May 30, 07

We had no traditional power in the neighborhood so we needed juice. We had to go to Allied equipment rental to rent a generator, jackhammer, and rebar bender. We dug out footers and built wooden forms. Every time we picked up a hammer or used a saw, it freaked out the workers. They thought we would break a nail or cut a board out of square. Excavator Steve worked on excavating the slab area. Because we left without checking the exact foundation dimensions, we needed to hire a backhoe to increase the footprint of our construction site. We hired a local named Steve who was knowledgeable at his job.


May 31, 07

Our crew started rebar work, bending and cutting pieces. We started pouring the bottom of two of the footers. The locals mix concrete on a piece of plywood and mix by using hoes. It’s very labor intensive. In the back of our minds, we kept thinking, “Where is our cement mixer?” Soon come.

Starting

May 29, 2007

We began the building process with a “crew” of “experts”. Whatever. The main guy was like a puffed-up rooster walking around telling everyone what to do (in a dialect we did not completely understand). We’ll call him The Scorpion, which was a nickname he got because of the huge gold scorpion necklace he wore. He was ‘DE BOSS. Turned out he had little to no structural building knowledge. I guess at first we didn’t have the confidence we have at home to know that we know how to do this sh%t. When you are new here, it’s easy to back down and wait to learn….but, you know, it’s the same as anywhere.

May 26, 2007

We left Alaska for the island for the next 80 days and had no idea what to expect. Excavation should be completed for the cottage, but we had to leave before it was done. We have no idea what it will look like. Our hopes are high and we are both excited and nervous. Back in March we secured housing for the summer at Bob and Karye Carney’s house. The flight down from Alaska is a long one. We always take Alaska Airlines to Seattle and then Miami. Once we reach Miami, we make a bee-line to the American Airlines Admirals’ Club. For a mere $75 you can get a quiet place to rest, snacks and even a shower. It’s amazing what a shower can do after about 12 hours traveling. It’s a beautiful oasis.


May 27, 2007

So….here we go…we hit St. Thomas. . It’s the usual hulabaloo, but this time we have luggage. It takes an extra 45 minutes to get our bags. This experience has never happened to us before because we have always been carry-on travelers to the Caribbean. We finally get to the ferry. We made arrangements for our truck to be at a friend’s business in Cruz Bay since we would be arriving so late. I went up to get the truck while my wife stayed with the bags. When I walked up the hill I found a huge sign in the window of her business that said “Take Bob’s truck.” When I looked in the parking lot, there was her husband’s vehicle with another huge sign across the windshield saying “Scott, use Bob’s truck.” When I went to the truck, there was a West Indian man by the parking lot that looked at me and said ‘Ah mon, You must be Scott.” It appears our friends had misplaced our keys so they had to make other arrangements. We head up to Gifft Hill to crash. It had been a long day.

May 28, 2007

Happy Memorial Day!!! We relax at the beach to catch up on rejuvenation. Reality…later.