Saturday Jan 14/12

Saturday Jan 14/12 update

Bella was to be off learning how to use her new loom today while I crawled out of bed at 3:30 and was at on my way to the new house around 7:00.  On the way I spied some nice flora, spooky trees, a hummer, and a fellow pouring liquid back and forth between cups.   That was the good part of the day.

Friday the 13^th comes a day later in Ecuador, something like time in Newfoundland!

Jorge showed up at 8:00 and dropped off the ceramic guy, named Vicente, who immediately attacked the ceramic work around the tub.  Darn, I meant to get a picture of the awesome work this kid does.  It will follow.  I know Bella will love the new tub even though it is higher than normal.  We may have to add some assist bars.

Around 9:30 Enrique finally decides to show up and he continues on the wall in the garage.   Meanwhile I am painting the gates to cover all the weld spots.   I am not a good painter but I think I like the result. 

I was only partially watching Enrique and questioned him a couple of times about the straightness of the blocks.  He kept playing with his plumb bob, then he would check with the level which would tell another story but he was willing to let the bubble slide off the scale.   I told him that if the foundation isn’t right, and level, every other layer just compounds the problem.   The fact is the floor slopes not only back to front but slopes to the southwest corner.  He did not make allowances to get the first row completely flat so my prediction was so true.  At one point I made him remove 3 layers of bricks and he tried to straighten it but wasn’t getting it right.   I kept noticing the glass blocks weren’t very even, but they seemed close enough from the front.

Enrique packed it in early, about 1:30 and asked for some payment, which I gave him.

Once he had left and I was cleaning up on the inside I couldn’t believe my eyes.   I had the leaning tower of glass blocks in my new dining room.   While it might be a conversation piece it isn’t what I was paying him to make.   I had Vicente come down with his level to verify that my eyes, Enrique’s level, and my level weren’t lying.  Vicente just shook his head and showed how the whole wall was leaning outward, never mind the glass block fiasco.   I fretted and fretted and Vicente mimed that the whole wall would have to come down, and that he could build it easily, and straight, in one day.

I took the bull by the horns and demolished all of Enrique’s work today, before all the concrete set.  Jorge came by and confirmed it also.  Vicente quickly cleaned off the white mortar around the glass blocks to salvage all those.   I didn’t want to mess with the lower wall that had already set 24 hours as that will probably need a hammer and chisel man (Oh God, do we call Fred Flintstone?).   Where is that Bobcat when you need one…  I called Michael to translate and Jorge said he would talk to Vicente’s boss on some high-rise project to see if we can grab him for a day next week, otherwise he could only show up at 5pm each day.   Boy, I really don’t need days that long…

I figure I will let Enrique enjoy his weekend and give him the bad news Monday morning.   He is going to want his tools anyway.   I think I will still use Enrique and his friend for the screen work on all the windows and possibly the terrace roof, bit I may have to re-think that.  Maybe the perfectionist welder would be the man for that?   I just won’t be asking Enrique to build any walls.

Bella has indicated she intends to start getting furniture and appliances delivered daily.   Goody!!   I can’t wait to move.

We have not yet heard from the Kywi installer for the water heater yet so we have decided to see if they will call to show up on Monday or not.

That was today’s excitement.  Enjoy the pics which did upload tonight, hooray!.    

Votes so far received by email - Blog 1, Email 5, Enough - 1

Hugs to all.

120114 Sleepy Hollow

120114 Crooked wall 1

120114 Crooked Wall 2

120114 Removed top of wall

120114 Hibiscus tree in front

120114 Hummer Silhouette

120114 Pouring Act

Friday Jan 13/12

Friday the 13th/January 2012 update

Yes, Friday the 13^th and we’re not superstitious because it was a GREAT day with PROGRESS!!!   I have been on my feet from 7am to 6pm, I’m tired but elated because we got so much done today.

