Just an update as to our progress over here at Squirrel Haven.
I pretty much finished the front room. I found an awesome unit for the tv and equipment. Harry did NOT want me to buy "any particle board shit". Yes, I'm sure I got that quote right. My smart daughter, Jesse, said I might want to try an antique store or a thrift shop.
I did and I found the PERFECT thing!
Check out this handmade piece of furniture that I found for $90!
We don't watch TV at all, (don't want cable and never wanted to replace the antennae when it was ripped down in a microburst in 1998). We choose what we want...and only watch videos or Netflix when we sit down to be entertained. So enclosing the TV in between time was awesome!
Dave and Joe have been working steadily on the roof. Got the uppers done and all that it entailed with new base under that one rotted spot. It's really coming along...even though the weather has been off and on again rainy and cold....
Dave is doing great with the project and both of the guys have been super!
I've been keeping crockpots of food on for them on their breaks.
Joe is funny. When it rains, I say, "You guys ok out there?"
And Joe will say, "I'm not made of sugar. I don't melt. But then again...shit doesn't do well in the rain either. I must not be made of either sugar or shit."
Now the guys are into the next step and are endeavoring to make an overhang for the hot tub on the deck before the roofing is done.
Our hot tub has been down this season and all of last season. Some sort of tragic accident happened the night that Merlyn and Jesse were partying and forgot to turn off the water that Harry told us to "add some water to it after you get out". Blah blah blah. Something like that. ANYWAYS....during a movie and after several beers, Merlyn realized water was running. "Oh FUCK! We forgot to turn off the hose!!"
But it was too late. We smoked the brain on the computer in the unit.
Harry is finding parts for it....but it's an old unit and well....he's gonna have to be creative without schematics. We hope to get it up and running again after the roof and office is done.
Speaking of the office...
Harry IS brilliant with wiring and schematics....
but has run into a wiring nightmare in the soon to be painted (hopefully) office.
Old houses are fraught with problems such as these.
The first thing to do is to isolate just what is hooked up to what.
As in, "where the fuck does THIS wire go?"
It goes something like this:
Harry goes into basement and Merlyn is stationed upstairs in rooms that we are checking.
Harry: "Honey? You there?"
Merlyn: "I'm here."
Harry: "I'm gonna flip a breaker and you tell me what goes off, ok?"
Merlyn: "K"
CLICK
Merlyn: "The desk light and the computer went off."
Harry: "Did the overhead light go off?"
Merlyn: "NO."
Harry: "SHIT."
CLICK. (Lights back on in office).
CLICK.
Harry: "How about now?"
Merlyn: "The lights in the front room went off."
Harry: "The overhead light in the office is STILL ON?"
Merlyn: "YUP."
Harry: "FUCK."
CLICK. (lights go back on in front room)
CLICK
Harry: "How about now?"
Merlyn: "Overhead light OFF in office! But now the stove in the kitchen is blinking"
Harry: "What the hell did they do??? I'm coming up...I have to see this."
And like that.
The circuit that he's working on is (we found out) shared with stuff from upstairs, the kitchen and the lights on the staircase....
and he's trying to separate the circuits.
In between installs, and Screamer's Hollow tech needs.
The GOOD NEWS?
Well, it's VERY difficult to find out where you ARE in relationship to the upstairs outlet from the basement. Thank God for heating grates as landmarks so he can triangulate where things are. So here's the good part.
Evidently, some ratty/mousie/squirrel varmit had in the course of the last milennium, had decided to be thankful to the owners of the house.
(Here is a fun pic I found online....while it isn't my house...I'm sure it's the plan our mousie in the wall had...before he met with his unfortunate demise in the Adirondack trap in the basement..)
It had chewed a perfect access hole at a ridiculous angle (that works perfect for Harry) for him to fish the new wire beyond the old foundation.
Otherwise, Harry would be taking more wall out and drilling at an angle through 2 foot thick stone foundation, and the main beam is a foot diameter tree trunk. Thanks to the RATTIES, here at Squirrel Haven, who are SO considerate, we can go forward a little easier.
See the yellow wire sticking out? Harry fed it from the basement up through the hole inside the wall which was made eons ago by some industrious mouse, chimpmunk or squirrel deep within the walls.
How'ere, the Squirrels here at Squirrel Haven are also doing a LOT of bitching in the treetops, because due to the new roof....they can't find their door....nor their nuts...nor their party haven and winter orgy grounds.
They are yelling in their squirrely chatter to the guys on the roof.
In squirrel language it must translate to something like:
"HEY! Get off our house! Let us IN!! Give us back our nuts!! SQUATTERS!!! Thieves!!!!"
Let them yell.
So far, it's been a LOT quieter here inside since the roof went on.
We shall see once the winter comes if they continue to stay out.
So far....so good!
