You know it's been awhile when you hesitate to recall
your own blog address. Fear not, enough neurons were still firing to get me
here. Now if I can manage enough mental muscle to form a coherent thought....
So how have things gone the last 14 months? Well, for
one, busy. Unlike 2017's planned break, 2018 was a time of both planning and
execution. Call it a 'Setup Year'. The biggest news was getting the Knit Hut
off the ground and closed in. The late spring pushed back ground-breaking, but
we persevered, getting trees and brush cleared, the foundation set, steel beams
anchored and platform built and insulated by the end of June. As I write this,
the walls are being painted, I've got half the flooring installed, the power
and communications have been trenched in and connected, and the last obstacle
will be siding and metal trim. We'll ignore the month delay in getting the
special order slider and front windows that had family exclaiming "that's
all you've done?".
Continuing the construction theme, I hired the septic
company to connect up CS3, though I did have to rent an excavator and hire our
concrete drilling to get the plumbing at the building ready for connection. In
tandem, I also trenched, excavated, and ran poly tubing to distribute power
from CS3 out to the drive-in area, as well as get a waterline run for eventual
connection to the Pump House. I managed to manually excavate from CS3, to the
Blazer, and over to the burn pile before my daily rental was up. And that was
enough, because the yard may never be the same. From there I had a boring
contractor come out to complete the job. And I'm still waiting for them to
follow through.
No matter, the drywall job was completed as promised by
IWS (though once again I'm convinced hanging drywall and cutting around boxes
should be left to non-professionals). It worked out, with only minimal damage
to the new sliding door, and only small holes to patch ourselves after the pros
left.
48 hours from now, I may be in an 8-foot trench. Though
hopefully not. That's right, yet another contractor that specializes in earth
moving will be descending on The Lodge this Friday to start digging the 80'
long trenches for our geothermal slinkies we've been building. Once buried,
these will act as underground heat exchangers for a heat pump we wrestled into
The Lodge recently. Using a small ice-fishing augor and a hand drill, I dug out
the dirt connecting holes in the slab to bored openings through the concrete
wall on the west side of the building. If we can manage to run the poly lines
up and in without kinking, it will then be a matter of calculating what I need
to select a pump for max efficiency, pressure and flow. Initial research shows
I have my work cut out for myself. I had hoped to have heat in The Lodge proper
before the year was out, but a month of rain pushed the majority of
contractors' schedules well into FY19.
With only one month left in the year, the final item on
the task list is getting the steel siding and trim ordered for the Knit Hut,
and getting installation underway. In the spring I'll focus on the side deck
and railing and things will be complete.
And what of the FIRE movement I've been running on
about?
Well, the big news is that DW pulled the plug. I'm on a
OMY cycle and have revealed my date to a grand total of 2 people. We stuck to
our plan for 2018 and should finish the year on target. And of course just when
I had the tax system "figured out", it all goes and changes for this
year.
However, this is a good reminder that right now is the
perfect time to take stock of where you're at and where you want to be. Once
the ink dries on those W2's, Uncle Sam will have his cut, so a few back of the
envelope calculations and online contribution adjustments in the next 30 days
will help prevent post-tax erosion. For those that front-load their tax
advantaged accounts, the recent market downtown is a good example of why you
shouldn't do that (unless you know you're getting canned).
In the same vein, while adding to my stash of dry powder,
it's the cost-intensive projects I'd like to have off the books before a major
lifestyle change (hence, the Setup Year). Next year will be concrete in front
of and around CS3 (I can hardly wait for that $$ quote). And building the link
between the Annex and CS3, thus answering the question of why it's called The
Annex. This will be a large car port with steel framing and excavated footings
in a similar style to provide shelter from the clearcoat-killing sun attacking
outdoor vehicles and equipment. To say nothing of a little hail protection.
Now, how to keep it low and long, yet still have one stall high enough to
accommodate the Shasta for when it's out of storage, that's the question.
I'll save that for 2019.
Plenty to focus on right now to get to where I want to
be.
