Transforring the plan to the ground was no snap. Bruce had hoped the veteran contractor could do this himself using my EMT perimeter as an aid. That is not what happened.

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Alvin, our concrete contractor. Am I willing to hire him again?

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Help! the contractor called. Bruce had to visit a couple times to help mark the foundation perimeter.

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Alvin and I struggle to pint down the perimeter.

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Some excavation has occured.

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The road association annunal meeting had to put up with the excavating machiines.

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The $150/hr excavator guys push dirt hither, then thither; enjoying the weather and taking snapshots of bears - when I was not there to question.

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There is a lot of labor and craft to this work.
But Alvin poured the grade beam without a prior county inspection. He had "reasons," he said. That is when our woe began.

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This is the corner which subsequently caused trouble.

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Forms competently in place, October 2022. Alvin expected to call for concrete the day following inspection. The inspected halted the project.

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October 2022.

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January 15 - no change

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January 2023. The job is still at a halt.

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May 2023. Note the vigorous spring grass. No progress.

At last a geotech study was executed. Based on it the structural engineer added support piers at the corner nearest the slope. These had to be hand-dug. It is June 2023. This delay cost most of a year.

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July 2023. The inspector O.K.s the project. Concrete is at last poured.

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Forms ae stripped. The contractor has pulled out. I am surprised at the quality. Alvin actually pulled it off. I write the last of several huge checks.
Noriko shows her disdain for this whole project.

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At this corner appear the added subterranean piers resulting from the geotech finding.

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The contractor left some clean-up issues.

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A lot of hand-excavated dirt had been heaved over the hill.

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Concrete pumping hose sprang leaks a couple times, spraying concrete over the landscape.

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I hired Antonio Soto, local contractor, to back-fill the foundation. The concrete contractor should have done this but probably would have charged a ridiculous amount extra.

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Winter 2023-24 turned the exposed dirt into a muddy mess.