Light at the End of the Tunnel

Since you've been gone, the boys have been really busy.

The cabin is completely chinked, the wiring is mostly in, Matthew has almost all of the windows trimmed and there's crap piled everywhere.




The hardwood is down in the addition and Randy and Derek have been busting out awesome carpentry work in the mudroom (the closet and stairway).


The shower tile has been laid in the "man bathroom," doors have been hung, most of the ceiling fans are up, lights are up (and they work!), and the sinks are hung in the upstairs bathroom (the spa).






The pantry doors are up and if you can look beyond the ladder and that big saw thingy, you can see the kitchen sink, cabinets (sans counter top), stove and refrigerator.


So while my hopes have been completely dashed for being in by (this) Christmas, we'll definitely be in by next Christmas.

Update and Side Trip

The boys are moving pretty quickly with the cabin, as seen below...



These were parting shots on our way out of town to ... wait for it ... Los Angeles, California! Not, Lower Alabama, as some were wont to believe. Yes, after much whining and moaning and arm twisting and leg bending and poking and prodding, I finally managed to get Jay out to the West (Left) Coast to see his family.

We drove to Nashville and had a non-stop flight to L.A. We made it through security in Nashville, no problem. No undue xraying and/or groping was encountered. Rob and Allison picked us up at the airport in L.A. and I was immediately terrified of the traffic - that, just from pulling away from the curb.

Rob graciously babysat us for the 3 1/2 days we were there, giving us the condensed version of the Hollywood/Beverly Hills scene. We had breakfast at the Griddle and had car-sized pumpkin pancakes with Rob and his sweet daughter Amanda...

Then we drove around and saw some recognizeable scenes...




Well, marginally recognizable anyway... (that's us looking tourist-y).



Then my camera batteries took a turn for the worse and we weren't able to take camera pictures the rest of the day. We crossed the mountain ridge and saw the San Fernando Valley area (but no porn), and then headed back to Jay's mom's place to hang out for the rest of the day.

Thanksgiving morning Rob and his cute girlfriend Hilary took us to the Venice Boardwalk for breakfast where we saw all sorts of strange and interesting people...


Mostly you'll just have to take my word for it.



It was pretty chilly and the surfers were out...


Then we headed back to prepare for the Thanksgiving feast that Allison busted out.


Clan Basile:

We headed back to Knoxville Friday morning and going through security at LAX was nearly a breeze except my big girly earrings set off the alarm and I had to take them off. Then I lost them on the conveyor belt. My hero Jay found them for me. And now we're home.

Ellie said this is the longest post she's ever endured and now she needs a nap.

BBQ and Bibles

Last weekend we went to the Jack Daniels distillery to take the tour and check things out, with Jeff & Deb. How cute are they?

A couple of weeks prior, we learned that the weekend we planned to go would also be the International BBQ Championship cook-off at the distillery. They were expecting a crowd.


So we toured the distillery (but you can't take pictures inside) and we had some BBQ...


And upon arriving back at the car, found this parting gift on the windshield...


I guess someone figured we wouldn't know what to do with the rest of our time there, since Lynchburg is in a dry county.

In case you're here to see actual cabin progress...



The floor of the front porch is finished (altho not in the picture) and the floor inside the cabin has been insulated (above) and the sub-floor has been installed. This past week more sheet rock has been put up, mudded and sanded, and the HVAC was installed.

Moving along...

Collateral Damage

I know, I know - two nights in a row. Shocking. I really find it necessary, though, to get completely caught up since things are moving so fast. Although, as far as I'm concerned, "fast" is relative.

They've got the upstairs completely sheet-rocked and have (maybe) the third coat of mud on.

They've started chinking the cabin and put up the pillars and floor for the front porch. What appears to be mortar in between the logs is actually styrofoam that they are going to stucco over...something about insulation and expansion...blahdy, blahdy, blahdy...



In the process of creating, there is also destroying.

Progress

September 25 - another Saturday work party that included removing the floor from the cabin. We've got to treat for termites, put down a vapor barrier, etc, to pass inspection, and it appears ripping the whole floor out was the best option, particularly since the logs all around the base of the cabin were rotten and/or eaten.


We found some especially gross things under the floor - mainly mummified cat carcasses - evidently it was a popular place to die. And, I did take pictures, but...ewww. We have found a few interesting things, but that's for a separate post...

We received a load of stone to replace the bottom logs...


They've made a stone foundation on both sides (above) and Jay installed a big fat steel beam across the front log, below the door, as well as rods from the front to the back to keep the walls square.

In the meantime, they've put up most of the insulation.

And, no, those aren't urinals on the floor.

In other news, another huge branch fell off the tree, once again missing my potting shed, by mere inches.


Oh, and ...

Llamas! Not mine, but still cute!

p.s. - I don't know who this lady is, but if she sees her picture on my blog and wants me to take it down, I will.