26 February 2014

Sean LaFlam (owner of Goose Creek Builders, our general contractor) arrived at 0800 to begin going over the details of what we think we want in building our house. A great meeting, with Sean and Perry offering innumerable suggestions about how to make things better. Sean recommended strongly that we consider an in-floor radiant heating system throughout the house vice the forced hot air and air conditioning system that we had been planning. Treated Sean and Perry to lunch at Cattails Restaurant in Brandon.  Lynne & Perry stuffed me to the gills with more delicious victuals that evening.

25 February 2014

Left Springfield at the crack of dawn and was just congratulating myself on making excellent time to Philadelphia (and grooving away to the 70’s on 7) when I suddenly found myself no longer on I-95 but in downtown Philly.  Ooops!  Negotiated the maze of one-way streets thereabouts (all of which seemed to be going the wrong way) and returned to the interstate.  Still made it to the Hannaford in Brandon (needed ice cream, of course!) in 8½ hours, close to record time.  Went from there up to Fern Lake, where I discovered that the garage door to the shed lower level was frozen to the ground. Took a lot longer than I had expected to gain entry… and wrenched my lower back in the process.  Made a few swaps (things no longer needed in Virginia this winter for things that should have been taken to Virginia last fall), stopped down to say hello to the Lapidii (no answer to my knock on their door), then headed for Lynne & Perry’s, where warm accommodations and an elegant repast awaited.

12 January 2014

After MUCH discussion, selected Goose Creek Builders to be our general contractor for the house construction.

4 January 2014

Chree and I returned to Virginia in mostly light traffic.  Temperature finally got above zero when we left Vermont, got above freezing when we were in New Jersey, and was a balmy 40 degrees when we got home.

3 January 2014

Snowed 6 inches overnight and the temperature dropped to minus 8.  Kinda brisk!  Chree and I went into Middlebury to interview John Tenny, owner of Mill Bridge Construction.  Then we went over to look at a house in town that his company was just finishing renovating after a catastrophic fire.  From there we shivered our way down to Fern Lake for the obligatory tour, then went back to Lynne & Perry’s for lunch and heat.  Jed Malcolm, owner of Salamander Construction, arrived promptly at 1 o’clock for his interview.  For some reason Chree elected to remain at Lynne & Perry’s when Jed and I went down to Fern Lake for his tour. Upon return to Pomainville Drive, Perry and I had a great time sliding, made all the sweeter by Lynne driving to the bottom ahead of us each time to block any cars from coming up while we were totally out of control on the way down… and then giving us a lift back to the top for the next run.  We were well chilled (and one of us was covered in snow from crashing) after only six trips.  In the evening Chree and I took Lynne and Perry out for a delicious dinner at Café Provence in Brandon.  On the way back to their place the truck thermometer registered minus 16.

2 January 2014

Chree and I interviewed Sean LaFlam, owner of Goose Creek Builders, at his house in Salisbury, then took him over to Fern Lake for a tour of the Taj Mahal and building site.  That done, we drove up to Middlebury to interview Jarad Moats, President of Structural Energy Corporation (another builder), then went back to Fern Lake with him for a tour.  After lunch at Lynne & Perry’s, we drove down the hill to their next-door neighbor’s house, where we interviewed Bob Hillman of Hillman Construction.  Went over to Fern Lake with Bob for yet another tour.  Returned to Lynne & Perry’s late afternoon to thaw out (the temperature hovered around 0°F all day), then went back to Fern Lake with them to have a wonderful dinner at Marty & Merry’s.  By this time the Tacoma was pretty much on auto-pilot.  Good thing, too, as the snow was starting to really come down.

1 January 2014

After a festive New Year’s Eve at the retirement apartments in Guilford, CT where Fran & Frank now live, Chree and I drove up to Lynne & Perry’s via a brief visit with Alverta in Shelburne.  Started snowing as we entered Vermont… an omen of some sort.