Pooped by the process...

This week has been kind of bitter sweet.. feeling odd like I should be super excited but am just getting through the days.  I imagine some good rest will help get me geared up for all the adventure.  

The time lapse serves as a meditation -- sun set to sun rise...  Perhaps that will be the ticket!!

I've also taken some photos of the beginning of the end.  Project 851 is at present in a place of focusing on those gems we've talked about and saving what  is reasonable: railings, door frames, knobs, hooks, doors...  Looking at things from a different perspective and away we go. 

Leaving the doors open and looking to the light and fresh air letting it roll on through!

Very Soon!!!

So should I go back and edit all the Blogs so it sounds like everything is easy, smooth and happy happy days?  Hell no!   However, it is time to report that the we have a Building Permit!!  Oh yaaaaa, partaaaay this weekend was a celebration of kinda not believing it!  Life gives us what it gives us so best we take stock of the good moments.   Friday was one of those good moments.

Fortuitously, before I got the news, that is exactly what I did, take stock of the moment.  After meeting Marianne, Harley and Reece on site to go over what we should keep for the project I spent the better part of the day with the Camillia shrub and the Big House.  

Moving from room to room I sucked in the moment.  Observing the quirky composition of finishes, small nightmares (but according to reports maybe not so small), gems that we can't use like doorknobs; did you know doorknobs aren't allowed any more? -- ya, I was surprised about that silly "new" rule...  I continued for some time and took a ton of cuttings with the hope they will  explode roots and carry on.  All the time I had a song going through my head and here it is...

It's a song I actually know the words to so, only natural for me to become a humming, singin' machine as I wandered about.  I usually charge extra for that but was feeling generous that day.

Gardening is such a relaxing pleasant activity, and since there wasn't anyone there to help me with it I'll bring it to you via photos.  Well there was a lovely young man who came by on his bike that stopped to enjoy the blooming Camillia so we chatted.  He told me all about the Polaroid company and I shared the flowers with him.  

It was a good day.  It was later that day Marianne called saying "Building Permit" is a go!! -- salvage here we come.  Yes, it was a good day.

Sooner... or is something disingenuous going on?

 Yes it's true, not an April fools joke, aaaaaaaaannnnd we are still waiting for the Building Permit.  I KNOW!  I can't believe it either, especially since what looked like a go ahead was received from the city at the end of March.  It was actually a long threaded e-mail that lead me to believe soon had gone from soonish to done deal -- guess it just meant sooner.

Fingers crossed it will be this week?...  So what to do while STILL waiting?  Guess the time lapse camera needs to be figured out.  Up for the task or recording, playing with timing, downloads and transfers so it can be seen becomes a focus.  Happily something turned out pretty good.  

Here is 4min 17 sec. of viewing what goes on in the back alley from the BIG HOUSE window.  It is a recording of space, time and dimensions of things to change.  That is,  if and when that Building Permit comes through.

A week in the life of Soon-ish...

Tuesday -- Review Contractor change orders, Pay more bills, go to City of Vancouver to Pay DCC & DCL; kaching, kaching...(hesitant smile : note -- and not a shovel in the ground yet). Hmmmm.                                                                                                                                         -- update Architect re: above                                                                                                                                                                           -- visit Big House                                                                                                                                                                                               -- meet with Contractor

Wednesday -- Back and forth with Contractor's office to secure recording system for change orders and billing as we proceed.                                -- visit Big House

Thursday --  visit big house and give appliances to local friend who can use them.                                                                                                       -- connect with Architect to meet tomorrow re: materials for construction.

Friday      -- meet Architect re: construction materials for Octopus (hmmm, 9 inch or 13 inch) .                                                                                    -- visit big house (meet with previous tenants re: mail etc..).

Saturday -- visit big house.                                                                                                                                                                                               --  talk to newspaper person who's interested in the project and following it's development.

Sunday --  visit big house.                                                                                                                                                                                                -- field call from a previous tenant who wants to squat in the house, which quite literally is falling apart while we wait for the building permit.  Explained this is probably not the best idea to be staying there right now.

Monday -- test out the construction time laps camera to see how that works out.

...so what do you think?