Mar 23

My Trench & Wire Passed…

the electrical inspection. Cool! The Inspector told me to make damn sure that there are no sharp edged rocks against the wire because over time the wire will be cut. Wants me to walk down the trench and pull about 6 inches of clean dirt (clean dirt?) over the top of the wire before backfilling. I can do that. I actually do (most times) listen to the experts.
Got out at the property about 0900 and started trying to stretch out the water pipe. By the time Brian (our son) showed up I was pretty much soaked to the skin, muddy from head to toe and tired. Rain didn’t let up either. We mostly stretched the water pipe out using a blow torch to heat the pipe and a lot of muscle. But by noon I had had enough and called it a day. We’re supposed to get some nicer weather in a couple of days and we’ll meet back out there and finish it. I may have to rent a smaller excavator to do the backfill. At $185/day it’s cheaper than Bob the dirt guy.
I was SO muddy I thought about driving home naked. But then I got a look at the inside of my truck and figured it wouldn’t make that much difference! Got home, stripped and jumped into a hot shower to get warmed up and I’ve just been sitting around (well, if you don’t count doing some laundry, dishes, fixing dinner and straightening up) watching tv. Finally got off my ass and built a fire; was getting kind of cool in here.
That’s it.

Mar 22

Damn, I Am SO Sore!

Got up at 0600 and was out of the house shortly after 0700. Stopped by the rental place and rented a trencher. I’ve never operated one before and I probably never will again! Man, that thing is a trenching fool but harder than hell to turn. After putting in about 50 feet of trench I was drenched with sweat. But it worked; now the water goes around the area where we wanted to work today.
Finished with the trencher about 0930, loaded it up on the trailer and took it back to the rental place. Only cost $100. Not too bad. Got back to the property just in time to follow Bob up the hill.
We spent the next 5 hours digging a trench from the dome hole to where the transformer is going in. While Bob trenched I pulled the wire (damn that stuff gets heavy!) and tried to unroll the water line. Not an easy job! The water line was really too cold to unroll easily so it got only about half done. If that. And one of Bob’s pistons sprung a leak and was shooting hydraulic fluid all over the place. Bummer.
Finished up about 1530 and by the time I got home I was so sore I almost fell getting out of the truck! I’m getting too damned old for this stuff! Took a long hot shower and have just been sitting around watching tv. Smallville was pretty good tonight.

Mar 20

Busy Busy Day!

Got up around 0730. Got on the phone at 0830. Called the company that is going to do our Special Inspections to get their registration number (they don’t have one). But they did e-mail me a copy of their certificate to operate. Called PUD3 (Dianne) to find out if they have to inspect the trench and wire/pipe Bob and I are going to put in Thursday. They don’t. However, Labor and Industries does! Labor and Industries? So I tried getting hold of someone there. No go. They all leave the office by 0830 to go out and do inspections. Got online to request an inspection. No go. You have to have a permit. Great.
Called Dianne at PUD3 to find out where I get the permit and how long it would take (visions of wasted time Thursday dancing in my head). Turns out I get the permit at Labor and Industries. Back to their website and $201 later I have a permit and a request for the inspection to be friday if possible.
Back on the phone (and internet) to track down where I get the Poly Pipe I need for water line. First question out of their mouths was “What size?”. I don’t freakin’ know. I’ll get back to you.
Called Nicholson Drilling (the folks that are going to install our well) and talked to Jim (who has actually been out to the site) and we talked about 15 minutes about preassure -vs- resistance and how I don’t want any turns in the water pipe if possible. What it boiled down to was I need 500 feet of 1 1/2″ 200 psi pipe. Back to the pipe companies.
Called several companies but the best price is a HD Fowlers just outside Gorst. At Hd Fowlers 500 feet of 1 1/2″ Poly pipe (with 3 fittings to hook them together) will run me about $1100. Phew!
Back on the phone (and internet) to track down the wire I have to run from where the transformer is to where the dome will be. First question out of their mouths was “How much?” then “Aluminium or copper??” About 500 ft and I don’t freakin’ know. I’ll get back to you. Called Dianne at PUD3 and we talked a few about wire. They set up for Aluminium but I need the 250MCM wire which is a bit more expensive than the normal wire they use. I need the ‘next-up’ size because of the distance from the transformer to the dome. Ok, thanks! What I saved in aluminium -vs- copper I more than made up for in guage.
Back to calling around for the best price on 250MCM wire. Wound up at North Coast Electric (Dennis) where 500 feet of 250MCM wire will run me $1955.78, 1-1000ft roll of direct bury tv cable $161 and 1-1000ft roll of direct bury phone cable for $299.06. Phew! You know what? I ought to go out and remeasure just to be sure this is what I need. I’ll get back to you.
Called Bob to let him know where I was in all this. Called my son to ask his help measuring (cause it’s hard holding both ends of a 100 ft measuring tape and getting an accurate distance measurement). Started to get some breakfast (about 1100 now) when Bob called back. Said he wasn’t doing anything so why doesn’t he go out and help me measure (and he wants to take a look at where he’ll be digging a trench). I’ll be over in a few minutes, Bob.
So we went out and remeasured. It turns out I need only 400 ft of electrical wire. Cool! But I need close to 700 feet of water line, tv cable and phone cable.
Two hours later I’m back on the phone with Dennis at North Coast Electric and my total order of 400 ft of 250MCM wire, tv cable and phone cable comes to ONLY $2169.22 (with taxes)! My Goodness! I get to pick it all up Thursday.
There aren’t too many days where I get (or want) to spend $3400!
So, finally (I think) I get to settle down and relax for a moment when the phone rings. It’s my son saying he can come and help and he wants to pick up some of his stuff. Thanks, but the measuring is already done. But he did come over and get some of his stuff. Well, he loaded it into my truck and I took it over to his place in Bremerton. ???
Finally got home and settled down around 1830. Aren’t y’all glad!?!

Mar 18

By Noon I Was So Tired Of Sitting Around…

That I took Poop Dog out to the property to run around a couple of hours. You should have seen him! When I said the “G” word (GO) he damned near jumped out of his skin trying to get me to the door and on the way. He knows what IÂ mean when I say “Want to go to the property?” even if he is an inbred shiteatin’ mono-testicled mutt!
Was nice out there. Didn’t rain on us at all and it almost felt like it was trying to get warm. Man! I never in my life time thought I’d ever think 57 degree’s was nice out! Ever! Took the truck all the way to the dome hole. Took some pictures that are now on my webshots site. Took a video of Poop Dog running UP the side I dug out.
And that’s it. Home watching Dirty Jobs and working on my web sites. Kat called earlier and she’s doing okay. Cool!