Grump Central: Weekly Posts Winter 2022

19 March 2022

On this day in 2016, the foundation was almost ready for the slabs; I just needed to get the main waste drains installed on the living level. I hired a plumber because, at the time, I was unaware that I was allowed to do the work myself. But it's just as well: the zoning officer remarked that their plumbing inspector was a real stickler for code, so it was reassuring to have a professional on hand during the inspection. Incidentally, the plumber I hired for the job—who was about to retire—never billed me for the work. He enjoyed coming to the property so much that he even brought his wife on occasion.

My friends also love coming here; one fellow in particular jokes about moving in with me. Hopefully this will lead to finding a new owner for the house before I die. As I've hinted for a while now, there's a vague possibility this may come to pass. While I hate to jinx the opportunity by repeating it, I can't help but dwell on the thought; along with my music, it helps me keep my emotional head above water, which these days has become a major struggle. Not to be maudlin, but I'm slipping into a deep, dark place once again—deeper and darker than most.

12 March 2022

Taken on this day in 2016, this pre-dawn image shows the labyrinthine foundation forms, which were filled the day before with concrete. They'll be stripped off by the end of the day, revealing my brand new foundation. In other news, if you've been enjoying my music, or are at least curious about it, please visit Talented Amateur for new releases. It would seem to be my life now: I've pretty much stopped modeling and am now focusing almost exclusively on music. While modeling is a very satisfying hobby, it doesn't provide as much of a deep emotional payback; music also doesn't require eye-had coordination and physical skill, which I'm losing. Plus, I can compose in the living room and share that time with my grandkids—they very much appreciate my lifestyle change!

5 March 2022

On this day in 2016, the footings were complete and the forms were about to come off. The dusting of snow we got the night before did not slow anything down, and it was gone by mid-day. This view shows the middle level, with the office at the lower left and the studio at the upper right.

Incidentally, at the time I was still living in the camper, together with my kids. Left to right: Pris, Katie and Roy. Note the shaved portion on Roy's leg: he'd just had the first of several surgeries to treat a chronic health issue that would claim his life five years later. Katie is also gone, having disappeared in 2020.

In other news, I've finished the homebuilding video series, and I've released some new music. Speaking of music, I've moved my computer down into the living room so that I can do better mixing. It's safe to say you can expect to ~~see~~ hear more.

26 February 2022

Coming up soon is the sixth anniversary of groundbreaking for my house. Strictly speaking, since it was the 29th, I can only celebrate it once every four years; but, like people born on that date, I pretend it's the 28th. It's a bittersweet occasion for me these days since the house isn't done, and almost certainly I'll never see it finished. But that's perfectly fine; I'm living in it, and enjoying it, and sharing it with friends, which right now is reward enough.

In the coming weeks I may take more trips down memory lane. With over 6,000 house construction photos and videos at hand, plus countless stories that never made it into the website, I'll never run out of stuff to share. (And if I include property photos and videos, that's another 12,000!)

Meanwhile, if you haven't already seen them, please take a look at the video series I produced as a companion to the housebuilding website. The series leaves off when the foundation is complete simply because I haven't gotten around to making any more. Even though I've stopped modeling, I still fill my days with music, reviews, essays, and a host of other activities. I'm never bored.

19 February 2022

On 10 December 2021 I stopped archiving posts. However, I received requests to please continue, if for no other reason than to share the images. While the text is gone, here are the pics for the beginning of the year.