Grump Central Archive: Week of 15 December 2019
Saturday, 21 December 2019
It's hard to believe, but a year ago I was still living in the cabin; indeed, I'd be there for another three months. Now it all seems ages ago—I almost feel as if I've always lived in the house. Strange.
Friday, 20 December 2019
Haven't been doing much of anything lately, as I'm somewhat under the weather: I'm not feeling "right," and the cold contributes to general lethargy. I've been closely monitoring the garage temps during the cold snap, since the water system resides there and the garage has no heat. I'm relieved to see it's never dropped below about 48-50°, although that means a lot of waste heat is keeping it warm. In the grand scheme of things, it's perfectly fine since I can rest easier knowing the water system probably won't need an enclosure with a little electric heater to keep it from freezing.
Thursday, 19 December 2019
I hate the cold. But I will say the wood stove more than compensates, by virtue of comfort as well as aesthetics. It hurt my bottom line, but it was well worth it.
Wednesday, 18 December 2019
The cold snap is upon us: lows in the teens are forecast for the next two nights, with tomorrow's high in the 20s. (I have five large piles of firewood at the ready.) Meanwhile, I've received an entirely anticipated disappointment: the septic engineers have moved their sample collection from tomorrow to next Monday, two days before Christmas. Anyone want to place bets the TCO won't happen until the one-year anniversary from my initial application in February? Or possibly even later? Today's images, by the by, were taken exactly six years apart, spanning a time from when the house was but a fantasy to yesterday's (still unfinished) reality.
Tuesday, 17 December 2019
The septic inspection issue is being worked out. I'm still in for a huge bill—close to two grand—but they're agreeable to a payment plan. And the soil samples will be collected Thursday, with a two-week return time from the lab. So, no matter how this plays out, I won't be eligible for a TCO until sometime in January 2020... eleven months start to finish! Meanwhile, I've finished Kitty Central, so my cats' move-in day is nigh—although not as soon as I'd hoped. I forgot about all of the freshly-stained trim: it'll take several days for the stain to fully dry, and the chemical smell would be quite off-putting if the kids were moved right away. So, patience is yet required.
Monday, 16 December 2019
I'm closing in on my first fully-finished room in the house—and it's for the cats, no less. Shows you how they rate! Also helps keep my mind off the #@$! septic system testing debacle... Oh, and it's a good thing I've been stocking up on various burnables: the cold snap predicted for later this week is growing colder and longer each day, with Thursday's high in the 20s. Brrr!
Sunday, 15 December 2019
Although lately it's been unseasonably wet and warm (nearly 60° yesterday), I've been getting ready for the next cold snap—it's supposed to bottom out in the teens by the middle of next week. I've been experimenting with various heating materials to find a combination of cost-efficiency and convenience, and I've just acquired the hardware needed to properly burn wood pellets in my new stove. Let's see what happens!