THE Office

Unfortunately this isn't a post about the TV show, but it's still pretty important.

When I'm not jet-setting for work across the Midwest, this is my new space where I occasionally get to work when I'm actually home. We finished part of the basement in January, and I'm just now getting around to posting some pictures from it. I still need to hang my art (you can see some of the Ansel Adams prints in front of the bookcase), but it's functional and provides some level of privacy (though it could use more sound-proofing...).

It's Back!!! Basement Update

Although I haven't received any requests for updates on our basement, I'm sure you're all eager to read what's up...

I've steadily (my wife is more inclined to think that "slowly" is the appropriate word) been working on the basement when time allows. We've passed all the necessary inspections to be able to sheet rock the office and bedroom down there. The office is pretty much rocked now, with only a few small, quick touches needed before we tape/mud.

I'm not sure of any dates when these rooms will be completed (more like all my estimates from before have been wrong), but I'm hoping it's by the end of the year.

Trip to Indy: the Cause of it All

Our trip to Indy would likely not have happened were it not for this: an Aquatic Infinity VII Whirlpool tub my wife bought on eBay for our basement remodel.

See, I lived in Indianapolis for 12 years - from 2 days before starting first grade in August 1981 until leaving for college in August 1993. My dad transferred to Chicago at that time, so Indy was never home in a literal sense again.

I went back to Indy for my old manufacturing job during the summer of 1994, but didn't get to see many of my high school friends over the 10 weeks or so I was there.

Since then, I've only been back to Indy for a day trip since our old church held a wedding shower for Nikki. My dad and I drove around for a couple hours during the shower, but never managed to see anyone. That was 11 years ago.

Since then, I haven't talked to anybody that I graduated with until Nikki won this tub on eBay, and I called one of my good friends, Jason, who is a chiropractor in a Northern suburb. All it took was a phone call explaining when we were planning to come through, and Jason took care of the rest and set up an impromptu reunion or sorts.

My only regret is that I would have made that phone call so many years earlier.

We Interrupt This Basement Remodel for...

My friend, Ryan - has given up several weekends over the last few months as we attempt to rewire our house and wire the basement remodel - got married today. I couldn't be happier for the guy and his new bride.

Nikki and I got a baby sitter, and drove ~90 mins to get there. The wedding was beautiful, and went off without any hitches that I noticed. What a great time.

They will be on honeymoon, but thankfully we have enough done so that we can start insulating and sheetrocking this week (pending a framing inspection). Thanks to Ryan, we passed the electrical inspection with flying colors this week.

Basement Update

Apparently my basement is VERY popular here. I get more questions about our basement than anything else.

Yes, I have been working on it (after a 2-week hiatus due to my snip-snip), but there really aren't any exciting pictures to take of wires. If you MUST see them, then please let me know - and I'll take some with utmost haste.

I'm amazed at the cost of electrical wire, btw. I'm in the wrong business for as much as that costs.

I did have one exciting event on Saturday when I accidentally snipped a live wire. Quite the scene. I'm sure you wish it would have been on video. Hopefully the picture above will suffice. Those two holes in the snips aren't supposed to be there...

Ongoing Series: Basement Progress

So cousin Chad helped out again for a couple hours on Saturday, as did brother-in-law Dan. I swear that 2 hours of Chad is the equivalent of 10 hours with Dan and I.

So we got a couple more walls framed, and just have 1 more to go, and long with installing a pocket door. We also removed the old door to the garage, and roughed in the new firedoor. The next 3 weeks will be (re)doing all the electrical in our house. After that, and finishing the last couple walls, we start sheet rocking.

Oh the joys of progress...

One Step Forward in the Basement

Chad came over and we got a couple more walls up. Most of the downstairs bedroom is framed now. We will try to do most/all of the electrical in the next 2 weeks. After that we should be sheet-rocking...and then the end to bedroom and office construction will be in sight!

...and One Step Backword

so we got some more framing done in the basement this weekend, but that's not to say there weren't some (big) surprises along the way. I swear, this house has more crazy turns than any other I've known.

So plumber Jim (a friend we know through church) stopped by again Saturday morning to clean up some of the plumbing so Chad and I can finish framing. We decided it was best to replace the drain pipe coming into the basement from the kitchen upstairs since it was iron and showing signs of wear. That's not the surprise... What surprised us was when he disconnected the plumbing upstairs in the kitchen, and discovered the whole drain pipe was loose despite being set in a concrete slab in the basement.

So Jim thought we could go down a couple inches and fix it - and that's where the surprise came in. The pipe below the concrete was clogged and rotted so bad, that it was coming loose and Jim was pulling it out in small pieces. The pictures above give you an idea. Disgusting stuff.

So anyway, Jim had to spend the whole day at our house to get it fixed, but we're glad it was discovered now rather than after the basement was finished. The choice was painful but easy. Either pay more now, or pay a lot more (in time and money) later.

Here's a brief description of the 4 pics from Top to bottom: approx 6 foot wide holde in the floor (that's the new PVC pipe in it though), picture of nasty pipe fragment (that came out of MY house???), bottom two are of the finished work (that's my first concrete work, thank you very much...)

More Progress in the Basement

My cousin Chad came over to help on the basement today. I owe him big time. He works at least 10x faster and better than I could (or do). We got a late start, but a lot done in 6 hours. I need to get some electrical and plumbing stuff moved off the ceiling so we can finish framing the bedroom and office, but it's progress and that makes me (and Nikki) happy.

Here are the fruits of (mostly Chad's) labors.

What's up with our downstairs

So we're trying to finish our basement. This very well could be the bane of my existence, but I'm hoping it doesn't get the best of me.

We moved into our current home in June 2003. Our reasons for moving were:
a. our old house was too small
b. said house only had 2 bedrooms
c. neither the lot or the neighborhood justified us adding more living space.

So we decided to move and found our current house on the perfect street on a perfect lot for us that was well within our range. The house is about the same square footage as our last house, but has an unfinished basement that allows us to nearly double our living space. Our plan was to finish the basement and then put an addtion on the house at some point in the future. Our present home also has just 2 bedrooms right now.

When we moved into our current house, only having 2 bedrooms wasn't a big deal. Karsten was close to 3 years old, and Kiera was only 9 months. Two bedrooms was very manageable then. Today we have SIX people sleeping in the same 2 bedrooms.

So here's my predicament: I've procrastinated. There, I admit it. Now because of this I have share a bedroom with 3 ladies: my wife, Teagan (sleeps in crib) and Avalyn (wherever is nearby and available and safe for a newborn to sleep). This arrangement cramps my style and doesn't make for ideal arrangements for anybody else at our house either.

Over the last few months progress has been made. Egress windows have been put in, most of the plumbing is done, demo of closets and a few interior walls has been checked off my list.

This weekend we begin framing. My cousin owns a framing company, and he's offered to help out. I bought the materials last night (dang, metal studs are NOT cheap.)

I'm hoping to have everything done by end of March.

Emphasis on hope...

More details, pictures, and updates to follow.