Day 2, Friday 8/3/01
I got up at 9. Continued digging the walk out area. It's slow going because
it is all shale. I’m paranoid that the machine is going to break. I want to start
digging the basement hole before it does but I can't set up the batter boards
because they will be in the well guys' way.
Its hot and muggy today. I don’t mind cause I’m in the woods. I dig a hole
for my outdoor facilities behind a tree. It takes a pick ax, shovel and hands to
dig 6 inches down. Lesson # 100…if you try to dig near a tree you will hit
roots. Also if you try to dig on a mountain top it will be rocky!
I head into town at about 1:30 to get food, diesel, a cup holder for the
machine (every back hoe should have a cup holder), conduit, and try to cash my
income tax rebate check. I go to a local bank but they won't cash the check cause
I don’t have an account there. But it’s a government check. Why can’t they cash
it? The bank lady says to try Shop Rite. Sounds good to me, I need food anyway.
I head to Shop Rite. I stop at the local Bobby Bonehead auto parts place to get
a cup holder. $3.00 for a cup holder! What a rip.
I go into Shop Rite which is packed with Friday afternoon shoppers of all
shapes and sizes. I wait in line at the check cashing counter and ask the lady
if she will cash "the Mans" income tax rebate check. She looks at it closely as
if she has never seen a government check that didn’t say social security. She
says sorry but she doesn’t think she can do it. I ask if I can write a personal
check for groceries and she says only if I have a New York license. Oh well. I
have $7, so I buy mayonnaise and bread for the tuna I already have. I look
across the street and happen to spot a Fleet bank. I hit the ATM and am back in
business. Over to Post Hardware for conduit, marking paint, a toilet seat and "browsing".
Back to camp. I eat a tuna sandwich.
I'm anxious to start digging the foundation. I decide to layout the house and
dig leaving enough dirt to hold the temporary stakes. Then I can build
batter-boards after the well is done and still get a jump on the digging. I
layout the house (again) using the 41'7" diagonal and 24' and 34' walls. I'm
getting better at this. I set the house so the front is facing south. I have
about 15 degrees to juggle it to take advantage of the winter sun and the lot. I
want to drive in stakes but the is no dirt where I want to put the stakes
because I had done some haphazard digging to check the ground condition. I fill
in the old holes and set stakes. I bring in the big yellow one and maneuver
between the stakes. I dig until 9 PM. It goes very well.
Magee show up at 10:30, safe and sound. Its good to see her.
10 hours.