Mon30jul-Thu2aug07: Framing, dipping, dancing...

Thu2aug07
A “slower” day for the team and me as well… their last work day, with their visit winding down after an intense and productive two weeks put in by all. That said, <”du-du-dudu”... imagine this delivered as a tiny musical fanfare!> all exterior walls complete , and a solid start on interior demising walls (the double walls between each unit).

All met for a farewell dinner with the families, including Levi’s whole family, Gabi and her daughter, and Klara. Gifts, mementos, and fond farewells/hugs were exchanged by all to close the evening. I will miss them; it has been an especially fun run. Initiation/orientation/acclimation have given way to feeling fully a part of both the team and the staff here. I love it, and am excited for what’s yet to come. Life is so very good!

Wed1aug07
Framing continues, with just four exterior walls to go at day’s end; our mutual goal is for this team to finish the exterior walls before leaving tomorrow… piece of cake.

Folk dancing, dinner at Corner Pub, and a walk to the river rounded out the day. The dancing, like bowling, is often anticipated with mixed feelings, and inevitably enjoyed by all. Fun!

Tues31jul07
I proposed an interior snap line alternative today, but not readily workable, so offered plan “B”, to move the end of the snap line down with each wall we roll, to reduce sagging and problems with it moving in the wind, and keep it tight. It’ definitely making it easier to keep the walls true as we go.

All exterior walls continue to be laid out by yours truly, while answering questions and enjoying the team as always. Worthy of note re the plates… Levi started me out marking them early on, and has left them in my hands for more than 75% of the house, a huge show of confidence in my ability, and an equally large responsibility, since these determine positioning of walls, windows, studs, etc.

It’s a favorite task at home, requiring thought and planning relative to stud placement and wall breaks to ensure the structure is strong and sound, and more challenging here in the sense that the plans are far less detailed than those I’m accustomed to seeing in the states. As the walls go up, I find myself walking the house repeatedly to make sure everything is where it should be! And as I do this and other tasks, I am struck yet again by how the myriad of life experiences we have prepare us and come into play in the most unexpected and amazing ways and times, both simple and complex. Very cool!

The final shim work to bring all bottom floor plates to level was completed today, a huge and cumbersome task… , so we are now working from level across the entire floor platform, and all players are freed up to frame and pursue other tasks for their last couple of days here.

One team member has been resetting our trailer today, a necessary and welcome offer to bring order to the explosion of tools and belongings left behind after departing in haste in the rain yesterday afternoon!

She and another member also continue to dip the lumber for the house in a chemical bath to ward off worms and other potential infestations… things are moving rapidly, so they’re working to keep ahead of us as are our “saw mistresses” (their term!), who work to keep a steady supply of studs coming in between special cuts for floor plates and blocking. Our lumber dippers spent all day making progress with two large stacks of it, only to find at day’s end that the length we needed had not yet been done… yet another plan “B’ now in progress!

Laying plates has grown to include mapping pockets for headers, huge beams built of 3 lengths of 5 x 15 lumber nailed together, with a 5 x 15 layer across the top and bottom as well. These will act as the center support for the rafters/ceiling in each home. Two will be in excess of 6 meters long, and these 5 x 15 “boards” are heavy individually… good thing we have teams of humans to lift ‘em! They will be built and installed once all the walls are constructed to make accurate measuring and construction easier.

Dinner was followed by a jaunt to my flat for dessert and conversation, this time ice cream with apple crisp raw food style, well received judging from the recipe requests The presence of Gabi and Levi made the time together even more special, with many questions about life in Hungary answered by both, each of whom has different views and experiences despite both growing up in this area.

Mon30jul07
Definitely a "Monday" for me, with an odd start on site with Levi... seemingly tough time getting answers to questions re laying out the floor plates and definitely not clicking for whatever reason, a first. Also working on finances, which have proven frustrating in the moment, perhaps a test a faith, perhaps just the machinations of the economy... add in a thing or two personal and all those interesting factors led to a less than auspicious start to the day and week That said, always, always learning, laying plates, answering questions/making decisions/teaching/coaching and simply enjoying time with the team in the process. With a bit of humor and steady work, all good in the end; these occasional “Mondays” are a great reality check and lender of perspective, and push learning/adapting/balancing/and gratitude to new levels, yes?

Tonight’s dinner was in the old Lutheran church wine cellar, always well received and a unique place to spend time. Half a dozen wines sampled, from light reds to dry white, accompanied by huge pizzas with a plethora of toppings, most familiar, some not, like egg, and corn, and plates of cheeses and sweet cakes from Gabi.