree slime? Well I don’t know but that is as close as I can describe it. The slime was, well, slimy, jiggly, and wet looking. I found it growing on a tree branch that I cut down.

I actually have most of the unwanted flora by the barn cleaned up. Just the big sticker spot in the fourth picture and then some tree limbing higher up to do. Once that is done then I can start working on one of the two big pastures. That is gonna take a while.

We actually ordered our wood burning stove about three weeks ago but just had Midgleys hold it for us. Lee picked it up on Thursday but had to wait for help since we couldn’t move it ourselves. The stove weighs around 450 pounds I think.

So since we couldn’t move the stove by ourselves Lee backed the truck up to the porch and covered it with a tarp. That way any would be wood stove thiefs would have a harder time getting to it. I suppose that you could have just stolen the truck but then we might have heard that happening.

My Mom and Dad brought up ramps and a hay dolly that could lift over 700 pounds. A very super sized dolly. Lee took out all the fire bricks to help lighten the weight. Then Jim, Dad, Mom, and Lee managed to get it off the truck and into the house without  killing anyone or even damaging anything.

So now it sits along the wall with all the other tools and what not until we move it again. My Dad left the dolly so that should make it easier. If Lee didn’t have such a huge deadline coming up with work I would be bringing out the whip. “Honeyyyyyyy, do you think you could work on the stove tonight pleaseeeeeeeeee?”

This Saturday, Jim and Sallie came down to help. It also decided to pour buckets of rain on us today. Sallie and Jim got all the stuff left over in the yard carted away to the appropriate recycle/trash piles. Now the front yard looks really nice. Every time Lee and I go in and out now we have to stop and stare at the yard and talk about how much better it looks.

I haven’t mentioned it on the blog, but I was a huge fan of Oregon Measure 63.  It allows home owners to forgo building permits for work on their own homes other than electrical.  Considering the fact that many states don’t require any permits for work done on your own home, I suppose I had a naive hope that it would pass with a healthy margin.

But no, it failed.  Amazing what a little ‘buy or die’ advertising funded by contractors, labor unions, and home builders can accomplish.  I mean, you can’t blame them.  If even small home improvement projects didn’t require delays, red tape, and multiple inspections your average Joe not-a-plumber might actually try to fix his own leaking water pipe.  Oregon media outlets have no excuse however.  I read almost all the coverage on this measure, and most of it was written by people who blatantly hadn’t read the measure.  The few who didn’t make huge false statements resorted to pathetic sensationalism.  “Unsafe and unpermitted changes could expose public health officials and neighbors to dangerous plumbing work!”  Oh my.

So, it seems the whole “liberty thing” is so 1776 with the modern voter.  Benjamin Franklin once wrote “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Hmm, sounds like he was talking about building permits.

But hey, the people have spoken.  For everyone who voted NO on measure 63, I’m proposing a new measure I’d like to get on the next ballot.  All you anti-63′ers will love this too–it promises to save at least 100 lives a year while reducing air pollution and increasing tax and ticket revenue to the county.  Heck, the anti-63 crowd could only drum up a couple fatal incidents involving non-permitted work for all their scare campaigns.  Presenting …

Proposed Oregon Measure 2305

Each year over 500 Oregonians die in tragic car accidents.  It has been observed that a disproportional number of these accidents occur at night, particularly when alcohol is a factor.  Thus, in an effort to protect citizens from the risks of nighttime driving, a ban is proposed on all driving between the hours of 11PM and 5AM.  This ban extends to the use of all motorized vehicles. Emergency vehicles are exempt from the restrictions.

Of course, the state of Oregon would not want to infringe on behavior that some might consider an essential liberty.  Thus, certain reasonable exemptions are allowed.  Commercial drivers working for an Oregon licensed taxi service are of course allowed to operate a vehicle during the restricted hours.   As the state would not want it to be obvious that we forcing our citizens to pay a business for their evening transportation needs, a permitting process will also be established to allow ordinary citizens to operate a vehicle during the restricted hours.

Remember that nighttime driving permits are issued for your safety and that of others.  If you do not remember this, the fines and legal trouble will assist you.  Permits for vehicle operation between the hours of 11PM and 5AM are charged based on the distance that will be driven at a rate of $.50 / mile.  There is an additional $5 ‘technology’ fee for all trips under 2 miles, or a $20 fee for longer trips.  We’re calling it a ‘technology fee’ even though you won’t be able to apply for these permits online.  Trips made using a car or minivan require only a brief description of the route to be taken.  Trips made using a pick-up truck will require a detailed map.  All trips which follow a road with a speed limit above 50mph will be subject to an additional 40% route review fee.  All permits are subject to a 20% administrative fee, a 10% issuing fee, and a 30% roadway safety fee. Refer to the associated fee schedule if you have trouble calculating the exact dollar amount for your driving fee.

