New Neighbour Day

My gut is that just about a year ago a neighbour across the street decided to move to BC to be closer to her children.  Not surprisingly, this same neighbour placed her house on the market.  Though it did take a few days for the house to sell, it did sell a fair bit more quickly than many of the other houses in our neighbourhood that have been on the market recently (there are two on our street that have to be approaching at least 2 years with no movement).

Sadly, soon after the sale was announced it became clear that the house hadn't been purchased by an individual but by a developer interested in demolishing the cute yellow house occupying the lot and replacing it with two much larger homes.

I get a little hazy about the order of operations, but at some point not long after the sale closed the house entered a partial demolition phase - though the demolition was definitely just partial.  I know the front door was removed and I heard rumours that a few of the fixtures were also removed.  Conveniently, the windows were left handy so that they could be smashed at a later date.

At some point between the point of possession and the time of the final, complete demolition the houses being advertised by the developer were removed from the market.  Though we didn't know what, we could tell that something was in the works.

Eventually, as Summer transitioned to Fall, construction began in earnest on the two houses - which now appeared to be mirror images of one another.  Much to our surprise, the houses went up quickly and work on the finishing touches has continued throughout the Winter.

Of course, during this entire construction phase there has been a single, common For Sale sign between the two newly subdivided lots.  As far as we could tell, neither had sold, nor was there much apparent interest in the semi-complete houses.

Of course, it was just about two days ago that I finally clued in to the fact that these 'houses' aren't really 'houses,' but two suite mini-apartment buildings.  Each building seems to have an upstairs and main floor apartment.  How we didn't clue into this fact until earlier this week I will never know (though I think it's fair to say that the developers didn't make a show of it either).

Anyway, today, just days after noticing the two-flat situation we came home from a walk to discover people moving into one of the main floor flats/suites/units/apartments.  Pretty exciting.

Then, after a few errands, we both came home to a second move-in a little later in the day.

Definitely an exciting development for the two new, as-yet-unstuccoed and unlandscaped buildings across from us.

Though I haven't yet seen much activity from the newly arrived residents, I imagine that over the next few days we'll begin to see a little more of them as they get to know the neighbourhood?

Cameron - 8
Neil - 0

Biggish Dig - 4

After several weeks of developments that made the site actually look like something of a 'dig' (meaning there was a hole) we've now returned to a relatively flat construction site (but with piles sticking out of the ground in a few places).  It's all rather underwhelming and kind of looks as though someone with a drilling rig is just basically driving around and drilling on a whim (though I'm sure that's very far from reality).

The return to flatland (making for rather uncompelling photos) and the addition of a barricade on the portion of the sidewalk that used to take me past the worksite explains the paucity of updates.



I'm hoping that as the days get longer and standing with my hand exposed while I reach above the fence to take a photo becomes more pleasant I'll begin to take a few photos and observe the process more closely.



Despite the apparent slow progress, it's still quite entertaining to watch this process unfold.

Cameron - 2
Neil - 0

Biggish Dig - 3

Big, big developments on the worksite.

As of yesterday, they have begun to actually deliver construction materials to the site.

Similarly, though this thing arrived a few days ago, it seems that each day more equipment has been showing up on the work site.  At the moment I'd say that most days are averaging almost ten pieces of equipment and about seven pick-up trucks.

This guys are making very quick work of the remnants of the foundation.  Much to my surprise they made quick work of the foundation floor.  At this rate they will have completed the demolition by the end of the week.

Presumably once the demolition the excavation will extend beyond this kind of thing.

Really don't quite get this point of this kind of activity.

Biggish Dig - 2

Somewhat surprisingly, given the history of the project, excavation has continued at quite a pace.  Even with just a single digging tool good progress was being made.

Of course, there was a hell of a lot of work to do.  And on the educational front, who knew that there was so much rebar hidden in the basements of old buildings?  This must be what they mean when they talk about re-inforced concrete?

