Family Mellmann

According to Maslow's Hammer, or the law of the instrument, it is common to rely on one tool for most routine jobs.  We have twisted this "law" into a saying that is commonly used; "If you're a hammer, everything is a nail.".  Have you ever bought a new car and then notice that everyone seems to be driving the same car? Well, it turns out that when your son becomes a commercial pilot, you start seeing airplanes everywhere. On my way back to Livingston, after visiting the construction site, I caught up to a freight train heading west and carrying six commercial jet bodies.  Since my highway speed limit is higher than the train's speed limit, I passed it eventually. Back in Livingston, which is home to an active train yard, I found that same train idling in the yard.  I wonder where the wings are. So, trains moving on to Billings or Bozeman (Montana) will stop here in Livingston to pick up extra engines (let's call them "booster packs") to he...

The foundation work has begun.  Footings were poured today.  The rest of the foundation work will hopefully happen next week, once the ICFs (insulated concrete forms) arrive. While I was on site to take a few pictures of the foundation preparation, the cement trucks started to arrive; first the pump truck then the cement trucks (4 cement trucks would come for this part of the job). The guy in the white shirt (with a long beard) is the man in charge.  And the skinny guy with the baseball cap is the one who controls the flow of cement. The moral of this photo...be the guy with the tech if you can; the rest have to do the physical labor.

Katherine has been working full time for a couple of weeks now and has settled in quite well to the new routine.  She reports that she is even starting to recognize "regulars".  Now she's looking forward to receiving her first full paycheck.

After about two weeks of high heat during the day and modest cooling at night, we are enjoying a little reprieve.  A weather front rolled through this evening bringing cool temperatures, a good breeze (clearing away some of the wildfire smoke), a little rain, and a lovely double rainbow.  After about 30 minutes, the rainbows disappeared, the rain moved on, and a lovely blue sky was exposed for the first time in many many days.

Katherine has put in her first full week of work, and it will come as a surprise to those who know her that she is actually enjoying the job.  She reported that it's "fun", yet she admits that standing in one place all day long is hard on the legs and feet (no surprise to anyone) but hasn't complained at all.  She even pointed out that she hasn't complained because she realizes her lack of physical conditioning is a problem of her own making. I managed to convince her to put her hair in a ponytail so now she's (finally) learning to manage (beyond just brushing) her own hair.  I think her new look makes her more...approachable.  I like being able to see her face. 😃 As we sat in the local Thai restaurant, waiting for our take-out meal to be ready, we talked and talked and talked.  This whole working thing seems to be helping to bring her out of her shell and it also gives her some new material about which we can talk.

The initial digging is pretty much done and ready for the arrival of the "cement guy" who is finishing up another project before starting ours.  On this day, it was a lovely 75 degrees (F) (after nearly two weeks of brutal heat) and the smoky skies (due to wildfires west of us in Idaho, Oregon, and California) cleared a bit so that I could see some of the mountains.   Next stop, hopefully, footings and foundations.

With the building site relocated to make the best use of the terrain, we met the excavator to plot out corners, discuss drainage (which seems a bit ironic given how dry it is here right now), and think through driveway approach and parking area.  Armed with this knowledge, the real earth moving will commence. Over the weekend, Joerg and I made a run to the local building supply store where they have samples of roofing and siding materials, doors and windows, and all the little details that will become important sooner or later.  Our mission was to pick siding and roofing, and while we were there we even found a front door.  Decisions #1 - 8, done.  That just leaves 8,274 more before we can move in. :) (No mountains visible today because of the wildfire smoke.)  

It has taken us a while to get to this stage, but Katherine has herself a job.  Her first ever, full-time, work-for-someone-else job.  She started training on Monday and by the time I got there to get some groceries today (on Tuesday), she looked like an "old pro".  She is still learning the art and science of bagging groceries so things don't get crushed and the food is separate from the non-food items but she was quick and friendly (even to me).  Maybe next time I'll pay in cash so she has to make change. :)

 ...another moonrise.  I'm not sure I'd call this my "happy place", but it sure does come close.