6 things.......... for Mrs B.

Mrs B tagged me, and I really can't think of anything clever or witty to say so my "6 things about me " will be quite dull.

1. I love my computer time. I'm not into game playing etc. I'm one of those people who enjoy surfing the net, reading the news and visiting forums etc. In fact I like to eat my breakfast at the computer in the morning. I usually read the news both local and overseas while doing so.

2. My secret wish.. hmm Have passport will travel! I would love to have enough $ to be able to go on an over seas trip every year with my family. I know some people manage to do this but it's certianly not in our budget although we've been lucky enough to do a few trips. I've wanted to visit and travel through China since I was in High school. I've come close twice having been to HK but it's not the same. I would also dearly love to go to Europe .

3. I used to have a huge fear of needles. To the point that my GP had it noted on my medical records so that they could always give me lots of notice if I was in need of any sort of test requiring a needle. I suspect it all stemmed from a standard dislike of them that everyone has but when I was 8 and having some normal vaccinations the woman giving the needles had the theory that you didn't warn children before giving them their shots. She jabbed 2 needles into my arm unexpectedly and was quite rough. I jumped and the needles were jerked and half pulled out in the process. So the immunisations had to be redone. I am also one of those people that have fine veins and at times getting blood from me can be quite difficult. This can also cause a bit of a drama for an anesthetist.The worst attempt to insert a needle into a vein, was 5 goes by a supposedly, very experienced anesthetist. Ouch!
This horror of needles lasted until I was in my 30's and needed to have regular injections and blood tests. Although I still dislike having them, like most people, I no longer get the shakes and need weeks and weeks to prepare myself. And for a while I was so thrilled to be over my horror I became a blood and plasma donor. I really must start doing this again.

4. I was born in a small country town and spent the first 7 1/2 years living on a wheat and sheep farm before my parents decided to move to the city. I'd always loved going back to family friends home as as a teenager and it was only in my 20's when I was teaching in the same area for a while I realised just how much I missed the open space and a vista of wheat fields. After a weekend back in the city I drove over the crest of a hill and all I could see was semi ripened wheat swaying in the breeze. It was like a huge weight had lifted off my chest.

5. My earliest memory is of wearing an old cowboy hat and being lifted onto the back of Nuisance the cow on my Grandparents/Parents farm.
I used to still be able to "feel" Dad's hands lifting me up until I was in my 30's.

6....had to remove this one. sorry. .

A bit and then some

After a week of nothing happening I had to "pop to the block" on my way home from work today.
We have window glass. Yippee. Unlike the Eastern States of Australia we get our window glass after bricking, plaster, roof. I'd forgotten how "snug" and slightly airless the house would feel once the glass went in. It feels like a house, even without ceilings in. As soon as the front and back door go on we'll have a big payment to make. First bit of bank money to pay out for part of it and then we'll actually have to start paying interest. Luckily it's not a lot. That will be the next installment.

And now on to a non building post. I owe Mrs B ( for family I know that looks odd :) ) my questionaire responses. I'll post them later when I have had my cuppa and find my reading glasses. Typing this much without them is enough to cope with.

Just odds and ends

This week.
Nothing new happening on site at the house but we have been up a few times to check out measurements for future retaining walls, have discussions about future use of outdoor areas and practicalities. We've discovered we have a beautiful clear view of the Milky Way running from one side of the house to the other so no matter which side of the house we sit ( outside the kitchen dining area or outside in the area behind the garage we get fabulous sky views of the Milky Way and the Big Dipper.
This week Hubby has started some fact finding for our future heating and cooling. It looks like we'll be steering away from evaporative airconditioning much to my initial disappointment. We found this worked well where we lived before along with the addition of a couple of ceiling fans. BUT here it seems it gets too humid and being in from the coast there is no sea breeze to cool things down in the afternoon/evenings so it looks like we'll be spending up big and going for refrigerative aircon. Neither of us want a split system. This will then be our heating and cooling system. We might still get a woodfire but perhaps not the first year since we'll have splashed out on the expensive system. Otherwise we could go woodfire and then see how we manage for the first summer without aircon. But since chances are we'll want it so it's a false economy to go this way really.

We also ordered our IXL eco sensation bathroom heaters today. The hardware store in Bunbury ( 35kms away) had none in stock and they hadn't refilled their order. They should arrive within a couple of weeks. The Eco version have dampers that close when the extraction fans are not working so that you don't lose warm air from the room.

Tomorrow I intend to go to the house and remove the dog poop from the bathroom. ew.. looking forward to it. NOT!

Plaster completed.

In our Bedroom looking towards the hall.

Plaster work seems finished on the house as of today.


I guess that means if the S.S is happy it will be on to lockup next.

Few concerns though. The bonus water tap in the fridge freeze space has a damp look around it. Hmmm looks as if it is leaking after all! this might delay things if the S.S. spots it and the plumber has to come back and fix it up. A bit of a worry since it isn't in the plans if we have an issue after and wanted it sorted out after handover.

There is also discolouration in the guest bedroom directly behind where the bathroom , bath taps are. The guys seem to have used these taps for water and somehow it's leaked through the wall. The concrete floor looks damp.
I notice our bath hole ( the hole they leave below the bath) is filled with plumbers cement bits and bobs and plasterers cr#p. Might have to consider digging it out and ditching it. I know the dog poo has to still be in there. I've been telling myself it will get cleaned up but it doesn't look like it will. Every time I walk into that bathroom I'm going to be reminded that there is dog poo under the bath.



Door seems to have come off the portaloo. One room with a view going cheap. You wouldn't want to be shy.

Switch and cables for bathroom ixls.

Plaster started.

Our solar hot water system has been installed. Our house faces NE and west is on the side of the house that includes are garage. The SHW system has been installed on the roof area behind the garage which is a nice bonus as it can't be seen from the road at all.
As you can see the brand name is Edwards. It seems for our water that Edwards is the reccomended heater to get. Differing brands work best in different water types. For coastal areas the suggested heater was a Solarhart.




Looking through dining slider towards family room.
You can see the unplastered wall through a doorway leading to the front of the house.
The other doorway leads to the minor bedrooms, bathroom and laundry.

The view from the reverse position. standing near the doorway that leads to the front of the hosue and looking towards the dining area sliding door.

This is the view from outside the kitchen window. The doorway is the one leading to minor bedrooms.
From the office window looking in.
In the far view you can see one of the half walls and on to the games room.



The edging.

We've had a surprising bonus. Our builders contract out for the plumbing work and the contractors had their own copy of the plans. However someone, somehow added in a water tap to the fridge/freezer space on their plans. This is something that a lot of "upmarket' homes now have as fridges with an ice/cold water function are becoming popular. The plumber followed his plans and we've ended up with a tap. We have no use for it since we have no intention of getting one of those types of fridges but since the contractors have been paid and there is no additional cost our builders were happy to leave it there if we didn't mind. We've worked out that it won't cause a problem for us so we are leaving it there. Darn shame they didn't accidentally plumb in the dishwaher void. It would have been one more step towards getting Gra to agree to having one. rats!