Chip a tooth, win a prize!

(written Tue)

A very busy week so far and if I take Friday off to put in a day's labor at the lodge (anticipating Saturday's crappy weather), I'll really need a recharge. But, we're moving forward.

 

Last Friday was a holiday and I spent it working on soffits and odd jobs. A real taxing day, just couldn't find my rhythm. Ended the night well enough though with drinks at Toads, and later, The PL with McC and crew. A very enjoyable outing. Keeping my word about trying again Saturday night, Ben, Cam and I hit up the Tap only to find a pool tourney underway and the place overrun by JV 20-somethings. We left after our $1.20 beers.

 

At the PL, we doubled the occupancy and took control of the pool table and juke. I end up feeling like a heel asking if they'll turn the lights down. It's SOP, but someone always forgets behind the bar. Despite having worked all day at the land, ripping, sanding and staining cedar, replacing a blown out part of the water system and burning off the weeds with Cara, plus a drop-in visit by Cam, I ended up staying out quite a bit later than planned and enjoyed every minute of it.

 

Sunday then, Easter with the family. A walk around Timberledge. Laundry and automotive work in the late PM. Zero engine maintenance by the PO on the ETC resulted in seized t-stat housing bolts. Seized to the point of snapping an easy-out off in there. Started yanking the fan and and pulleys off the front to gain access to pulling the waterpump. Should get interesting.

 

It may only be Wednesday but the weekend feels like it's almost here. A surprising phone call Monday from the local poco informed me that I would need to pull a permit and request inspection for the service entrance before they can drop their meter in. This code went into effect March 1st. Even though "Chet" Culver signed this thing last year, and is a state-wide utility requirement, it somehow slipped their mind until this week despite payment and project kickoff incurring last fall. What this means is a new level of complication. As there's no local jurisdiction to set requirements in the rural area, it's entirely the inspector's call on what he likes and doesn't like. You might think there's a right way and a wrong way to do each job, and you'd be wrong. Simple things like grounding or bonding can vary wildly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; state to state. In my case, I have the meter 25' from an intermediate panel which is 25' from the main panel. All feeders underground. Nothing wrong with this, but it's so atypical as I know it'll cause some consternation. You can't just invite the guy out on a pre-inspection as each visit racks up bucks for the state. Way to go, Culver.

 

Handily, the local Poco also followed through on their meter base/socket requirements. My choice of 2! You see, back in the day, the poco would provide the meter, the meter socket and everything up to the socket. Then they'd place their meter in the socket after the house was connected, and close up the box with a padlock-type seal. Your responsibility was downstream of their meter. Nowadays it's the same, except YOU furnish all of this stuff for their end. (and in my case, everything up to the road, though they "own" it.) The cheapest meter socket for this provider is over $200. The $30 socket from the box store is sufficient for all the other providers in and around the county.

 

So, it's been crunch-time getting my ducks in a row, playing out disconnect scenarios for various equipment. Determining sources and pricing, etc. On top of the daily list. That's not a complaint by the way, just fact I guess. 

 

Yesterday, post-day job, I arrived to work on more of the same (gorgeous evening, btw) and found the farmer busy tilling, two fullsize JD's running in the field. May is going to be here in a the blink of an eye.