Cornice, Framing, Mayham, & Rock Samples 8/13/2010 thru 8/16/2010

Friday the cornice work continued at a slow pace...the heat is taking a toll on everyone. The crew started as six guys on Friday morning but dwindled to three after I had picked up five pizzas for lunch! We generally feed the crews that are there for an extended period of time in appreciation of their hard work. The other three crew members apparently went back to finish up a previous job. Fortunately, my mason, Crispin Tejada showed up with my favorite masonry crew leader, Jose, to implement the first selection of a stone sample, Texas Mix, in a long linear pattern utilizing 2", 4" and a few 6" cut both sides to maintain tight grout joints. Then my roofer showed up, Taurino of "Austin Star Roofing" with his son, then Dale, so we were able to put a small dent in the pizza stockpile! But with the heat as bad as it has been, no ones appetite was very large...

The cornice crew used up all the sheathing and fascia, so we ran short; more was ordered and will be out Tuesday morning so we can finish up all the exterior trim work. The windows and exterior door package was also released for the job to drop on Tuesday as well. Additionally, the cypress and rough sawn cedar were ordered for the exposed soffits at the porches.

When showing up Saturday morning a little late ( I was getting another job lined out in Rim Rock), I could have sworn there was a party going on when I showed up at 11:00ish--parking was getting tight!! Cornice crew, framing crew, masonry crew, management crew, side-kick crews, and Mike and Janis were all there, but were was the cocktails and hors d'oeurves!!!

After some fielding some questions, which Dale had already worn Mike and Janis down a bit, or rather they probably wore him out!! I could not find him for a little while--may have been hiding catching his breath and/or sanity!!; Janis drug me to her car to get a window out she wants to add at the upstairs wall opposing the upstairs landing--she's a window girl, but that's OK because I like lots of windows as well--I would just rather have it figured out on the front end and ordered at the same time. But Janis needs to maintain her relationship with Craig--that would be Craig of Craigslist.com; more on that later. So unfortunately, or fortunately--depends on what side of the fence your on it was too large to fit...more on that later as well.

We then pondered the stone sample(s); Jose had returned to provide a different stone sample, Austin Brown, in 3" and 6-1/4" cut on top and bottom in a long linear fashion with tight mortar joints and different color of mortar, Texas Tan and some other color; I could not understand what he was telling me, however, there seemed to be a general consensus that we all liked it--maybe a little tweaking on the mortar color.

After all that, the mean old builder re-advised Janis of the need for those distressed beams she had been working on to go over the Dining entry, and the Eating Nest entry needed to be complete by Tuesday morning--well low and behold she had them ready for the most part (drying remained) on Sunday morning. And here is the happy little camper...

 Doesn't she look pretty excited and thrilled that she has complete two of the major beam finishing!!  Like I said, it has been really HOT lately, and I know she is about to pass-out from heat exhaustion!!

More to follow on Sundays events and revelations...