made a bathroom

I have almost completed the remodeling job on the second bathroom in our current home.  This project has been the toughest yet, considering that we have installed all new windows, laminate flooring, and completed the remodeling of the master-bathroom.  The second bathroom included moving the toilet and adding a shower-only, instead of a bath shower combination, to the room.  I have to stud in a short wall for the new shower and completely change all the plumbing.  It has been a fantastic education in construction and is preparing me for building our Tiny House, planned for this summer.  I still have another project to complete because we want to convert our existing sun room into a bar.  That should be easy compared to the bathroom redo's.  The big part of the bar should be replacing the carpeting with vinyl flooring and then building the bar itself.

Major changes in the air

Yup, spring is comin' and I'm excited.  The grip of winter has been broken and the green grass is just around the corner despite the 23' morning we enjoyed today.  The frost was heavy on the windows of the truck as I came out with the dogs to start the motor to defrost that icy mess.  I know that it's still February and I know that we have another month of cold temperatures that will be infringing on our summer hobbies but I'm tired of winter so I am officially declaring that it's almost over.

Unplugged...wow

I feel like I should apologize for being absent for a few days.  I have really enjoyed the time spent with family but I am amazed how many of my fellow bloggers have unplugged themselves from their blogs and simply laid off.  I guess it shouldn't really surprise me but I am surprised.  It would seem that many find it appropriate to take some time off during the holidays and concentrate on family and friends so I don't feel so bad about not being here.

Hey, maybe y'all have been unplugged also, so we really didn't miss each other all that much.  Maybe everyone just focused on the important things like family and just let the Internet go to hell on it's own.  I doubt that...most probably it's just me and my inexperience as a blogger.  Most everyone else already knew that the blog traffic would be down anyway so they just used the slow spot for fun times at home.

Pretty cool in any case.  I'm glad to be back and looking forward in anxious anticipation of the new year and the ever changing landscape of Tiny Houses.

Speaking of Tiny Houses, I spent some time with a good friend, Tim, to find out that I am not restricted by the 120 square foot building restriction that constrains most enthusiasts of the Tiny House Movement.  Tim would know because he is one of the building inspectors here in Central Kentucky.  I availed myself of his handbooks and manuals and stuff to review the local as well as national building codes to make this determination.  We spent the best part of an hour discussing the nuances of the code to determine what restrictions apply when building on my own land and how I can proceed with our plans while maintaining a quality building that adheres to code.  I am pretty excited about this news.  This means that Laura and I have some new design questions to discuss.

Hey, I gotta get otta' here.  Thanks for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make it a great day!

Designing: Two doors, or not two doors?

Laura and I have been discussing the idea of having two doors in our cabin/Tiny House.  This design issue presents a large number of questions that must be answered before the first board is laid down.  I like the idea of having two access points but I am even more enamored by the idea of having two exits.  I have been thinking a lot about this design issue for a few weeks and I keep turning it over and over in my head because of a number of issues.

The obvious problems became crystal clear to me as I was reading a blog posted by a fellow minimalist and blogger, Ryo Chijiiwa of Laptop and a Rifle.  I have been reading Ryo for some time and was reading some of his older posts when I came across a July 16th, 2010 post relating the details of a very harrowing experience that focus the light of attention like a laser beam on this issue.

On Walden Pond

I have been reading Thoreau's book, On Walden Pond, and have found it incredibly interesting.  There are many people who associate with the Tiny House Movement that cite Walden as one of their motivators in creating a "hide-a-way" cabin in the woods.  Tiny House Design has posted a fantastic link to Derek “Deek” Diedricksen's visit to Thoreau's cabin that includes a video tour.  Deek is the author of the book Humble Homes Simple Shacks… and micro house creations like the Boxy Lady. You really gotta check this out if you into Tiny Houses.

I'll be posting more stuff later tonight but I just had to share this link quickly.  I hope you'll come back later.  In any case, thanks for stopping by.  Now, let's get out there and make it a great day!