Ready for another week

So we visited the site several times this weekend - what, we should be packing or something??

The first floor framing is complete - or at least it looks so to my untrained eye. I'm sure there are a few things to do, but we'll leave it at that for now. I think the next step is going to have to be replacing the temporary wood posts in the basement with steel ones, to hold up the weight of the second floor and the roof. The posts are on-site. I thought they were hollow steel, or perhaps solid steel... but seeing them on site, uninstalled, I can see that they are indeed hollow but then filled with concrete. I probably never would have guessed that, even though I had my desk in the basement of this house, right up against a similar steel post for five years.

So, all the interior walls are now complete - even the jut-out for the fireplace is framed. The only thing that is not complete surrounds the stairs, but I think it will be a while before we see anything of substance there, as it was in the house next door. The shape of all the rooms is now easy to see. I am concerned about how to lay out the family room, and that will be the biggest challenge to my imagination for the next few days. The way Karen wants it, I just don't see it working ... but maybe it will be alright.

We have an appointment with some A/V specialists to discuss the wiring we should have in place for our current and future needs. Right now we have an HDTV, but it is not flat, so it won't hang from a wall. But we might have one like that soon, even in four or five years out, and if the cost is not too prohibitive, we might want to preplan for that. Maybe hang one above the fireplace (though the viewing angle then concerns me). Maybe hang one on the wall across from the fireplace, or on the wall to the spare bedroom... where would be best for the future?? Where would be best for now??

Anyway... we got some measurements on some new tables and chairs, which we would put in the breakfast area. We're not sure at this point if we will be eating in the dining room more or in the kitchen more ... in fact, we've discussed having no table in the kitchen area at all - or having one in the sunroom. There are pros and cons to them all. Maybe these decisions are premature. I don't know, I've never done this before.

The count-down is now on to our move-out date. We're about six weekends out. I do need to get this office packed up, except for the computer and a few reference books. Once that's done, I'll feel better. I think most of the rest of the house will go fairly quickly. But if there's one thing I learned moving Rob, it is this: lots of same-size boxes pack quicker and tighter.