Week 3 at the Homestead.

  Wow have we ever been working.  Measuring, cutting, fitting, recutting, remeasuring, refitting to finally get the skirting panels to fit.  There HAS GO TO BE an easier way to do this.
 We might have been able to complete our project in that time if:
1) We were younger
2) We had more experience
3) We measured correctly the first time
4) We measured correctly the second time.
Luckily for us the extra cuts were subtractions of inches, not additions.  We both kept forgetting to include the width of the 2 x 2 bracings.

  We persevered and by the end of day 1, we'd put up one whole panel!!!

John got the glorious job of crawling underneath to secure the panel to the RV.

  We started out using our circular saw to rip the plywood, but it kicked back too much, so down to trusty Home Depot we go to rent a table saw for 3 days.  While John was gone, I finished wrapping the water and sewer lines.  They won't pass the "house beautiful" test, but they are protected from freezing.

  One of our biggest challenges was getting the skirting around the wheel wells.  There are L brackets, wiring, fenders, and all kinds of obstacles in our way.  We fought, we cursed (John mostly, but I did say a word or two) and we struggled.  By the end of day 3 (time to take the saw back) we'd only made it about 1/3 of the way around the RV.

  So, with our backs screaming at us, splinters in our hands (yes, we had gloves, but they get in the way sometimes), and our frustration levels at an all time high, we stopped.  Next week, our best friend Mike will be here to share in our agony.

  Taking breaks from this, John went to Palmer and got his driving license. We enjoyed the weather while walking the pups, and dealt with the Matanuska Telephone Association.

  One tech came out on the 6th and proceeded to tell us that it will be a BIG JOB to run the cables to the RV.  He will have to turn this over to the engineers. (Oh joy!)  I'm hoping it is better than our experience with MEA in getting power on.

  First, he says, we must move the cargo trailer, afterall, they will have to trench to put the cables in.  We may also need to move the 'portable' garage. (Which is so heavy and cumbersome it really isn't portable).  He says that we'll be put on a waiting list for the engineers, then a waiting list for installation.  We seem to be doing an awful lot of waiting.

John and I have noticed a phenomenon here.  When we were stationed in Guam, there is an attitude called "Island Time".  Island Time is very akin to the Mexican "Manana" .  We now know there is also "Alaska" time.  No one is in a hurry to get anything done, and we are captive to their schedules.  Just one more little thing we'll need to adjust to.

  Next week will be a fun week (we deserve it).  Yes, Mike will be helping us winterize, but we will also take him to the Wildlife Refuge in Girdwood, the Matanuska Glacier northeast of Palmer, and to Talkeetna.  He does deserve to see some of the country while he's here.  It is his first trip up.

Until next week.