Eventually a second digging tool, though smaller, was added to the mix.  This little guy's now been going at it hard for days.  Unfortunately, because I don't get a chance to watch them in action for much more time than it takes me to walk past the job site, I can't say how much of a contribution this guy is making to the original machine.  Presumably it's doing something useful?

Maybe it helps sort the rebar from the cement?

Maybe even more significant than the ramping up of the excavation of the old foundation is that the pile driving/drill has been moving around the work site and fitted with a drill attachment.

In a few instances I've even been lucky enough to see it actually drilling into the ground - suggesting that the project is working on tasks parallel to the foundation excavation.  Sadly, despite the use of this machine on a least a few of the last few days, I still haven't seen much evidence that it's digging/driving efforts extent much past the first few inches of top soil.

Then a few days ago this pile of dirt seemed to come from nowhere.  Weird.

If they're not careful they'll end up with a perfectly manicured cement floor six feet below ground level.

Of course, while I don't get to see all of these exciting developments as they happen I am starting to get the sense that I am at least getting the chance to feel some of the more significant developments.  With increasing frequency I am starting to feel a variety of vibrations as I pass my time working at my desk.  I am worried that if the shaking and jiggling is this bad without pile driving, I could really be in for a treat once the pile driving starts.

Biggish Dig - 1

One of the most prominent intersections in Regina is where Albert Street and Victoria Avenue cross.  Not only is this intersection significant because it is the meeting point of two of Regina's most important thoroughfares, but also because it, more or less, marks the centre of the city.

Since before we moved to Regina in late 2012 this intersection has been notable for another reason, one having nothing to do with its significance as the meeting place of Regina's major north/south and east/west routes, but that for years one corner of this intersection has been nothing but a vacant lot.

Of course, for years there was talk of a major condo/hotel development.

For years nothing happened.

Eventually they swapped out the old fence surrounding the site for a new see-through fence.

Progress!

Then in September it was announced that in October real would start on the development.  Finally.

Of course, the real work wasn't scheduled to begin until after Thanksgiving.

When a single backhoe and dump truck showed up and seemed to move some old pavement around for a few days I wasn't particularly convinced the project was really a go.

Of course, after quite a number of days of similar action/equipment my hopes weren't much lifted.

Eventually, in time for the October 28, 2015 photo op this pile driver was delivered.  Aside from its use as a backdrop for the photo op I don't get the sense that this has done anything much yet.  And as my understanding of piles is that they aren't driven until excavation has been done, that six levels of parking excavation are still incomplete/not started I can't see how this thing is going to be of much use for the next few months.

Of course, it wasn't until yesterday/today that I've really started to have any faith that the project is really going to move forward.  Finally, for as far as I can tell, the first time obvious attempts at excavation were in the works.

Of course, what this excavation seems to show is that the hotel that was previously on this site was only partially demolished.  The top was knocked down while the foundation was left to rot/be dug out years later.  Now that I see how much demolition is still required before true excavation can start I am worried that much progress will be made before Winter sets in.

Of course, one of the real reasons I'm particularly interested in this construction site has nothing to do with the significance of the intersection or it's impact on the re-development of downtown Regina - but because my new job is located in the building next to the construction site.  

Days after I arrived is when they years delayed project finally started.

Even though we're only a few days into real work transpiring the sidewalk I pass along to get to work is already covered with mud - a problem that is only likely to grow worse with continued excavation.

So I guess at the heart of it I'm really just another NIMBYer, or at least a LMSTPPACSWRINer (Let's Make Sure This Project Proceeds According to Code and Schedule and With Respect for Its Neighbours).

I'll do my best to keep you updated until this whole thing is complete, which should be some time in 2018.

Hooray for timing!

