Do not fool yourself by assuming the flow of time is immutable. Einstein and his pals had some ideas along those lines, but the concepts don't end with relativity and the speed of light. Realization of the flexible nature of time occurred while Albert was building a vacation home.
When building in the Adirondacks, one is subjected to not one, but two adjustments to the flow of time. First, there is the well known "contractor time." The appreciation of time is quite different for the owner than the contractor. While the owner sees only the progress or lack thereof on one structure, the builder, by necessity, has to juggle multiple jobs so that he and his crews are not idle due to the inevitable lulls and delays that occur when coordinating the efforts of multiple people. So time is different for the owner than the general contractor. While one sees time fly past at an incredible pace, the other is amazed at how slowly time, measured by progress, can go.
But there is another factor. In the Adirondacks, where the winters are hard and the contractors are even harder to find, a second layer of time modification is inevitable. There is hunting and fishing to be done, and the residents know full well that they were put on the earth to make sure those tasks are accomplished. One does need cash for a good rifle, ammo, rod and reel...and a boat helps...but one does not need to be rich to attain these necessary tools (and more, yes, I know...the carhart wardrobe, a dragging tarp, etc., but let's not quibble). Or be rich even to put gas in the truck, now that we're fracking North Dakota. So once these needs are met, the incentive beyond shelter and other food pales relative to being able to get out into the woods and fulfill God's wishes.
You've heard the mantra, no doubt. "I'm never going to be rich, so I might as well enjoy life." Have to say that I respect and sometimes envy the commitment. But as a selfish city boy, I can't help but think, "That ain't finishing the camp." Throw in the frigid weather and lack of heat in the structure, and some reduction in urgency is expected, but we did break ground way back in July.
So we were a little disappointed at the progress we saw this time. I can rationalize, but we really, really want this finished and over with so we can enjoy the place. We missed the entire hottest summer on record last year, and don't want to miss this one, regardless of the temperature.
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| Great Uncle Al relaxing outside because his vacation home was not complete. |
When building in the Adirondacks, one is subjected to not one, but two adjustments to the flow of time. First, there is the well known "contractor time." The appreciation of time is quite different for the owner than the contractor. While the owner sees only the progress or lack thereof on one structure, the builder, by necessity, has to juggle multiple jobs so that he and his crews are not idle due to the inevitable lulls and delays that occur when coordinating the efforts of multiple people. So time is different for the owner than the general contractor. While one sees time fly past at an incredible pace, the other is amazed at how slowly time, measured by progress, can go.
But there is another factor. In the Adirondacks, where the winters are hard and the contractors are even harder to find, a second layer of time modification is inevitable. There is hunting and fishing to be done, and the residents know full well that they were put on the earth to make sure those tasks are accomplished. One does need cash for a good rifle, ammo, rod and reel...and a boat helps...but one does not need to be rich to attain these necessary tools (and more, yes, I know...the carhart wardrobe, a dragging tarp, etc., but let's not quibble). Or be rich even to put gas in the truck, now that we're fracking North Dakota. So once these needs are met, the incentive beyond shelter and other food pales relative to being able to get out into the woods and fulfill God's wishes.
So we were a little disappointed at the progress we saw this time. I can rationalize, but we really, really want this finished and over with so we can enjoy the place. We missed the entire hottest summer on record last year, and don't want to miss this one, regardless of the temperature.
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| There is a particleboard floor in the attic. Walking up there will not be an invitation to punching through the not-yet-in-place ceiling and showing off your footwear to those below. |
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| Not only is there an attic space, there is a way to get to it. The ladder retracts nicely folds upward when not in use. (Dog not included.) |
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| The structural board now surrounds the great room's fireplace. A cement facing will be applied which will show wood grain from the mold. |
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| Master bath tub being put into place. Note the afternoon sun streaming through the westward facing sliding glass doors. I'm looking forward to sitting in those sunbeams after cross country skiing, should the place ever be finished. |
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| Welcome to the mechanical room in the basement. The decision was made to finish the walls in plywood for practicality. More importantly, you can see the electrical panel on the left and the tubes for radiant heating on the right. |
According to Marc, our general contractor, we've been waiting 3 weeks for the boilerman to show up. You wouldn't think it would take so long with nearby Utica being famous for its Boilermaker.
The little door to the right of the wood furnace is for elves and leprechauns. We had a big gathering scheduled for the 17th, but I had to cancel that. Maybe next year.
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| A flurry of activity in the guest house. I hope it was not just for show. We will be installing a window at the back of the loft for photon entry and air movement. |
I communicated that we were getting a little frustrated with the pace. Mary added that we had already sold our house.
"Oh no, not again!" Marc cried. It seems that he has had this issue before. Hmmm... Later, Mary shared with me that she thought maybe he could avoid the problem by picking up his pace. But she had been kind, letting Marc know that we wouldn't really soon be out on the street.
