Here’s a little pic of my view (someone else was still in bed) on Saturday morning…

Sunrise colours

Hello everyone,

Last week got a bit busy and I didn’t get any photos with daylight until Friday so you are going to get a lot of pics in a couple of posts today.

So last week the house got it’s first winter layer (better get cracking guys   – it’s getting cold again).   All the building paper wrap is now pretty much in place and we just have to hope that the weather gods have stayed away from the curry house so that the paper stays in place.  Keep your fingers crossed for us.     I believe that the windows/ frames etc will be on site in the next 2 weeks!!  Crazy to think that we’ll have opening windows soon.  There is always an upside – I can hang out inside the house and practice opening and closing all the doors. The downside however is that I have lost my ability to cut through the exterior wall -walk-through-the-house-to-the-toilet shortcut.   Still – can’t be complaining about these things as progress is a good thing.  Because the faster we go the sooner i’ll have an inside toilet anyway so warp speed ahead I say.

here’s some pics of the wrap:   (I wanted a bow effect but apparently i’m a little early in the process for that kind of request)

western wrap

Wrap!!

Saturday morning the lad and I were merrily sitting down to a lovely cooked breakfast (still in our pjs’) when we both saw a truck slowing on the approach to our place, then pulling into our driveway, then the barking burglar deterrent told us that we indeed had visitors – scaffolding no less.      Apparently builders and roofers can’t be trusted by OSH not to fall off roofs anymore so they need to be tied on to some scaffolding (which quite frankly looks like it wouldn’t stop a mouse falling off). But anyway – if it keeps the compliance peeps happy then go for it.

so here’s the scaffolding on it’s way up.  (I’m still trying to work out how the scaffolding guys get their safety tick without having their scaffolding to stop them falling off the scaffolding they are putting up..??)

Roof framing all done

HI Everyone,  Sorry for the long silence.  Been a bit frantic at trailer park land.

As you can see from the photo above and below, the roof framing is all now complete.  Looks a bit like you could land a helicopter up on top (hint hint – birthday coming up…)

Unfortunately, due to the need for the weather gods to create a moat around my trailer park set-up last week, virtually nothing at all happened.  Except a delivery of a strange large blue coloured drum on a wooden pallet.

I’m assuming that it’s not an industrial sized delivery of high grade dark chocolate, but I haven’t managed to prize the lid off yet to double check.  (Will keep you posted… -not – i’ll just eat it all quietly in the corner. lol).

Very tidy builders…

Check out our very tidy builders… Everything tucked away and all symmetrical to keep the OCD trailer park inhabitants happy.

Apparently there is a pre-wrap inspection due today and then the building paper/ gift wrap starts going on.  The first bit of roofing iron is scheduled to start next Monday I believe!!  Very exciting.

I have now finally pushed the GO button on the window/ joinery order.  Whew!   Stressful trying to decide what was the right look within the confines of our very high wind rating.  Am learning lots about the council regs with regard to wind loadings, spacing between the double glazing panes, the % of opening windows per room etc. etc…    It will all be so handy when we start our next building project – NOT LIKELY!!

I think we have also chosen a gas fire place although until it actually goes in, these things are never certain.  I think the idea is  that once you have made a decision stay the hell away from any shops stocking such products or glossy magazines or the internet for that matter.

The kitchen is still a work in progress (not to be confused with the other work in progress which should be taking place in my office but isn’t because I’m too busy thinking about kitchens and windows).   We have finalised the design – I think (hahaha) but are just now working on the colours/ cupboard finishes etc.

The bathroom is next on my list as the plumbers want me to lock in exactly what fittings/ fixtures I am having so that they can do all the piping into the walls and mount brackets for the wall hung vanity units etc. etc.   We had pre=selected a lot of the fitting previously but there is some fine tuning required.   Not assisted might I add by someone (who lives in a land far far away – ie. not within striking distance) sending me a link for a flash  bathroom supplier in his area having a 60% off sale!!!   arrggghhhhh – more choices – more confusion!!!    CLOSE INTERNET PAGE KIRSTIN.

