The Goodro Lumber truck arrived at 8:30… with the wrong type of wood! I definitely had ordered their Western Grade lumber, which is somewhat more expensive but definitely much higher quality, than their Eastern Grade stock. The salesperson wrote down the right type, but somehow all Eastern Grade got loaded on the truck and put on the invoice. So I told the driver to go away and get the right stuff. Perry arrived just before 9 while the Goodro driver and I were sorting things out and confirmed my decision. To their credit, not only was the truck back with the right lumber by 10:30, but the salesperson called to apologize for the mistake. Perry and I made sure the chalk lines for the shed walls were in the right place and formed a PERFECT rectangle. (Nice working with a pro!) Then Perry set to work laying out the stud placement on the wall sole plates. That critical task was fairly tricky because the studs have to line up with the roof rafters (in order to properly carry the roof load down to the shed foundation), a hipped roof is quite complicated with respect to the rafter placement, and there will be three large doors in the west wall. While that was going on, I sorted though the large pile of previously used but maybe still good 2 x 4 x 8’s, pulling out lumber that could be made into wall studs, then sawed them to be precisely 92⅝″ long. A bottle of my finest wine to anyone who can tell us why wall studs are 92⅝″ long, and not 93″, which is what I think they should be. Once the layout was done, assembling that actual east wall framing took relatively little time. The wall was built flat on the shed deck, which is a whole heck of a lot easier that trying to build it upright. We checked that the wall was PERFECTLY rectangular, then installed the top portion of the sheathing and 30# felt. Just as we were finishing, Marty and Merry returned home from their lawful endeavors, so I hollered down the hill for some strongman assistance in raising the wall to a vertical position. Perry and I might have been able to do the job ourselves, but with Marty’s additional assistance, the wall rose upright almost of its own accord. Perry installed braces while Marty and I hung on for our lives, as having the wall fall down, in either direction, would not have been good for morale. After incidental tweaking and putting away of tools, Perry and I were ready for liquid refreshment by 6 o’clock. Chree came over to admire our day’s accomplishments, and congratulated Perry on having survived a day working with me. After dinner I returned to the scene of the crime and created the additional 26 wall studs that we will need for tomorrow’s fun in the sun.
P.S. Based on many phone calls to/from Ed at Pete’s RV throughout the day, Delores is going to get a new refrigerator (to the tune of $1,700!!!!), they can’t fix the main cabin door steps if they’re working perfectly, the generator is totally messed up (told them to leave it as is), and, when last heard, they were trying to figure out just what is wrong with the cruise control. Ed did agree to take my first born male child in return for the new refrigerator, but only if I threw in my left leg as well.
