Log Home Update

After dropping our third load of stuff in the storage unit in PA, we had lunch with our general contractor and his wife to discuss progress and plans. We have two loan closings coming up in the next two weeks so we will have funds to pay the contractor’s initial 15%, the deposit on the log kit, and the foundation people—in that order.

We need to pay about 20% on the log kit by February 15th so they will know to go ahead with the milling of the logs for delivery on April 19th. Our general contractor needs funds so he can pay for site preparation, including the excavation for the foundation that needs to be started in March. Finally, the foundation folks will have to be paid when they bring in the insulating panels that will serve as the forms of our poured concrete foundation. They need to have the foundation in by April 15th.

Don, our general contractor, has talked to the power company so they can set up a temporary power source for construction. He has also made arrangements for excavation and foundation work and talked to the local folks who provide propane.

After lunch we arranged for a PO Box. (When we sell our NJ home in a few months, we will need to have some place for all our mail to be sent.) We also looked into opening a new bank account. Our current banks do not have any branches in the area to which we will be moving. We also talked to an insurance agent about construction/home insurance.

On the home front, my daughter is packing up the things she wants to take when she moves into Grandma’s the end of the month. I’m packing up more stuff for PA and/or NY. Terry is packing up the Christmas decorations for placement into storage. We still have some repairs and painting to do on our current house before we put it on the market some time in February.

I’ve made three trips to PA and one to the Adirondacks of NY to put things into storage. Four trips of approximately 500 miles round trip each. And we have two more coming up this week—one west and one north.

Jeez where is the time going!