More Painted Rails and Cabinets

Meant to post this as well, it is our bathroom counter.

Just dumping some photos and running to bed

Stairs from the garage door up

Starting to install the kitchen cabinets

This is the water proofing that goes down under the deck

Counter top in B's bathroom

Can almost see the colour of our bathroom cabinets

Moon's on Fire?

Okay, so my birthday/christmas give from Colin arrived yesterday, and as colin was well aware I have been highly covetous of his night watching ability.  Astronomy has always held an interest to me, and I still kick myself for not taking the course at university, but it just never fit my time table.  I digress, so yesterday arrived my Celestron First Scope (the IYofA model.)  It is a Dobson Reflector style scope (sorry if my jargon is off I'm just learning.)  I wasn't planning on opening it until after the move to keep it safe, but at Colin's suggestion it was a nearly full moon last night, so after D&D Erin and I stood on the driveway while I bumbled my way through setup, aiming and focus (this took a touch of time.)

Once I got the moon in my sights (you would think a giant glowing ball would be easy to find) It took a touch longer to sleuth out the shadow edge as colin suggested.  Now it was late, and I was tired, but I have to say that it looked like the whole leading edge of moon was "on fire."  I'm going to assume that I was in effect observing either some reflection or artifact of the sun at the leading edge of the shadow, but it was cool.  Either that or NASA seriously needs to get on putting the moon out :P

It was vary vary cool, and I know I will get a lot more going once I move, but I'm going to go out again tonight when I have a touch more time, and a coat, and see that else I can see, and play around with the second eye piece which I realized this morning was different.  I'm also super looking forward to getting up to the cottage where their is no light pollution (except Bob's high intensity discharge fixture, but that ballad is for another blog post.)

I will keep you all posted on alien sightings as well,

thanks colin!

g

Stain and Posts

Some nice finishing touches started to take shape at the house today, I had a second conversation with the same contractor from the day before, today he was staining the railings and stairs and he wanted to know what I thought.  I told him earnestly how happy I was with it all, I have to admit I was having reservation about the stain.  I have to remember three critical things, first the stain was wet when applied so will appears darker; second, the stain is unvarnished so it tends to absorb more light then reflect; and last, the stairs will match the floor, and so they will look stunning even if they are a shade deeper then I anticipated.

This was the best shot it really picks up the grain,
love the way you get varied stain in the nooks and crannies on the spindles

Outside the decorative post were installed, they really give the front elevation character.  We are missing the railings on the porch and walkout, but I suspect, as I mused yesterday the walkout won't get finished until they finish the waterproofing.                  

As Om Nom Nom's go this one is looking more sophisticated.

For the geeks out there, here is a the HVAC system.  The notable beige box dangling from the ceiling is the heat recovery ventilation system.  It is what allows the house to be more thoroughly sealed against air leaks as it is explicitly designed to perform air exchange, extracting heat from the out bound air, and warming the in bound air.

This picture shows something really really important, and isn't immediately obvious, if one cranes their peepers to the ceiling you will see the extensive duct work is now in place.  What is important is that the lowest point in the ceiling remains the two steel beams, and that all the ducting could be accommodated in the joist spaces or above the plane of the beam.  Since that beam is ~7-8 feet, it means when the basement is finished the ceiling can be hung without risk of most people bumping their heads.  I'm super happy with how that worked out.

In other house related news, we now have some serious colours selected for the dinning room, kitchen, main bathroom, and Bryan's room, and a maybe on the trim colour.  We really need a decision on laundry room, en-suite, and powder room, as my initial goals are to paint any room with water ASAP followed by rooms we live in.  I have 4 weeks off at the time of move in, so we will start with the critical rooms and move out from there.

Anyways thats the news, closing date in T-minus 30 days.

Mattamy University / Stuff

Busy busy day yesterday, work was just go go go, followed by get home and go out.  As with our last home, Mattamy sets up what they call Mattamy University, in which they invite all the home buyers closing at the same time / in the same area to come together and do a meet and greet with the build team.  They cover stuff like warrantees, the construction process, closing day, and stuff you have to take care of (I know have a "oh yeah" list to follow up on that looks like a list of bills (Hydro, water, gas, phone, etc.)  As a group, the Mattamy team are not strong public speakers, which having met many of them one on one over the course of the build know most of them to be gregarious constructions types, and in front of the mike they become monotone nervous speakers.  I suppose that's just anecdotal evidence that fear of public speaking seems to affect most people.  In any respect I'm glad they are skilled and competent home builders, and being able to communicate that comes second.

