CMR Update 3/13: Slogging through

The week marched by slowly at the CMR.  Little things are getting done - but truth be told, I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling that things are moving forward at breakneck speed (which I think is required to get this all done by April 15th).  Weather this whole week is scheduled to be crappy, so neither the skylights nor the exterior painting are likely to be accomplished.  Dratsky on all fronts.

Still, there were a bunch of things done.  Things you can't see in photos like the upstairs floor in the library.  The reason you can't see it is because if I were to take a photo of it right now, all you would see is the cardboard that they have used to cover it up for protection.  The cardboard looks pretty good though.  Things you can see in photos:

The casing was reinstalled around our new giant hallway windows that over look the atrium. Sweet.  Luckily, they are using the old casing that was there before, so we don't have any stain color "issues."

This is a photo of how the upper hallway windows will meet up with the lower skylights.  I was momentarily aghast when I saw this thinking, "Whoa Jimmy!  I thought the little skylights went below the little windows and a HUGE skylight was supposed to go under the HUGE middle window?"  Turns out this is just a mock up so they can see the vertical dimensions of the skylights - - the big behemoth of a window is downstairs tucked away safely.  Rumor has it that is weighs a friggin ton, so they don't fuss with it until it's "time" to drop that bad Johnny in place.  Happy to know it.

Presently we are at a crossroads as to what to do with the area surrounding the skylights.  Surprise to me, that no one had actually thought this through entirely.  We've consulted the architects, and they're kind of mushy on what they were thinking originally.  Seems that a lot of thought went in to how they would look from the inside.  From the outside?  Not so much thought.  We'll be cracking the nut early this week.  One of the thoughts was to use a smart looking perforated metal (something with little squares or something).  Will keep you updated on what we decide.  In any case, it has to coordinate with the stone pavers, the wood siding and the loads of glass.  More critical is that you can see this atrium from every location on the top floor.  So, we have to get it right.  It's not like we can simply shut the blinds and forget about it.  That's mostly because there won't be any blinds.

This next photo shows a new "hole" is our previously completed kitchen wall.  Why the hole, you might ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  About 10 days ago I was over at the house.  After walking around the house stepping in lots of residual plaster dust, I stepped out on the the damp atrium pavers and when I got back in the house I noticed that I had left some perfect little dusty size 7 shoe prints.  Suffering from a "how to clean it" disorder, I was merrily musing that, "Gee, I'll just have to hose that little patio down!"  Until it occurred to me, that even though a hose bib was included on the plans - - that little sucker had been over looked.  So - see hole in kitchen wall?  See greyish square outside the kitchen door with little stub sticking out of it??  New hose bib.

Now for a little game of peek-a-boo...  Where's George the Elder??  

THERE he is!!! 

Henry's hidey-hole is complete.  Door and everything.  We ended up having to finish the floor in the back of the closet to make it all nice in there - - and while it was a little more "dear" than we had hoped to spend on a funky little hidey-hole - - it's kind of a nifty little thing.  Perhaps we will need to use it someday  to escape when those on the far left here in SF discover that occasionally we DO NOT compost everything.  Compost is VERY SERIOUS business here.

See strips on wood on the left and right of the stairs?  I don't know when the real stairs are going in over the stair skeleton  - but we're one "step" closer.  Heh heh heh.

While waiting to come up with a solution to "trim disaster 2011" - - Charles got to work on a couple more interior rooms.  George the Younger's room in "Pigeon"....

Henry's room in "Orangery".....

Oh, and I've been meaning to post a photo of the window sills that have been installed in both the boys rooms.  They are about 6" deep and are FABULOUS!  Perfect to display many faux-gold trophies from various team sports.....  Or, in Henry's case, perfect to display his most current science experiment results - - where hopefully said science experiments won't eat through beautiful new window sill.  (And this is not totally out the realm of possibility - - I got a call from H a couple weeks back.  He had been home alone playing with his chemistry set.  I had left him with directions NOT to go off the grid and only do experiments that were included in the set's instruction book and to wear goggles at all times.  This is the message I got on my phone, "Hi Mom.  I need you to call me.  The house is fine and I didn't blow anything up, but we've got a problem..."  The chemical stain came off his fingers easier than it came off the kitchen counter.  Did he go off the grid?  Absolutely.  What was I thinking???) 

And finally, a view from standing inside the shower out to the hallway in the downstairs bath.  This is the little pony wall that separates the toilet from the vanity.  This week, we finally selected the color for this room (Cause DAMN!  It just couldn't handle anything more!).  George the Elder displayed some uncharacteristic patience in that process.  He had selected "seafoam."  I thought he was wrong.  I tried "tranquility" and "Crysalline."  No dice.  He was right.  The color is "seafoam."  Nearly white - - but with a hint of greeny-blue.  I bow to his superior color selection prowess.

Thus, we begin another rainy week of no "big" projects outside - - but I'm hopeful that we will see a resolution to "Stain Wars IV."  After another heart stopping email earlier last week where Steve the Wine Guy who seemed to have fallen off the schedule (his problem, not a GC problem) - -we are back on track and should see a wine cabinet in early April.  Don't know when railings are coming or all the casework for the library and the Wii room - - but until we resolve the stain issue that's on hold.

I'm sending my paperwork in to the temp apartment today indicating that our move out date is April 16th?  Hmmmm - - maybe I should wait until my meeting with GC Paul today.  Smart move me thinks.....