CoSar Casa

Don't you hate it when you get home from work and someone's torn up your yard and dug a big trench through it? Not us. Aren't you glad you're looking at a picture of a trench for a new sewer line? After we signed off on the designs, it seemed like it took FOREVER for the plans to go to all of the engineers and for the city to issue a permit. (Real time? Five weeks. Slightly less than forever.) Then we had a kickoff meeting, and the next morning all of the contractors came over to walk the property. Jules and Mommalinda stayed inside (it was pretty early) but I was out there, taking pictures and asking questions. Matt in the background, then Billy, Dale, Ed, and Sharzad Juan and Billy, Billy and Ed. Yeah, Billy is in EVERY PICTURE. I suspect vanity.  You could tell this crew has worked together for a long time and I loved listening to them problem-solve. Little things, like the electrician musing, "Maybe we should put a subpanel on the...

Okay, so I kind of started in the middle with the whole, "we're tearing down the pergolas" thing because I was all exhausted and proud at the time. But I never got to the "Why we're doing this" thing. So let's back up. My in-laws have been living in the same enormous 6 bedroom house since they purchased it in 1979. It was great when they were raising three kids and had various other relatives living with them throughout the years, but as they grew older, it became increasingly apparent that it was just too much house for them. However, my father-in-law was firmly planted and rather stubborn, so we helped them when we could but for the most part, let them be. When he died three years ago, it became increasingly apparent that things had to change. If it was too much house for two people, it was waaaaaay too much house for an elderly woman who had, in keeping with her generation, left most of the home maintenance to her husband. We spent many weekends...