Build-a-bed

When Jeannette moved from Wolfville to Ottawa a few years ago one of the first things she purchased was a relatively inexpensive, easy-to-assembly bed from a major Scandinavian retailer specializing in such things.  Not surprisingly, by the time I arrived in Ottawa a few months later and we needed to disassemble the bed for the first time we began to notice a few signs of deterioration, though at the time they were all relatively superficial.

Despite these weaknesses we continued to use the bed, and even moved it from Ottawa to Regina.  During this move more substantial damage to the bed was sustained, so much damage that the moving company compensated us for the cost of the bed.  Of course, despite the damage (and likely because our belongings were delivered on the evening of December 23rd) we continued to use the bed.

While no new damage to the bed occurred during our move from our apartment to new house, it quickly became clear that our bed was on borrowed time.  The absence of a head board which meant that almost every time one propped pillows against the wall behind the bed the bed would be pushed further from the wall was incredibly trying and maybe the single most compelling justification for us to get a new bed.

Because of our relatively unsatisfactory experience with our previous bed we began compiling a list of features, or characteristics, we hoped our new bed would have.  We soon agreed that the bed should:

• be made of solid wood rather than some kind of fibreboard
• have a sturdy headboard
• not have a footboard (so I can hang my feet over the edge of the bed)
• match the other furniture in the room
• allow for storage underneath the mattress

After several months of relatively unsatisfactory, though lackadaisical, shopping Jeannette eventually realized that an option might be that instead of buying a bed we could try making one ourselves.  This way we could ensure it would meet our various specifications.

At first I was quite hesitant to undertake such a project as I feared we might end up sinking quite a lot of money into the project and ending up with either an ugly or unfinished bed.  Jeannette, thankfully, was quite insistent that we would be capable of successfully building an attractive bed.

Eventually, particularly once Jeannette found an appropriate non-plywood building material, I was won over and we started to make plans to build our bed.

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In the end we used composite spruce boards we had cut at the store and some of the still functional hardware from the old bed.  Somewhat later in our design process we also decided to cover all of the corners with corner moulding - a process that took hours because of the labourious process involved in making compound cuts with a hand-powered mitre saw.

The head board, a feature of which we are both particularly proud, came together once we'd more-or-less finished the rest of the bed and knew which materials we had left and once we'd made a trip to the fabric store and purchased some upholstery materials.

Now that we've been sleeping on the bed for about two weeks I think it's safe to say that the bed works and that we're quite pleased with the results of the project - it is neither ugly nor incomplete (my two fears).  The only downside of the bed is that it is so large that it won't be possible to get it out of the bedroom without entirely disassembling it (the corresponding upside is that a huge amount of crap can be forever hidden under the mattress).  (Fortunately we had the floors refinished just before we began work on this project.)

Working our way up the scale

After some painting and then a few weeks of gardening projects Jeannette and I finally got around to tackling one of the more substantial (maybe it wasn't actually all that substantial - but it was certainly daunting) projects associated with our new house - the construction of a new balcony rail.

Soon after we moved in to our place it became clear that what looked just like a little weird balcony on the back of our house was actually a decrepit little weird balcony.  As this winter's snow began to melt and expose the places where there used to be wood we began to get a sense of the general decrepitude of the rail - and it wasn't good.  As more time passed pieces of rotting wood began to fall onto the patio below.  Sitting nearby when there was even a slight breeze became risky.

As obvious as it was that something needed to be done, I was a little hesitant to act before we were comfortable with our plan of action.  Of course, once it became clear that my unwillingness to even consider developing a plan became was an excuse for inaction, Jeannette scoped out the supplies and forced me to agree to a plan.

On Friday after work we went to a local building supplies store and picked everything up.  And because I was less than psyched about using my mitre box and saw to make all of the cuts we took advantage of the store's cut shop.  For reasons that still aren't entirely clear to me (but that may have something to do with an employee's dissatisfaction with his job) we ended up getting all of our cuts done for free.

Of course, it rained most of Saturday so we had to wait until today to get going.

