\n\t\t\t\tBeadboard and vinyl flooring\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nSounds easy enough, right?\u00a0 The teeny-weeny problem is that you have to have your project completed by a certain date.\u00a0 Checks arrived in February and so the fun began!\u00a0 All was going according to plan until our contractor (who is a friend and therefore quoted a ridiculously low price) broke his hand.\u00a0 Okay, now we start the new contractor search.<\/p>\n
There’s something about living in a rural area, particularly in the mountains.\u00a0 People just don’t have the drive that most city folk do.\u00a0 Now, don’t get insulted anyone, it’s also what makes rural people some of the nicest people on the planet.\u00a0 But here’s how the new contractor search went — ‘yes ma’am, I’ll be there first thing in the morning to look the job over and give you a quote.’\u00a0 First thing in the morning — crickets.\u00a0 No contractor, no call to say there’s a delay, changed my mind, go jump off a cliff … just crickets.\u00a0 No problem<\/em> the undaunted Happy Homesteader thinks!\u00a0 I’ll just call the next guy on the list.\u00a0 ‘Yes ma’am,’ he says, ‘I’ll be there first thing in the morning to look the job over and give you a price.’\u00a0 CRICKETS.\u00a0 Getting a bit nervous here.<\/p>\nThis could go on for four more paragraphs but let me spare you.\u00a0 We were running out of time – both on this blog and on the fast approaching deadline for the project.<\/p>\n
Finally!\u00a0 One guy comes and quotes for the new tin roof, the windows and the gutters.\u00a0 Yay!\u00a0 His quote is almost what we were prepared to spend on the entire<\/em><\/strong> project but, gee, we’ve got to get this started because our inspection from the grant people is scheduled for August and this is July.\u00a0 Besides, we can put it on the credit card, right?\u00a0 Cha-ching! (get used to seeing that word)<\/p>\nOf course The Happy Homesteader was at a farmer’s market when the crew came to do the roof, windows and gutters and The Innocent Bystander had a huge crisis with a client that kept him from supervising so when the crew finished, collected cash from hubby and left and I came home -YIKES!!! They didn’t do one window or the gutters and they are lonnnnggg gone.<\/p>\n
Enter contractor number two.\u00a0 A friend who truly wanted to help us out because by now The Happy Homesteader is having some serious panic attacks.\u00a0 The friend was going to do the electrical work so he gave us a list of supplies which we promptly went and picked up.\u00a0 Oops, the friend had to back away from the job so now we’re left with some supplies that are non-returnable.\u00a0 Anyone need some very pricey wire?\u00a0 We’ve got it for sale!<\/p>\n
Enter contractor number three.\u00a0 A great guy who quickly and expertly did our electrical work but who charged more than our friend was going to.\u00a0 Cha-ching!\u00a0 But at least the electrical work is done!\u00a0 Yay!<\/p>\n
And…. enter contractor number four.\u00a0 You want HOW MUCH to do the insulation, wall panels and flooring???\u00a0 Seriously???\u00a0 But we’ve got to get this done NOW.\u00a0 Cha-ching!!!!!!!<\/p>\n
And, in the middle of all of this, we ordered a PTAC unit to provide heat and air for the fussy microgreens.\u00a0 This was what I had when I grew them on the coast and I liked it so now the research is on to find just the right BTU’s for this grow room.\u00a0 The perfect unit is found and ordered.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Tracking number is issued.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 The Happy Homesteader calls the company TO MAKE SURE it’s on its way because contractor number four needs to do the cut out and frame work so it will fit in the building.\u00a0 Yep, Build.com assured me on two separate occasions that the PTAC unit had shipped.\u00a0 Nope.\u00a0 It was discontinued and a farce of biblical proportions ensued as we tried to get a new replacement.\u00a0 Our phones suddenly got directed into a maze of ‘special offers’ from which there was no escape when we tried calling.\u00a0 We even had our IP address blocked.\u00a0 Know how I know that?\u00a0 Cuz when we used Tor, a private browser, we were able to pull up their website.\u00a0 Can you believe this stuff???\u00a0 Long story short, we paid more and finally got a unit thanks to Elaine at Build.com.\u00a0 She was the only good thing in all our dealings with that company.\u00a0 But….. (of course there’s a but) it was 2,200 BTU’s more than I needed but it was all that would fit in the already finished building.<\/p>\n
Got that problem solved after two months of killing every mirogreen seed I planted by hanging shades from the ceiling that blocked the hot desert air coming out of the oversized PTAC unit from blowing on the teeny, delicate plants and now – whew – all is well and finished.\u00a0 And now, at long last, so is this blog post!\u00a0 Here’s the finished project:<\/p>\nPlease, 2019, be gentle with me. I don’t think I could take any more..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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This was the biggie my friends; the one that just about blew our minds away.\u00a0 There have been lots of half-cocked, ill-conceived projects on this half acre homestead,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[35,97],"class_list":["post-2078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homesteading","tag-microgreens","tag-microgreens-grow-room"],"yoast_head":"\n
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