Not As Much Done This Weekend

I didn't get as much done this weekend as I wanted. I got about half of what I wanted done. This is so frustrating. I would've gotten more done today if it hadn't been for losing a valve stem on the tractor and a subsequent flat tire. No spare valve stems on-site, and by the time we drive to town to get one and back, it would've been colder and starting to get dark, so I did some dirt moving by shovel, but not really much.

Rachel & I did buy some more sheets of insulation because I was almost out. I had started insulating the back walls of the garage and have a small portion of that area finally bermed. I want to get that area covered so that we can protect that waterproofing layer before we have to redo it (all over again).

One bit of progress, if you can call it that, is that we met with a plumber. He came recommended by one of Rachel's co-workers and we called the guy. He came out. This house is different from anything he's ever done, but he was excited about the project.We walked the site and went over the plumbing plan. He took a copy with him and said that everything we talked about doing should be no problem. Even the issue of the garage bathroom having a staging reservoir and sump pump was all things he felt comfortable with. I'm going to have to dig a pit for the thing to sit in though. That's going to be digging into sold rock. I'll do it, rather than having him do it though.

He also recommended that I use a material called DST for the propane line. He said that I can get it from a local plumbing supply company. I recognized the name of the place and have bought from them many times in the past. I need to get that line this week as well as also getting the conduit for the electrical supply line. If I can get some of these things done this week, maybe it'll make up for not getting as much work done today.

It was frustrating having a flat tire on the tractor. It was only on the 2nd bucket load of dirt when it snagged a dead tree limb or something and tore the valve stem off. I heard it and knew what it was immediately. The thing was flat and leaning to one side before I could park the thing. I didn't even take time to dump the load of dirt in the bucket until after it was parked in a place that I could work on the tractor (later). At the time, I didn't know it was the valve stem, but after seeing that, it sure explained how the tire could lose that much air that fast. It was gone in less than 20 seconds.

The good news is that it wasn't the tire. I'll replace the valve stem and air the thing back up. What it costed me is time. I didn't get productive use of the tractor today and I can't do much work during the week (because I have one of those job-like things that occupy my time during the day when it's light outside). I hope to get that tire fixed tomorrow and be back on the thing moving dirt (however, there's a chance of rain tomorrow so that would prevent me from working).