Fortunately, because the rotting process was so far along the task of clearing the old railing was accomplished in just a few minutes.

Before long we were on to the construction phase.  And because we purchased a few metal connectors instead of relying on nail/screw based joins we were able to move along confidently and quickly (and with zero bashed fingers).

And then not long after that we were able to start adding the balusters (though our original plan had been to add them from the inside and then flip them around to the outside we decided to just keep them on the inside).

And that's basically all there was to the project.  Amazingly, we were done in just a few hours (deconstruction and construction combined).  As it turns out there was no reason for my hesitance - this whole process was shockingly easy and straightforward.  And as Jeannette just pointed out to me, it wasn't particularly expensive (especially after we returned the extra balusters).  I'm just glad my lethargy didn't cause us to try to put it off until next year.

And if you're curious to know how we passed what would have been rail construction time on Saturday it went as follows:

I installed a new cord on this lamp.

With Jeannette's assistance I installed some box shelves on the wall in Jeannette's office.

Assembled a new patio bench.

All kinds of shopping related errands (including the purchase of new sheets, plants, and deeply discounted linen clothes).

Men at work

So it seems that there is a construction site not to far from our new apartment.  From our kitchen window I've been able to watch the the building progress.  I've also been able to snag a few boring time-lapse clips - at least this one involves a little crane action.



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Who knew the construction of a golf green was this complicated?

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I certainly didn't.

Making a Wooden Futon Frame

A few weeks ago I looked at my friend Peter's wooden futon frame and observed that the design was really quite simple. Actually, the design seemed so simple it seemed like something that I might be able to replicate with relative ease and only a few tools.

Of course as I haven't made much furniture my claim that I would be able to easily make a wooden futon frame was met with some hesitation and suspicion. Even my pricing of lumber and buying a mitre box and saw didn't seem to allay fears that at best this project would end with a pile of partially used lumber and stripped screws.

Through all of this doubt I remained firmly committed to the idea and confident of my abilities, even though I haven't done much woodworking since my Home Maintenance class in high school.

On Tuesday I finally got around to picking up the required materials: 3 2x4s, 8 1x4s, 1 1x2s, 50 screws, and 6 nut/bolt/washer sets.

That afternoon I laid things out as best I could without cutting any of the wood and did my best to picture how the item would come together. Without much hesitation I then started working on the project by cutting the 2x4s down to size and then drilling holes in them to allow me to use the nut/bolt/washer combos to create hinge effects.

The next major step was to attach the 1x4s to the 2x4 sections to create the areas on which the pad was to rest. As expected, this all went quite well.

Of course, as I didn't make any plans or take any measurements from Peter's futon I did eventually run up against a problem when I found that some of the 2x4 sections were to long to allow the frame to lie flat on the ground when in the bed position. To fix the problem I had to remove the 2x4s from the 1x4s and cut them before re-attaching them. (Considering that I didn't have any plans or specs I was pretty pleased that this relatively minor and easily rectified problem was the only real problem that I encountered.)

Once the fram was constructed I attached sections of 1x2 the 2x4s to hold the back of the frame in the couch position. The next, and last, step was to cut wedges in some of the 2x4s to act as resting places for the previously mentioned 1x2s so that the couch position could be maintained. And even though I had to make the cuts freehand they turned out remarkably similar to one another.

Anyway, feel free to check out the time-lapse video of the event. As you can see, the frame is really quite simple and easy to construct.



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In case you are curious, it does feel pretty great to have made a functional piece of furniture. I presume this sense of accomplishment is similar to what knitters or sewers feel when they make a wearable piece of clothing from materials that originally seem completely unlike anything even remotely resembling clothing.

The only the the futon is still missing is a proper pad, though a fully functional/comfortable arrangement has been rigged up with a thing foam mattress and a think memory foam mattres pad.

