LOOKIN' The PART

Since I am playing the contractor role, I decided I need to look the part. So, I went out and bought a pickup truck.
You can't get much for $3,000 but I found a 1999 Dodge Dakota that will hopefully serve me well during the term of the project. My Honda Accord wasn't very well suited for driving around a construction job site and sitting in it with dirty clothes and shoes. Of course, I also need something to haul tools and materials and perhaps to tow large rental tools.

The picture makes it look much better than it's true condition. For example, you can't see the peeling clear-coat or the rusted hole in the wheel well inside the bed. But, it has great tires, 4WD, a hitch and wiring for towing and everything works except the cruise. An extended cab version would have been nice but I got tired of driving all over to look at junk.

As you can see, the forms have been stripped and we're ready for the first rough on the plumbing. That means running the drain and waste lines that go below the basement slab. I met with Rick Longshore (A&L Plumbing) this morning at the lot to discuss specifics. He will take a couple of days to finish this phase and then we have the foundation contractor back to pour the basement floor and garage floor.

I'm embarrassed to report that we are going to have about a 2 week period this month with nothing going on. I really thought it would be late September before needing the framer but things heretofore have progressed more smoothly than I had anticipated. Since the framer had planned for late September (which is what I had told him previously) he will not be able to adjust for an earlier start at this point.

DP&L has been a pleasure to work with!! I submitted the application for service about two weeks ago and nothing has happened during that time. It sat in limbo for about a week with no activity. The engineer was supposed to get out to the lot Tuesday to assess the job. Well, she said she hurt her foot on Monday and could not get into the field. She said she will try to get out there this week. You would think that since I will be committing to paying them $$ every month for years to come, they would be anxious to get me "on board".

One of the other residents on our road invited us to a Labor Day cookout. They moved there 2 or 3 months ago and found out we have a mutual friend who was also iuvited. Gave us a chance to meet a couple of the other neighbors as well as people who live in other parts of Bethel Township.