Happy New Year

It was about a year ago today that the girls fell asleep on a car ride and we happened upon Camden Drive while driving randomly to let them sleep.  A lot can happen in a year...

I had a few relaxing days during the school vacation, but got a lot of work done too. 

The weather has cooperated for the most part.  The Christmas "blizzard" only brought a few inches of snow, but big drifts.  Shoveling a driveway for a house you don't live in is not fun.  Bill was nice enough to come over with his snowblower and help me out.  Since then it's been almost warm.

The rough wiring was wrapped up for the most part by Tuesday.  Marc came Wednesday and helped me figure out and run all the data wiring.  The second set of hands made the work go a lot faster, and it was fun to think about actually living there and where I'd want TV, computers, speakers, etc.  Thanks Marc!

Today I ran speaker wire, put in blocking for all the kitchen cabinets.  Have I mentioned the agonizing Amy and I have done over what type of range hood to install?

Also met with plasters and insulation people this week for quotes.  It's hard to believe that is in the near future.

Took a needed break from wiring this week to visit friends in New Hampshire.  Unfortunately, I scheduled the wiring inspection early in the morning the day after we returned.  And the car gave us a scare on the way up (thought we might loose a wheel again), but it turned out to be nothing.

Annika stylin' on a pair of borrowed skis.

Ella tearing up the slopes.

Along with electrician discussion forums and printed diagrams of various circuit combinations, this has been my companion for the last few weeks.  I hid it under a sweatshirt in my car when the wiring inspector came.  I didn't want him to realize just how much of a novice I am.

Larry was nice enough to lend me his torpedo heater to get through the cold weather.  Unfortunately, Kerosene is hard to come by.  Everyone I've asked looks at me like I'm crazy.  There may be one gas station in Webster Square that sells it though.  I'll go check once this "heat wave" passes.

Prepped for the sub-panel under the kitchen.

The mason actually came and filled the gap behind the fireplace veneer!  It took a bunch of phone calls and listening to stories about his car accident to get it done, but it's done.  He still insists the wood stove is okay.  We'll see.  He also managed to come do the work on the one day I wasn't at the house.  Weird.

This is what I've been doing for the last week.  It's scary to think that I won't actually test out any of my work until after the wiring is all enclosed in the walls.

Oh yeah, I passed the electrical inspection!  12/31/2010.  Another personal deadline met, just barely.  Amy and I cleaned up the mess of wire scraps and junk until 11:30 after coming home from NH and I went back at 5:30 the next morning to finish wiring a few boxes and stapling wires.  No complaints from the inspector.

So now onto duct work.  A few days of that and I should be ready for the rough framing inspection!  And now that we've settled on a range hood design I can actually do the duct work.  Still lots of question marks since I have to duct 3 bathrooms, a clothes dryer, and a range hood.  Hopefully I can get it all to work.

Still haven't drilled the well.  And the rig continues to sink and/or get iced over.  But the duct guys installed the ERV in the attic and finished up their stuff yesterday.  Another guy came by the other day and installed the back-up electrical resistance heat.  Once I get the blower unit and heater wired (and a thermostat set up) I can actually have some heat in the house.  And not a moment too soon since it will need to be at least 50 when they spray the foam.

Here's a look at my head-start for Manuary.  Amy says I look like a thief taking my own picture outside a house I'm about to break into....