But I Don't Care...

This week's blog entry will be relatively quick. I'm preparing my file for promotion, so I'm feeling the time crunch.

Taken September 6, 2014,
facing what will be the front door.

Saturday, we met Mike at the site while he was moving dirt around. We were specifically meeting him because we needed to get one of the sets of full-sized blueprints from him so that our masonry contractor can mark up exactly where the support for the masonry heater needs to go.

We have dirt! Last week, there was a ditch around the perimeter; now on most sides, there is dirt filling in around the foundation. Mike says that he'll need to bring in a bunch more to get the yard even with the foundation. You can begin to get a sense of how high up we will be: In the top picture, I'm standing on the front yard, and those are tree tops in the background. It looks like the view out of our back picture window will be into those tree tops.

Taken September 6, 2014, looking into the garage.

We also have a rock! For reasons I don't yet know, we have a rock in the middle of what will be our garage. I will ask Mike about it next time I get a chance, but I kinda like the idea that there will be some natural, non-conforming rock in the foundation. Of course, it could be a disaster waiting to happen, but that's why we listen to Mike. If he says it needs to go, it will go.

So now for the part I don't care about. While we were out at the site, Mike had some questions about roughing in the basement bathroom. We are planning on setting up the plumbing for a bathroom down there partly because I want a dog wash in the basement (and if you'd seen Durin today, you'd know why this is a necessity!). So Mike wants to know where he should put it. He has a preference, I'm assuming for logistical reasons, but he's not going to move forward without our say-so.

But actually, I don't care. I figure the basement may or may not ever be finished; it's certainly not on my top ten list of upgrades after we move in. And besides, most basements are a hodge-podge of oddly spaced and shaped rooms and dividers. I don't much care if ours joins that company.

Sketched September 7, 2014, the basement
bathroom, back doors, and dog wash.

But Mike wants to know. So this evening, I pulled out a copy of the floor plan and started sketching. At first, I think I mapped out a bathroom about twice the size of the master bathroom, which would be above this one. Out comes the eraser. Make it smaller. How will it work with the door out to the backyard? We might have to make a funky hallway and the bathroom will be separate from the bedroom/sitting room I'm imagining will be down there some day. Do I care about that?

Nope. I don't really care. But I do care that I am on the critical path, and I don't want Mike to be waiting on me. He wants the sketch this week; I'm really busy this week. Now is the kairotic moment.