From the session we learned that the park behind our will be built before the end of the summer, will be very similar to the one near Bryan's baby sitter (which is a nice one) and will have a trail that connects it up to other stuff near by.  Its actually kind of funny, the similarities in location between this house and my parents.  Backs on to a trail, the brick and trim, and a few other little things, not the least of which is the exact same kitchen appliances :P

Okay since this is actually a real(TM) blog post, and my stomach insists on being heard, I really wish I hadn't left my breakfast on the counter this morning :(

So what else, oh yeah, most important we met a bunch of the families in our neighbourhood, there are lots and lots of kids around Bryan's age, so it is going to be a super fun street for Mr B to grow up o.

<< why is Streetsville go station a cell dead zone, he asks as his internet connection dies. >>

So yeah that was Mattamy U in a nut shell, um, we don't get a tree on our lot, but we get some trees and shrubs at our back fence (on the other side.)  Our back deck may not be built until after our grass goes in, so no going out the kitchen door because that first step is a doozy.

As for the actual house, they did a lot of painting and finishing yesterday, and all the cabinets arrived, they are all shrink wrapped in the family room, and our bedroom, but they are there.  When I got their and started taking pictures I was ducking around all the painters, just trying to stay out of the way, I had an amusing conversation that when kind of like "Hey are you the guy to install the cabinets", "nope, just the soon to be home owner," "oh, well there in the way."  Typed out it is boring sounding, but it was funny at the time.

So after all that chaos I got home, and got down to work :( we are headed out to our suprasecret test lab soon and I had to get a bunch of stuff documented so it could be sent there, and it needed to be done.  I write these release docs pretty regularly, so much so, I think I wrote yesterday's on auto pilot, and it still might be the most error free one I've written to date.  For some reason I'm not able to create them flawlessly, but I'm getting better.

So thats why no one heard from me yesterday, it was go go go.

Anyways, I'm signing off for now, ttyl

Doors hung, doors locked

Well the doors to our house is now locked, all though that didn't stop me from getting in.  It was one of my more proud commando-esque invasions.  If it wasn't going to be my house in the future, it would be kind of rude, but hey, I didn't hurt anything, nor change the locked state of any doors.  So its like wilderness ventures, take nothing, leave nothing but foot prints, and I'm not sure I even left those.

Upstairs Hall

Toy box window seat

Finishing touches on the bay windows

Our bathroom now grouted

The doors and trim has arrived

Tiles

Light is washing out the colour in a lot of places, but tile is in, not grouted, but laid.

Front Hall

Laundry

Kitchen

En-suite

En-suite Shower

Bryan's Bathroom

Railings Installed

The rest of our stairs arrived, including the ones to the basement, and all the fancy end caps on the stair treads.  They have also installed all the interior railings as well.  We took my parents over with B, and did the grand tour.  With the rails up I'm restricted to only worrying about what B might try and pick up, and the odd bit of construction debris.  He ran like a hooligan up and down the halls saying "More, More, More," and when asked which room he would like, he keeps choosing the master bedroom.  We will work on that.

I spent a little bit of time in the afternoon adding some screws to the floorboards, just to keep the squeaks down to a minimum.  Realized too late that a stud finder would be helpful with such operations.  I put a lot down, but I would like to put some more.  Going to go back later for that.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures, more as they come.

G

Main Stairs

Front Entrance Way

Greatroom and Upper Floor

Rail from greatroom to foyer

Rail from Dinning Room to Greatroom

Looking more and more like a house

Siding going up

First Finished Side

Now primed (and cleaned) Family Room

I keep coming back to the hall picture, but I think it is a good hall, and shows the progress

*Grunt* *Grunt* *Grunt* Wires

The finished edge of the basement

Basement is Poured, Drywall is pretty much done.

Baby D Overseeing Construction

Basement floor poured

Front hall mudded and taped

Forman Dinosaur Inspects the Project Site

"More stuff over there"

Drywall complete

I didn't even notice right away but our "official" lot sign is now up.

Looking down from the great room to the foyer

Family Room, now with debris

Dinning Room, with overlook to great room, and long shadows of evening sun.

Kitchen...

Master bathroom with shamancy tub