Friday, August 16, 2013

First Wall - Finish work!

Our tiny home is beginning to take on it's final form!

Last night, Dan and I worked on the house yet again. Woohoo! I was so pumped up about seeing the pine in place that I couldn't stop thinking about it all through the next day. As always, Dan was ready to work when I asked him if he would consider. 

There may be some who think, "What's the big deal? You only worked for a few hours on the thing...why are you so excited?" Well, people, I will tell you. IT'S DAMN HARD. That's why it's worth talking about! I think most people would agree, that after an 8 hour work day, and in my case about 2 hours of commuting time, when you get home you just want to sit down. And if you sit down, you usually stay down. 
Very little waste! Just how we like it. :)

Then there is the added layer of what we are actually doing. It would be one thing to work the full day and just drag yourself out for a jog or a grocery shop. That's an accomplishment. We're not jogging or picking out produce. We're building- that requires physical labor, brain power, patience, strategy, and know how. My job is quite demanding, as is Dan's, so by the end of the work day- the tank is pretty low. So HOORAY! We did it!


As I added the title of this post, I hummed a chuckle to myself, thinking about another post called "First Wall". Seems like just yesterday we were putting together the framing for those end walls....and now, we are installing the finish materials! It's been a crazy ride, and when I think back on all that we have done, it seems like the start couldn't possibly have been just 4 months ago!!
Eeeeee!!











Last night, when I got home, I immediately began cooking dinner. Dan arrived home and dinner was just minutes from being ready. We both changed, ate, and headed out to the store to grab additional wood for the first wall. Once we had our pine boards, we headed to the site. We arrived around 7pm and worked steadily until 10pm. The boards have a 6.75 inch face, so they make application go rather quickly. It doesn't take long to see progress. 

That was one thing we both had been starving for....visually appealing progress. For the last month or more of working, we have been doing all the tedious, frustrating, not-so-fun jobs like the windows (which we thought would never end), the electrical, and the insulation. 

We were both getting a little jaded about the whole thing. The work was not that exciting, the weather was relentless, and we were getting burnt out. Seeing the pine go up and beautify that one wall breathed new life into us. And, as the night fell, we saw our small home lit up for the first time. Just seeing the warm glow of light come from our windows made many emotions stir...I remember the difficult days when I thought, "What have we gotten ourselves into? We can't do all this." Yet there I was, enveloped in the nightly symphony of frogs, staring at the bright windows of a tiny house that was just a crazy dream on paper less than a year ago. This has been truly amazing. :)


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First wall almost done!


2 comments:

  1. It is amazing what you guys were able to accomplish since May. The build that is going on, strictly in my head, feels like it would be a 2 year ordeal. Not only did I love your final paragraph, but the more I read about your story the more I feel like it is truly a possibility for me.

    P. S... I can't stop reading!

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    1. Hi Erik!

      I can't tell you how wonderfully happy it makes us each time we hear someone say that they believe they can do it, now that they have read our story. Seeing as it was one of the primary goals of this blog, it brings tremendous fulfillment each time someone reaches out to say just that. Thanks so much for reading our story, and I truly hope you continue to cultivate the hope and belief that you CAN do this! :)

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