A Big Day (with nothing to show for it)

It was a big day - huge.  Momentous even. But no colorful photos of a pile of sticks becoming a home, because what we did today was pass inspection.

This was a milestone inspection, of the framing, the plumbing, the electrical, the mechanical - in short just about everything the guys have done since the concrete was poured.

Because we passed (I should be saying "they" passed - I just pretty much try to stay out of the way), we can move on to "closing up" which means siding on the outside and drywall on the inside. That will be the real tipping point of a pile of sticks becoming a home.  After that, it's downhill.. paint, trim, flooring... and a million little details that will frustrate my urge to move in, but will have to be attended to before that last  big inspection - the final.  Once past that, I expect to be handed a key.

There are still more minor inspections before the final, but today's was a catchall - he could have failed us on any number of different things.  In fact, we had a potentially disastrous hiccup this morning that I'll tell you about someday maybe, when all inspectors and other bureaucrats are out of my life. Fate was on our side, however, because he was scheduled to be here first thing this morning, but got an unexpected call to be elsewhere until early afternoon.  Time enough to sort out the snafu.

For my part, staying out of the way consisted of cleaning up and re-arranging the shop in preparation for my next contribution; the kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  I've started making some temporary shop furniture - benches for the saw and other equipment.  I'll only allow a couple of days for that project, and then get serious about the kitchen.

There was one thing that happened today that I can show a snapshot of.  Not related to the house really. I sent in a "tip" to Fine Homebuilding Magazine.  Not even really a tip - more of a minor product endorsement.  And darned if they didn't decide to print it in the latest (May) issue and sent me a check for 75 bucks!

Must have been a slow publishing day.