Progress Report

Jan. 16-22, 2005 // CONSTRUCTION LOG #15

Construction

Synopsis: This was the most chaotic of the past three weeks. We are now back to a normal pace.

Renovations

Unit 103: It is finished, furnished and decorated-it's fantastic. We had people staying there on Tuesday night. We got the beds delivered and made up by 10:30 that night. Furnishing and decorating a house makes a tremendous difference. We actually did a reasonable job. We had some furniture and got some wall hangings, ceramic things to go on the walls, and a bunch of other stuff which makes a house a home. Draperies were installed on Wednesday.

Unit 104: This advanced well. Actually, the rate of progress is faster than any of the others. The crew has learned what and how to do the changes and they are now able to go about it with little direction and hesitation and false moves.

Unit 108: This will be the next victim. We have a rough sketch of what it will become. We do not have to alter any of the columns. It is being cleaned out of items stored there in preparation for working there beginning Monday.

Bodega

it is nearly completed. It is stuccoed, doors on, and wired. We'll tile the laundry room and the employee change room. We have to build the shelves yet to act as storage for our furnishings.

Architect issue

This has been resolved. To the first architect's credit he was able to look at what happened maturely and professionally. While the working relationship might continue to be strained a bit, I believe we can get beyond it and still work together effectively. I'll ask him to develop a plan for our duplexed unit. This will be a challenge; I have no ideas.

Our application for building permit: it got hung up in the ministry of health. I'm lead to believe that it's now be unstuck.

Marketing

This is the highlight of this past week and it's been very difficult to keep up:

Unit 103 was committed to Doug. After seeing 103 completed, he changed to wanting that unit. I have three other people who are interested in unit 105-I expect one of the three will make a commitment on it. Unit 104 is spoken for but noting nailed down yet. Unit 108 is spoken for as well based on the sketched floor plan and exterior rendering. They same people want an option to purchase 107 but I also have another person who is trying to throw money at me for it as well.

Obviously, these units are being well received.

New Construction

We continue to put the base coat on the walls and the electrical rough in is done in all but two units. We've also started to build the shower stalls.

Electrical and Telecommunications services

West side. My electrical friend reviewed the existing services and pronounced them problematic. We've decided to redo this. It has been spliced so many times, it's above ground and now that we have trimmed the hedges back, it remains quite exposed and is an eyesore.

Our lives

Joe and Phil left at the beginning of the week; four others arrived the same day (that is why I had to get 103 done) and my sister arrived the next day--Wednesday. The highlight of Joe and Phil's time here was a trip they took to Tortugero-north east jungle/swamp- the scenery and wildlife was amazing. Sherri, Jack and their two friends are currently in another jungle location near Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula. They return on Sunday and my sister goes to the same place on Sunday.

I bought a used Jeep-I wanted a safer car with larger tires and higher off the ground. My little Hyundai is still running great but if I'm going to be here as much as I am, road safety is an issue.

Brian. Lita, Hugo and Vika

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