We have streamlined the process of permit issue for the maximum convenience of the driving public.  You can apply in person for permits at the Department of Nocturnal Motor Vehicles which is open during normal business hours of 9AM to 5PM.  The application process should take no more than 30 minutes, unless there is a line.  The Department will then respond to your permit request within 2 weeks.  You must pick up the permit in person as well.  Once approved, you should call to request a vehicle mileage inspection prior to your nighttime driving occurrence.  You must schedule the inspection before the evening on which you will drive.  If our schedule is full for that day, you should schedule it on the day before and then not move the vehicle.  The inspector will visit your home and verify the starting mileage of your vehicle.  You will then be allowed to proceed with your nighttime drive, being careful to display your permit in the back window of your vehicle.  Upon completing your driving event, you should again call to schedule an inspection.  It is not permissible to move the vehicle until the follow up inspection occurs, which may also be one to two days after the evening in question.  The final inspected mileage must agree with your permit mileage or your vehicle will be red tagged and cannot be moved.  You will have to repeat the inspection and nighttime drive to gain final approval.

Note that during periods of increased demand, the entire process may take 4 to 6 weeks or more.  Be sure to schedule early to ensure that you are able to exercise your “right” to nighttime driving on the evening planned.

We could go into further detail about all the penalties and pain involved in violating any of these rules, or even just catching one of our mileage inspectors on a bad day .. but what would be the point.  Be assured that this proposal will ensure a healthy income to the state from permit fees and will greatly increase the profits of local Taxi services (who are a major sponsor of this measure).

If you don’t see the humor in that, you might need to visit the Lane County Building Department.  I’ve read basically everything on that site, and the above passage is modeled closely on the existing system.  And don’t think that a ridiculous measure like this couldn’t get passed.  I could probably get broad support for it.  The older demographics and families with kids would probably support it, because they are rarely on the roads during those hours anyway.  Taxi and Limo services would support it for the revenue gains.  Road workers would support it for the reduced traffic at night.  Throw in some general support by anti-DUI groups and a few poorly written pieces in the local media, and I can see the signatures rolling in already …

Who, me?  Bitter?

We are all the way moved in now. That happened on Friday. Today we got our Internet hooked up. YEAH! Talk about feeling disconnected from life. Anyways, I thought I would show some of the small comforts that we have now.

First of all we have two power cords that run into our house from outside. That powers everything we use inside. It’s 40 amps so we have to juggle what we are using on what circuit. Lee made it so the window wouldn’t work. That way we don’t have to unplug everything before leaving each time. That got annoying fast.

Next up is the lovely little thing called the hot plate. We use that to heat up water to take our shower with, cook our meals with, and wash our dishes with. I can’t believe that I am washing dishes by hand now. So along with my hot plate I now am the proud owner of a dish rack. Bleck!

We now have a mini fridge. Take about scaling down what you can buy and put into it. But I shouldn’t complain as I am happy to have one.

Throw in a couple shop lights…

Next is the lighting in the bathroom. Basically we use candles at night time so we can see. I would say that it might be kind of romantic but that ice cold toilet seat kills that.

Now we go to the upstairs bedroom. This is really exciting now. Lee made a make shift hanger rod and shelf on the studs along with a fire extinguisher to complete the look. Lee also made me a cardboard box dresser to go by the bed. We sold our bedroom set when we left Phoenix and I really wanted something near my bed to put stuff on. I will have to make note that Lee didn’t want to make me one. I made fun of the cardboard dresser he made in the first year of our marriage. He also put them on pedestal boxes in case we still have mice. I don’t know if that would really help but it makes me feel better.

The last thing shown is one of the most important comforts in our house. The oscillating reflective heater. The cat and dog take turns laying on the dog bed soaking up the heat. We actually have two heaters in the house. My parents loaned us one and we use that downstairs.

There you go. Anybody want to come live with us now?

The fields by our house have lots of burrs in them. When we were still living in the rental house I would just deal with it and comb out hundreds of burrs when he came home. Now it’s a different story. We don’t have hot water so I can’t give him a bath without giving him hypothermia. We don’t have good lighting so combing him out isn’t so easy. So after Edgar came in from playing I knew I was going to have to take action.

Granted I don’t think he wanted me to do anything about it as he looks pretty happy with himself.

Edgar got a shave down this rainy day out on the front porch. Poor little doggy.

…not that bad. True, we did come back to our rental to take our last hot shower until Lee fixes the water. Not to mention that we are doing our last minute packing and cleaning of the rental. But I would say that we are most the way moved in. YEAH!

Edgar freaked out about using the stairs. Then he went from freaking out to barreling down the stairs. So I guess the prognosis is that he knows how to use them. We are bringing Jasper up today. I am worried that we are going to be continually losing him somewhere in the house. If I hear meowing from the middle of the floor boards I am going to get concerned.

Today my Mom and I cleaned up the house. Lee and I are supposed to be moving in tomorrow and Thursday and the house was a complete disaster. So we vacuumed, mopped, and moved boards around in the upper two bedrooms. Vacuumed and mopped the stairway and hallway sections. Swept and vacuumed the living area along with organizing the tools somewhat. Then we swept and mopped the kitchen along with tiding up the counters. The house seemed a million times better after all of that. Like, well, maybe that we could actually move into it and live there. I have banned Lee from demoing anything else until after we get moved into the house all the way.

Later today Lee and I went back up there and brought a mattress set with us. That was fun. Lets just say that the staircase was not designed to have a queen sized set go up it. The bed is all made and ready for us when we officially move in.

The real reason we went up to the house tonight with the bed was I had forgotten to take in two boxes that had been shipped to us. So since we had to go up we might as well put the trip to use eh? Today I got my Lodge cookware shipped to me. Lee bought several pieces for me to use once we get our stove. I am very excited.