86'n It

I'd like to proudly announce, we kicked the patio's arse this weekend!
We seriously got so much done (and currently I hear Marc mixing concrete), it is hard to believe that it was only 1.5 days!

We worked so fiercely I found it hard to keep myself fed. I seriously could NOT eat enough! I would eat a ton and still go to bed hungry. I guess that is what happens when you work so intensely in 85-90 degree heat. So, the money we are saving doing this ourselves is probably going to feed me. ;)

Thursday, Marc went to Home Depot before work and got (20) 80lb bags of concrete. He lifted 4,800lbs that day. (1,600lbs getting bags onto skid, 1,600lbs getting into truck and 1,600lbs unloading.) Wow!

Friday, Franca and I picked up another load of road bond gravel mix because we ran out of it last weekend. We only got 1 cubic yard, which is recommended to haul in Marc's truck, but it still was a harrowing ride back to the house from the stone yard. Marc's truck was riding low, so I unloaded about 1/5 of the gravel.
That night, I fell asleep hungry watching hockey on the couch and woke up at 10pm still starving. So I said, what the hell, and got a butterfinger blast and chili-cheeseburger from Sonic. Happy me.

Saturday, Marc made Franca breakfast and then Franca and I set off on a 4.5 mile run with my friend Robin. Maybe not the best thing to do when you have a whole day of back-breaking work ahead of you. Plus, whew! when did Franca get so heavy? We switched off pushing the jogging stroller and it was still brutal! When we got home, I helped Marc finish installing and leveling the last of the road bond. Then, I decided to tackle the "stone garden area" (that we had thought of on-the-fly) while Marc laid out the string lines for the walls. In the afternoon, I decided to tackle the huge dirt mounds near the alley while Marc made the forms for the concrete footing/wall.

We hired a friend's daughter to babysit from 1-3pm which is usually right between Franca's naps. Well of course, she boycotted her morning nap and fell asleep promptedly at 1pm right as I heard the babysitter's car door slam. Little shit. (She did wake up and had to be tended to later though.)

Saturday night I had to work-work. I had to practically stick my head into the computer in order to stay motivated to pump cad and figure out scales for touchable models. I kept myself motivated with chocolate ice cream. Yum.

Sunday, I convinced Marc to head to Corner Stone Diner for breakfast bright and early at 7am, because he had to got to Home Depot at 8am anyway. When we got home I continued to shovel dirt (OMG, I'm a wheelbarrow expert now), while Marc continued on the concrete forms and rebar. Later in the afternoon, because it was too hot for pouring concrete, Marc helped me lay the stone wall at the alley, and dig out and lay the stone at the walk from that alley to the house. Of course, right when the temperature dropped and Marc opened a bag of concrete, it started to rain. So we headed to Marcos' Pizza for dinner.

So here I sit, motivating myself to start on the work-work again, with the sounds of concrete pouring behind me. I snuck downstairs and took of photo of Marc in action.
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Here's an update on the list. Ridiculous that we only checked one official thing off, but I'll let the photos speak for all the work we got done.

1. Tear up patio area. (Done!)
2. "Reclaim" stone/concrete pieces to reuse. (Done!)
3. Relocate plants. (Done!)
4. Install gutters (Back is 95% Done!)
5. Bust up concrete "troughs". (Done!)
6. "Reclaim" patio flooring flagstones from garden. (Done!)
7. Mark fence posts.
8. Get samples and select pea gravel. (Done!)
9. Rent equipment. (Done!)
10. Move dirt. (Done!)
11. Dig post holes.
12. Trench for pipe and footing at new site wall and house.
13. Pour footing. (underway)
14. Install metal edging. (Done!)
15. Install site wall reclaimed stone/concrete pieces.
16. Place road bond gravel. (Done!)
17. Compact gravel. (Done!)
18. Lay reclaimed flooring flagstones.
19. Install pea gravel.
20. Install trench drains.
21. Install fence posts and fence.

 Here is the rock garden. We just wanted to switch it up so the whole area wasn't gravel. Plus, the smoker and grill will be in the further gravel area and Marc wanted them segratated a little from the walking area. We did put two "step stones" in the rock garden so you can quickly get out of the BBQ area. Did I mention that I salvaged, hauled and placed every single one of those stones by myself? OMG. I've got to be getting guns by now.