Awareness Fail

While I was walking down Morris Street to campus today I encountered some construction and an associated sign requesting that I used the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Only after crossing the street did I learn that a construction project on newly crossed to side of the street had also closed a portion of the sidewalk on that side of the street.



The absolute laziness and lack of the larger construction crew really frustrated me. If the other side of the street is blocked don't just put up your standard sign and pretend that everything is fine. In such circumstances more imaginative solutions to the problems need to be found. Maybe, as I have seen implemented at other construction sites, a temporary pedestrian walk-way could be created with cones. While there may be no particularly good solution to this problem, simply telling people to cross the street without checking to see if that cross was functional is unacceptable. I am really quite surprised how upset this situation has made me, but I am really quite pissed off.

A Few Quick Notes 195

-Just like the past few days, today's weather is quite passable. It seems that we have clear skies and low winds. The only complaint might be that it is on the hot side (but that may just be because I am sensitive to such things).

-On Saturday I purchased a new pair of sunglasses, so far I am quite please with my purchase. The last pair broke when I was trying to straighten one of the arms.

-After about a month and a half I finally got around to re-planting my bean patch. Due to cold weather and a lack of sun my first set of beans didn't really take off. Hopefully the better weather will allow this round of seeds to flourish (even if I won't be here to reap the benefits).

-It seems that construction season is now in full swing. Not only is Prince Philip Parkway somewhat obstructed because of construction projects, my own street (one that is not a main thoroughfare) is having some rather major patch work done. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon as the construction crews making walking to work a little more difficult than it should be.

-Today while doing some cataloging I came across a third LCC cataloging joke (the first being that the Bible is in subclass BS; the second that subclass VD is used for things relating to Naval Seamen). It seems that LCC puts French Canadian literature in the subclass PQ. Maybe it is just me that finds this funny.

-This morning I started started a house sitting gig. Almost as soon as I walked in the house I found that one of the fish was dead. Fortunately the net was conveniently located and I was able to scoop it out and flush it without too much trouble. Luckily the owners were aware of the problems with the tank (and doing their best to rectify them) before I arrived so I won't be overly criticized for the death of this goldfish. I just hope that remaining fish are able to hold on.

When I make it back to the house this evening I will have to feed the fish, cat, and dog, and take the dog for a walk. I am hoping that this last task won't be too trying as I am not particularly familiar with dog walking.

-It turns out that not a big fan of the P subclasses that are used for the classification of literature. I feel that there are far too many tables and not that in the end the whole system isn't all that much better than just arranging the books alphabetically by author (and then sub-arranging them by title or date), as this is basically what occurs in many sections any way (but only after works by authors from different countries have been segregated from one another).

Gaz leak on St. Laurent

Earlier this afternoon I was walking along St. Laurent, making my way over to meet my father and uncle at their hotel. Just a block or so north of Sherbrooke I noticed that I was walking next to a water mane construction site and that there was a very loud noise coming from the pit. Accompanying the hissing was a strong smell. Though the employees didn’t really seem too agitated, I quickly figured out that this must be a gas leak.

As this idea was forming in my head a fire truck appeared on the scene. As I proceeded south several other fire trucks appeared. Still nothing in particular was being done to evacuate the area or prevent people from walking right next to the construction site.

When I reached the hotel I mentioned that I thought there might be a gas leak on St. Laurent. After a few minutes of preparation we headed out and approached the area. We very quickly saw that the street was now closed to traffic and that there were even more fire trucks. We also saw that there was a gas truck on the scene.

Though the street was closed to traffic pedestrians could still get pretty close to the action. So, as it was on our way, we walked towards the heart of the scene. It soon became clear that this was a pretty major operation and that for some reason the fire trucks were pumping water and had hoses out. A pretty large amount of water was flowing down the sides of the streets, though we weren’t able to see the source.

Maybe later tonight I will try to check some news sources and get official confirmation that the construction crew struck a gas line while doing routine work.

Anyway, it is likely that you read it hear first.