I recently got my building permit, and I can already tell you that I am not going to enjoy the rebuilding process, not even one little bit. That is a gross understatement like saying the Titanic took on a little water.
Apparently the first thing you have to do in building a house is to fill the hole in the ground with brand new dirt. We have three pieces of equipment moving the dirt around, compacting it, and whatever else they do with dirt.
My son Isaac when he was six years old would have enjoyed watching these machines more than anything else in the world. I am 76 not 6, and I can say unequivocally that I take no pleasure in watching these machines, especially since I have to pay for all this work.
There is some kind of soil specialist who looks over the compacting of the dirt. He looks very serious, and I get the distinct feeling he would issue me a summons if it were within his power. He never smiles, but he is there to make sure the dirt is whatever dirt is supposed to be. I apparently pay for him also.
I spoke to my general contractor to find out what the next phase is. He tells me the excavator will be coming to the site soon. “What does the excavator do?”, I asked innocently enough. I could not believe me ears, “He removes the dirt.”
It is a time like this when alcohol is a necessity, and if it were possible to get it delivered intravenously, I would opt for that. If I have this right, I just paid for dirt to fill a hole, a person to inspect the filling of that hole, and now I am paying for the dirt to be removed from that very same hole.
I have tried unsuccessfully to understand what is going on. My general contractor explained the process to me and my bride, and, of course, she understood it while I find the whole thing mind numbing. Of course, some of my friends would point out that my mind has been numbed for much of my life. There is supposed to be a method to this madness, but whereas others apparently see the method, all I sense is the madness.
In any case, if this rebuilding continues like it is going, I would not be at all surprised if they put up the frame of the house only to tear it down. I am sure somebody would be able to explain the logic of that also.