Framed!
We hired a carpenter to rebuild the deck that's been rotting off the back stoop for a while now. Every time I climbed those stairs I re-treated a couple years ago, I noticed the nail heads working out, and thought I should fix that. But no, the professionals were going to haul away the evidence, as soon as the building permit came through.
They did that, yesterday, and dug and lined holes for two footings. They put a carboard tube about 8" in diameter in the hole, until such time as the inspector is done verifying they're deep enough for code, at which point they'll put concrete in. Today they framed the deck, and it's just what we've been wanting. It'll have a somewhat wider stair down to the driveway (turning right coming out the door), but also one onto the patio (turning left), so that when we're grilling out it'll no longer be necessary to go out the door, turn right, go down the stairs to the driveway, left two paces, turn left again and step up onto the patio, but just turn the fuck left and walk down the new steps to the BBQ (OMG, WTF).
Should be good. I hope the inspector can get his thing done more quickly than the building permit was issued.
I've been doing a major rewrite of my novel for NaNoWriMo. It started as a time travel novel, during nano07, two years ago now. I did a rewrite last September/October ('08), and now a few readers have said it might be a good idea to go from 3rd person with a slightly omniscient narrator to first person narration, in the voices of the two main characters. So it's a major change, but I'm finding out things about the characters and the story that are kind of important.
Writing in the first person is kind of like acting. You have to understand the motivations of the character how she (or he) would say things, think about things, and those plot elements that are not well motivated end up with flashing neon signs in the margin, drawing attention to themselves, and not in a good way.
The deadline for the "summer" fun challenge (see link above the fold) is Nov 30. Feel free to submit your Nano if you want; but if people do that, feel free to skim or not read at all. Unless, that is, you want to read it.
And I'm out.
They did that, yesterday, and dug and lined holes for two footings. They put a carboard tube about 8" in diameter in the hole, until such time as the inspector is done verifying they're deep enough for code, at which point they'll put concrete in. Today they framed the deck, and it's just what we've been wanting. It'll have a somewhat wider stair down to the driveway (turning right coming out the door), but also one onto the patio (turning left), so that when we're grilling out it'll no longer be necessary to go out the door, turn right, go down the stairs to the driveway, left two paces, turn left again and step up onto the patio, but just turn the fuck left and walk down the new steps to the BBQ (OMG, WTF).
Should be good. I hope the inspector can get his thing done more quickly than the building permit was issued.
I've been doing a major rewrite of my novel for NaNoWriMo. It started as a time travel novel, during nano07, two years ago now. I did a rewrite last September/October ('08), and now a few readers have said it might be a good idea to go from 3rd person with a slightly omniscient narrator to first person narration, in the voices of the two main characters. So it's a major change, but I'm finding out things about the characters and the story that are kind of important.
Writing in the first person is kind of like acting. You have to understand the motivations of the character how she (or he) would say things, think about things, and those plot elements that are not well motivated end up with flashing neon signs in the margin, drawing attention to themselves, and not in a good way.
The deadline for the "summer" fun challenge (see link above the fold) is Nov 30. Feel free to submit your Nano if you want; but if people do that, feel free to skim or not read at all. Unless, that is, you want to read it.
And I'm out.
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