Anyway  – have also been back to Fieldays last week to hunt out some pink gumboots and anything else I can find that makes a mockery of our move to the country.

Ok people.  Time for me to do some income generating work – unless you all would like to donate to  my charitable house building trust fund I have just decided to create.

Well, it’s been a good week  or so since my last post and it feels like not a lot has changed out in trailer park land but  in fact the boys have been continuously busy.

We’ve had all the roof trusses and other bits of wood anchored into place up top on both end of the house.  Just now waiting on the mid section to go in (delayed in part I believe by a change to some pre-framed window sections…yes, that was me).    But the steel purlins are now in place so the big stacker door span opening is all framed up now.  Just the top window framing to go in above and then that’s all the external framing complete.    Have attached a pic of some of the roof trusses and steel beam for you all.  (notice the “beaming” face in front of the beam – hahahaha).  (The things I get excited about now are rather sad).

Roof trusses on their way up

Beaming with the beam.

So,  on to the other jobs.   Glazing and joinery!!    So I thought that we had it all sorted.  Green tint glass for the whole house.  Then I start to question myself:  “what if that looks weird against the external colour?”, “Would grey look better?”, are there any other options for window configurations that I haven’t thought of?”  However, the biggest problem of all is my height.   Those of you who know me well may have heard me say on a few previous occasions that I need “Go go Gadget legs”  (reference to a children’s program from the 80’s called “Inspector Gadget” for those older readers. ;)).    So the importance of all this now is that our stud height (not my stud – “B” – his height is a mere 1.85)   is 2.7 throughout all the bedrooms and formal living space. What this means on a practical level for me is that the side opening windows I really wanted (as opposed to traditional awning opening windows – they are hinged at the top), I can’t have.  The reason being is that I won’t be able to reach the damn latch at the top and no, apparently you can’t just move the top one down as that will affect the seal around the top part of the window.        Now – some might suggest that I could just jump which would then put to use all of this training I have been doing – (and work off the enormous double lunch I have just inhaled), but alas whilst I can jump a little higher now, I have not perfected the art of hovering yet which I believe will be required if I was to be able to open the window or close it with a latch up high.   So it’s back to the traditional awning windows in all but the front windows in the lounge and bedroom.

I suppose I could still have the side opening windows and then we could coin a new catch-phrase in our house:  “B  – can you please close that window”   “B – can you please open that window, no not that one, that one!”.   Followed shortly thereafter by another catch-phrase:  “Sorry but my plane has been grounded in Christchurch”.

However, after another week we still have not finally confirmed the windows.  We’re waiting on the pricing options on the alternatives for the big windows in the front.  Will it be:  “Dear Bank Manager – can we have another wad of cash for the extremely expensive big pane of glass we have just chosen?”  or   “Well – at least it’s within budget”.      Someone is my house was far more interested in the fingerprint scanned door lock that is now available.   NO!!!    Should never have even told him about it.   Men and gadgets.

So anyway – some of the linear cladding has arrived on site so I guess that next week might see the house getting a wee wrap up with black paper and then some skin.   Exciting times.   Watch this space for pictures of the roof shout people.

That got your attention didn’t it

I need thermal underwear – lots of it.   It was – 4.5 degrees here this morning.  Thankfully I am a resourceful little trailer park inhabitant.  I grabbed one of the dog towels and spread it across my car windscreen and then put some of the remaining polystyrene on top!    So the broken leftovers of poly are in fact useful.   The builders must have known that if they left a couple of small bits behind that I’d find a use for them.  Tonight is forecast to be another cold one (3 days in a row!!) so I’ve got the tea pot sitting on my knee and i’m almost attached to the oil column heater .    And I’ve found my winter PJ’s so no more weird combinations of tights and bedsocks for me.

However on the downside, tonight i have been reminded again about why things that will do in town won’t do out here.  The frost has split the hose connection splitter so when it’s turned on (so i can shower, wash dishes etc etc)  there is water squirting out everywhere by the partially built retaining wall.   So what this means is that we have to buy the brass fittings for everything outside, as plastic simply won’t cut it out here in the wilderness.

Ok. off to find another layer and work out whether I go back into town tonight for running water (aka a shower)  and an inside toilet or tomorrow morning.

So as I have referred to in my earlier posts, I am endeavouring to get back out to trailer park land before the darkness sets in because a). It’s getting bloody cold out here now, b). I’m not very good at cooking in the dark, and c). you would be left running around completely in the dark muttering even more expletives when you discover that the huge (and i mean huge) pile of polystyrene blocks /pods have escapped from their black plastic wrap home and deposited themselves all over the section.  And let me be very clear – when I say section what i actually mean is  – all down the side of our driveway, all through the front paddock down the hill, over the road up against the neighbours fence etc etc etc.  The black plastic had even made a run for it and was trying to do it’s own little blackout (all 5 million metres of it) on the neighbours farm fence across the road.    Now i know that you are all now wanting to see a pic of the said trail of destruction but I can tell you that i was in no mood to be whipping out the camera and recording that for posterity. It was bad enough that several locals were treated to the amusing sight of me running down the road in my heels and work clothes and climbing through the grass to retrieve the offending material from the neighbours fence.   So after about 8 car loads it was all gathered back up (with help in the front paddock by our neighbour Pete who may have heard my expletives from his house) but now the inside of the car looks as if i’ve driven through a snow storm with the windows down.

The damage was not however confined to the poly pods, with the bar leaner pallet fence by the bbq also falling victim along with all the plants in pots that were not sqaure.  Thankfully the little battler of a strawberry plant that is still fruiting and giving me a little red gem every few days survived intact.

The lovely builder has now taken all the offending white material away as it was left here by the flooring guys who thought that we could just shove it down the back of the retaining wall instead.  Apparently the gales out here on Sunday were like nothing experienced before so all i can do is be grateful that the caravan is still in the same place and that we weren’t here trying to sleep through it.  Saturday night was a precursor and that was bad enough.

Anyway – back to more important news – building.   The boys started putting the roof truses into place today which is exciting as you then get a better idea of the size of how the finished house will look.  By everyone’s account who has aleady seen it – apparently it is “BIG”.

I spent over 1 1/2 hours with Ken from Toops Aluminium today trying to check off all the windows and doors.  It’s all so confusing and there are so many decisions.  Unfortunately because we are categorised as being in a “VERY HIGH WIND ZONE” (yep – think we can confirm that), our hopes to have a big picture window in the master bedroom and in the lounge areset to be dashed.   What we have been trying to achieve throughout the house is as much natural light / sun warmth as we can and as few obstructions to the view as possible.   (Probably should have just opted to live on in a tent.)    So watch this space for more fascinating installments on windows… ooooooohhhhhh.

We’re also making some good progress on the kitchen design which has undergone a significant change in terms of the  bench colour and layout of the center island bench.   Just when you think you know exactly what you want – someone says – what about this? and you say – hmmmmmm for a long time and then realise that they are actually handing you a very good idea.

Anayway, here’s some pictures of the roof trusses in place.

I personally blame it on the other member of the household who I believe had a delayed delivery of  wind from the south with him on Thursday.   (Not that kind of wind from the south either you lot).

Saturday we did our Tough Guy Tough Gal challenge out at Cape Kidnappers.  Was a huge amount of fun although I don’t know that even after two rounds through the washing machine the smell of wet stagnant water has been expelled from my clothing.   We ended up doing it as a Team so I can’t officially claim to have beaten the boy – next time.     However, there was a fair amount of in-team antics which started by me getting rugby tackled full into a stagnant pond by Mr Watkins after accepting what I thought was a gentlemanly hand-up!!   (For those of you have been following this blog, you might recall that this “gentleman” is in fact our plumber!   Friends -who needs them!    However, he got the boy a beauty in an even smellier area of water very late in the piece on my behalf so I’m fairly happy that things worked out in the end.

