Remembering

I want to apologize for being M.I.A. lately.  Truth is that I have not felt much like chatting over the last few months.  Life has been tough!

Since January, I have been averaging 60+ hour-work-weeks, and have been too exhausted to sit down to write updates.

Progress has continued at site, but it has been hard fought, and my stress was reaching a breaking point.

Beyond the normal embarrassment that we not finished, and almost at the end of seven years on this build, my main building permit was to expire on Feb 12 (my Gas and plumbing permit had already expired end of December).

I started notifying the Municipality back in December, I was not going to make it, and then again in Jan and Feb, but there was no response.  At the time of my last extension in Aug 2020, I was told it would be the last extension (they have been very patient with me over the years).  After Feb 12, they said I may have to apply for a new permit under the new code and bylaws, so I had this in the back of my mind the entire time I knew I was not going to make that deadline.  I did not actively spend time worrying about it, because there was nothing I could do until the deadline came and passed, but something like that does eat away at you.

So when Feb 12 did come and go, and I did not hear back from the Municipality, I started to actively worry.  I finally heard back on Feb 26 and the news was bad – I was cut off.  I had two options: hire an HPO contractor to finish the house and they would give them a 6 month extension, or apply for a new permit under new code and bylaws and they would give me 24 months to finish.

I was crushed.  Both options would insert lengthy delays into the build schedule, and a LOT of expense (10’s of thousands of dollars).  I wrote one last ‘Hail Mary’ email asking for extraordinary leniency giving me a final 3 months.  I sent this out at 6:42 PM on a Friday night and receive a response back at 7:28 PM that same night!  It was amazing news – they were granting me a FINAL! six month extension.  I was kind of in shock.  I did not know if I should laugh or cry and did a bit of both!!!

A massive weight was lifted off my shoulders, but at the same time this was going on, we also were dealing with an unexpected serious family illness that appeared overnight in late January.    After a brave fight, our word was turned upside down when our family member passed away on March 6, gutting the family and leaving all of us in shock.  We are now each trying to put some parts of our lives back together.

I am supporting where I can, but the best thing I can do now, is to put my head down and finish the house to the point we can move in.  Getting things moving again, after taking a pause, has been a bit of a challenge.  I was hiring the crew that did the stud bay insulation, to come back and do some drywall prep. But after delaying them a week, the senior fellow developed pneumonia and they have not been able to come for the last 2 weeks. This meant I missed my drywall window, as I try to finish off the prep list solo, but will hopefully have the drywallers here by mid April

I will update you soon on what has been done since my last update on Feb 21, but wanted to let you know I am still here and working hard in the meantime.

Take care everyone and live each day to the fullest.

“Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.”  — Robert Louis Stevenson

“He spoke well who said that graves are the footprints of angels.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow