Progress Report

February 6-11, 2006 // CONSTRUCTION LOG #70

Contact phone numbers

Internet Phone:
New York: 315-279-6711
Toronto: 416-907-5758 // 416-461-2203

Costa Rica:
Cell: 506-305-3965
Land: 506-282-4142 Ext. 101

NOTE: the New York and Toronto numbers are "local calls" for people in the area codes; calls from outside the area code will be billed at the normal rate from the caller's area code to either the "315" or the "416" area code.

Pictures: interiors 122 / 123

The Story: churning out the work and getting settled.

CONSTRUCTION

Weather: beautiful and windy.

Units 117-120:

Unit 117: finished and occupied. Again, just in time. As of Saturday, the owner has purchased the most important aspects of his home-living room furniture-leather sofa, love seat, and recliner chair, area carpet, two beds, terrace table, and kitchen things, and draperies, . In addition, he has determined what end tables and coffee tables he wants.; we'll work on those next week.

119 and 120: These have advanced but the focus was elsewhere.

Units 121, 122, and 123:

121: The drywall is ready for painting and the molding is mostly fitted around the windows. Floor tile will follow next week.

122: There will be some late nights to get this finished by Feb. 14. It will be a sqeaker but I'm still hopeful. We've cleaned the area around it and have made it ready for landscaping. Granite in the kitchen and bathrooms is now installed. We have ceramic tile work to finish in the master bathroom, stairs, and the bedroom cabinets yet to finish as well. Final painting and cleaning will follow.

On Sunday there is a crew feverishly working to finish the unit. As of now, the door handles are on backwards and they've used the wrong color of paint and the day isn't over. Regardless, progress is being made.

123: Note: This lags 122 by a week.

Units 101 and 102: We have the Ministry of Health's approval and the plans are now with the Municipalidad of Santa Ana. We haven't started any work yet as we focus on finishing of other things - besides, we have to move out and are not sure we have a place yet.

Electrical System Upgrade: A wee bit of progress but definitely not yet finished.

Roadway: the markings have been completed.

Lockers and Locker house: The final design for both the lockers and the house which is to be on the 2nd. floor have been finished. We've started preparing the site but for the most part, these people have been devoted to cleaning the area around 122 and preparing it for landscaping.

Gas Hot Water Heaters: We continue to experience mix results with these machines-some people complain that they cut out leaving them to finish off their shower in cold water - not a lot of fun. We have been trying to problem solve this and to date, aren't sure if we've succeeded. Sometimes I know it to be operator error; other times, I'm not sure and it's the "not sure" part which we are trying to understand. The current theory is variable water pressure causes the boiler to cut out on some units.

Marketing: Our purchaser for 117 arrived as scheduled. I've spent the last several days working with him to get him settled and to purchase the things he wanted for his home.

We have the purchaser and her daughter arriving on February 14 to occupy 122. It will be really close-late nights and all day Saturday and Sunday will be required.

Transition: We've advanced this by beginning to set up systems and to develop information which will allow us to manage more easily.

Next Project

We've prepared the offer but have not yet presented it. We found out on Friday that the soil is not very suitable. It has been assessed as being too susceptible to landslides without significant concessions to setbacks from inclines. We are to get a complete report on Monday but we are not anticipating good news. That being the case, we will abandon this property.

This means we will probably now focus on the smaller, 2nd. piece of property on the outskirts of Ciudad Colon. This is not a hardship and is, in many respects, equal to or better than the possible discarded land.

OUR LIVES

Phil and family returned to Canada and Joe arrived. So too arrived our marina friends and their two children.

The election is over but the results were so close a recount is still on going. It appears Oscar Arias is leading. The surprise was that the vote was so close; polls had Arias's lead being much greater.

I can't remember the last time we ate a home. Saturday night it was a return with 12 people to The Grill overlooking the central valley.

The parrot: she likes Manhattans!!!!! Lita offered her my drink and she couldn't drink it fast enough. We Lita would put the glass to her mouth, the parrot beak (she was on Lita's shoulder) would reach out and pull the glass towards her where her head would disappear only to bob up gulping down the drink. This went on until she became cross eyed and then became very, very mellow..

Saturday night saw a Toronto based marina friend and his wife stay with us. In all, 12 went to The Grill at the Monastery restaurant where there is good food and a fantastic view of the central valley.

Brian, Lita, Hugo and irreverent Vicka, the pigeon toed parrot.

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