90 degrees in the shade.....

90 degrees in the shade....

August 4th -- 90 degrees in the shade is the name of a classic cocktail that a friend (and you know who you are!) has promised to make for me, and what I hope to be drinking one day during the hottest day of the year next summer as I sit on the covered deck off the master bedroom.

The most significant event today was the framing of the covered deck -- finally, and wow is this going to be great.

The next three photos show the covered deck from the north side of the house.

Here is a view of the deck as it faces west and as you look at the back of the house.  The best architect in the world designed the deck so that it will be possible to sit outside as the sun shines while there will be enough shade  to actually enjoy a classic cocktail

While I dream of sipping classic cocktails next summer as I sit on the covered deck off the master bedroom, the amazing guys on the roofing crew continue to put in 11 hour days, doing what has to be one of the most dangerous and dirty jobs in construction.  At least there was a good deal of cloud cover today so they didn't have to work with the sun beating mercilessly down on them.  

The primary goal now is to get all the exterior framing done as soon as possible and the roof for the entire structure completed (which was why the covered deck was framed so it can be roofed, before the rest of the siding was installed).  Then, the new furnace will be installed, along with the venting required for the planned zone heating system.  Once the furnace is in, then the structural support post can be placed in the basement so that an interior load-bearing wall can be moved to accommodate at least a double-sized bed in the guest suite.

The contractor came by today for my meeting with the kitchen designer.  The kitchen designer and I have already met twice at his showroom, but this was the first time he was on site to make some preliminary measurements. Although the demolition of the original back wall of the house is not yet complete (about 2 feet of brick needs to be removed and a lentil installed), the kitchen designer and the contractor discussed important fine details, such as which ceiling joists should hold the venting for the range hood.  In the mean time, my imagination is running wild as I begin to think of the amazing cabinets, granite counter tops and new appliances that will form the galley-style kitchen....but, let's not get ahead of ourselves.  The new windows -- for the existing part of the house, including the sliding glass doors (the replacement for the current double windows) that will open to the pergola-covered deck on the south side yard -- are scheduled to arrive on site before the week is over.