Playing hardball (Day 233 of 273)

So, I started to worry a bit about finishing on schedule (impossible) so I wrote a note to our Architectural Committee, requesting an extension to our finish date. Sent it off by email and got a quick NO. Here is the text from the chair, apparently they had been getting worried about our eyesore and talked about it last Tuesday and got my note on Wednesday.

"Michael - The committee has been discussing your project and had decided to send you a letter reminding you of the completion date of 8/5/09 and requesting that you look at what we call completion. The idea is that the outside be finished so the that the site would no longer look unsightly. Unfortunately, this letter went out only this morning due to the pressure of the annual meeting. The committee is not inclined to grant extensions except in the most extreme extenuating circumstances. Your request will be taken up at the July meeting. In the meantime, please look at what can be done to meet our definition of completion." Ron Kubec, June 5, 2009

Extreme extenuating circumstances--Like we're doing a lot of the work to save some bucks in a down real estate and stock market. Guess I have to schedule a heart attack so something like that. Worse comes to worse, we'll move the exterior to the top of the schedule. That also means getting the second floor drywall supplies loaded through the two open windows (love next and man cave). Then I can install these windows and get the shingles going. By the way, I've been thinking a lot about these shingles and how they're going to get onto the exterior walls.

20 squares of shingles. That covers 100 square ft and we'll have 5" exposure per shingle. They average 6" in width, so that figures out to be about 400 shingles per square. 400 x 20 is 8,000 shingles, ONE AT A TIME!. The pros suggest hand dipping these buggers so their covered on both sides and won't cup (mine did in Denver, but it's drier than a popcorn fart there). So imagine getting a big tub (bucket, trough), dipping each shingle and then putting them somewhere to dry for a couple days. 8000 shingles stacked in line will go 4000 ft, or out to the entrance to Kala Point. Then again, maybe we could put them up domino style and set some sort of dumb worlds record for "shingle dominoes." Go figure. Still working on this little problem, typically from about 2-3 o'clock each morning. Wish I had my old day job back and I just had to deal with nonexistent budgets at the USGS.