The Wormlips Scrapbook

Today the guys poured concrete into the four holes where the Lincoln Logs had been, thus completing the foundation. Following is a picture of each hole, each at a different level of completion.

Here’s Hole Number One — let’s call it Northeast Pit, shall we? — shortly after the concrete got dumped in. I know it’s really hard work, but seeing all that fresh goop made me want to jump in and schlomp around and build little concrete drip-castles and stuff.

In Hole Number Two (widely known as Southeast Sink) the cement has been tamed and groomed a little:

Here’s Dan smoothing and leveling Southwest Depression:

And finally, this is Northwest Gap in all its polished, filled-in glory:

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I’ve grown so accustomed to the thumps and thwonks emanating from beneath the house that I barely notice them. Robert and Vidal remain busy, but progress is more subtle — or maybe I’m just taking constant change for granted.

On the way downstairs to visit the site this afternoon I found Lulu and EP in a photo session:

Lulu’s high-altitude daring made EP nervous:

Lots of new rebar is nestled all snug in its bed, ready for tomorrow when the rest of the foundation gets poured.

And a new walkway and steps from the outside into the basement will go here:

This is my mother. Her name is “Mom.” She is here visiting me from Delarovia. She kept me company when I took pictures today. Isn’t she funny-looking? We don’t look anything alike, do we?

Construction zones are synonymous with chaos …

But these guys are incredibly orderly, and they’re always cleaning up after themselves so that the yard is neater now than before they started:

I wonder if they’d help me clean the inside of my house as well.

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All was quiet on the construction front for the better part of a week, as we waited for the house lifters. Unfortunately I was gone when they arrived, and missed the excitement. Robert said they had to jack the house up a little to get the supports out, and then lower it back down, and apparently the house was a little whiney about the operation.

I’ve been on multiple deadlines and haven’t been able to sneak a few minutes to document progress since then. It’s midnight now, and while total darkness is not optimal for photography, I carpe’d the diem (noctim?).

Here’s the back of the house. I’d thought the door was gonna be a little wider, but that’s okay: it’ll give me incentive to keep my weight down.

While trying not to trip as I make my way into the room in the darkness I accidentally trip the shutter:

I meant to take this one. Here, I’m looking straight ahead after climbing through the “door.” The plywood bits on the ground are covering up the holes where the Lincoln Logs used to be until a few days ago:

In this next picture I’ve hung a left and am facing north. Considering I’m aiming blindly into utter blackness, these pictures came out okay. And considering I’m walking blindly into utter darkness, I’m fortunate I didn’t fall into that hole in the foreground.

I’m the reason contractors invented change-orders. The sheer-walling on the right is something I decided to add, as is that extra excavation you’re looking at; without it, I’d practically have had to stoop to pass through the door that will be there.

After another left turn I’m facing the backyard and the sweeping view from my French doors:

Finally I climb back out, snapping one last photo before tucking my camera into bed for the night:

Now it’s 1:11 a.m. I’m going to sleep. My dance championship is only 36 hours away. Wish me luck.

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