However, after a dinner with friends on Saturday night involving far too much onion bahji, curry, some red wine and healthy amazing desserts (yes desserts  plural), we got our weary bods into bed only to be woken at 2am by the most horrendous wind (outside the container – not inside).   I had to call in a chaperone to accompany me to the outdoor facility  as I was convinced it was going to blow over with me in it!   The gales finally stopped at about 3:3am as suddenly as they started and the morning dawned fine and reasonably clear.

We then organised our selves for the arrival of a group of friends and family to have a small celebration and looksee for those who haven’t yet seen the progress.   However, when you invite family to an event you can always expect there to be a problem.  However, it is not the younger generation that created trouble this time – no – a sensible (not) mother figure  – MY MOTHER.  Who whispered amongst the guests about her little graffiti plan.     She left the party with me suddenly hearing that she had been encouraging people to graffiti the toilet block!!     It’s not even our toilet I wailed to the boy – I think we own it now he said.   But what we found was the most lovely thoughtful idea and notes from our friends.   Love you Mum for being just a little bit curve ball. xx

Toilet graffiti…- reads top right: “Nail down toilet”

Reads: “I could sit and look at the view all day – Carol”.

Right!  Now the photos you have all been waiting for (none of you more so that the would-be house occupants).    The process of the frame jigsaw commenced on Monday and continued over the next three days.   The woodworm and Dad would have loved to get involved in this puzzle although I believe that the builder types are quite smart fellows (no felleses yet) (yes, I know that’s not an actual word) and they had the framing company number them all so that we didn’t end up with the scullery wall in the toilet and vice versa.

It is truly amazing to go to work and then come home and find your house is there waiting for you to wander through and feel astounded that this point has finally arrived.   Then B & I did it all again in the dark (with the help of some bright LED torches) on Thursday night at 10:00pm as it was his first look.  I now have a much better track to my ‘outdoor ablution facility’.  I can choose to go along the drive through the big garage door and then out the back garage door, or if it’s a bit wet and muddy, then I do a drunken origami yoga move and duck under the framing in the 3rd bedroom which is closest to my current ‘bedroom’, then up the hall through the kitchen family room and into the garage and out the back garage door.   The dog on the other hand simply walks though all the walls and gives me a look as if to say “Don’t know why you are going such a long way around!” lol.

So without further adieu – here are the frames :

Instant House

Sorry for the delay everyone.   Have been busy trying to get back into work mode – very difficult when you have a view like ours and builders turning up at just after 8am each day and you have to spend 1/2 hour trying to convince the dog that eating them will not make her popular with them or with me as it will only delay the arrival of my ‘inside toilet’.

So – lots of developments on site will share them all with you over the next few post in a bit of a speed through the last week.

You will all recall that I have mentioned the difficulty in getting back out to the section whilst it’s still light to take photos so you can track our progress.   Well, I got home last Monday to find that the boys had been very busy little worker ants and we had an instant house (just add water ).  So excited was I that I leapt from the car, grabbed my trusty phone (aka camera device) and scrambled up the bank at the back so I could get ‘the shot’.  Instead, I got some inky blackness and some vague shapes which closely resembled framing.  So instead, I though I would share with you a picture of my climbing attire…  But the upside of this is that  I will obviously now need to go and buy some more shoes… (plural obviously).

Everyone needs this outfit for climbing up a steep long grassy bank.

Well not much has happened since our frames arrived last week but Thursday was pretty wet and miserable so I guess that it wasn’t the best day to be putting the frames up.

So I thought I would share with you all my morning view at 6:30am and the  – .5 degree frost I was greeted with.     It’s a beautiful day though and it was lovely and stunning vista to wake up to.

Good morning Hawkes Bay

Artfully arranged cows on a hill

Took a while to get this all off before I came into town at 8:00am today