Jorge showed up with his cement/ceramic/tile guy to work on changing the main shower into a tub enclosure.  I like this kid right off the bat, smart and capable, and he proved me right.  Then Enrique showed up and I gave him the bad news that he wasn’t getting the tub job but he could start on the wall right away.   I gave him some money for supplies and he promised to be back after lunch to start, hoping the welding guy would be done by then.  Then the gas guy delivered the new propane bottle I ordered as Bella was running to Kywi to see if we could get the installer to come for the on-demand water heater hookup.   She called later to say he would be there some time in the afternoon.

The welding guy showed up ½ hour late and we discussed the requirements via Jorge and Enrique.   He began by installing the new lock on the main gate structure and it took him 3 hours to get it just right because he was a perfectionist.

To explain briefly, the large main gate has two large east-west doors that have the pin latches and sliding bars to keep them in place.  They both open outwards.  The east section includes a large man-door that opens inwards and this would be the normal way to enter.  However, since we are turning the garage into a dining room we had to move the propane bottles and water heater just inside the gate (for ventilation) and wall them off so we wouldn’t get any fumes, etc.  Because of the windows between the living room and garage, the area for the new wall is restricted so that the man door would hit it and not fully open.  Therefore the simplest solution was to use the entire east side of the gate as our entry point.

After lunch Enrique was back and started on the wall.  I was amazed at the rudimentary but effective methods he used to line up his work, strings and plumb bobs in evidence.

Then Jorge drove up with the ceramic guy along with Fred Flintstone and more supplies for the tub job.  I couldn’t figure out why they had brought so much sand and cement but I soon found out why…

The welder came back with his helper (son?) and they did a great job tacking up the screen to the inside of the gate.  He let the young guy do most of the welding and it was clear this was an apprentice learning the craft from an old master.  The heavy screen is to avoid anyone reaching in and tampering with the water heater, the gas, or my bike, which will all be in this 3 foot space.

I supervised all three operations going on and helped out with needed tools or cleanup.  The young ceramic guy was a pleasure to watch.  I wanted to be sure the fiberglass tub ($63 at Coral) was installed solidly so it wouldn’t move or twist.  I had no idea this kid and Fred would lug 600 pounds of sand upstairs for this purpose!  For a while there we had the best sandbox in all of Cuenca!    I watched as he checked his work and it was perfectly level on all sides.  This kid is going to be a great craftsman.

Enrique finished half the wall and went home around 4:00.  The next level begins with the glass blocks we want installed for light in the new dining room.   He will be back at 8am and work until noon.

The welder and kid were done around 5:00 but I dragged the kid and his cutoff saw up the lavanderia and terrace metal doors and had him cut me some cat doors.  On the terrace door I just temporarily covered it with cardboard and duct tape.  I cut some hose and slit a line up the length to make a soft edge for the lavanderia cat door until we can do something better later.  This is where the cat litter will most likely be, so the activity in and out will be regular.

Then Jorge showed up again to review things and he was followed by the cabinet maker who wanted to check a few measurements.  I hope this bodes well for the early arrival of our new pantry and island.  However he said the doorway in Enrique’s wall needs to be 95cm instead of 92cm.   Ugh.   I am sure Enrique won’t be pleased about that as we both measured the existing doorway.   The good news is that the concrete blocks here are extremely soft and porous so I hope it isn’t a big chore to knock off an inch.  I have yet to see anyone use a concrete saw here, always hammer and chisel.

Fred and the ceramic guy were still cementing in the tub edges and then cleaned up a little.   They will also be back at 8am.  I assume the concrete will be set enough for him to finish up his work tomorrow.

The Kywi guy never did show up to install the water heater so I was a little miffed about that.  I will have to sick Bella nd Michael on them again.

I was to meet Bella for supper at 6:00 but had to cancel out as I was running late.   It turned out our proposed restaurant was closed so she grabbed a pizza and brought it home.  It tasted great.

That was today’s tiring but rewarding excitement.   

I was trying to give you the pics but this Google Blog BS won't cooperate and after 3 hours of trying to put this together I am pretty fed up after a long day's work.   So I am going to email this as well.

We have heard from many of you saying that you prefer the emails, but we have not heard from anyone saying they like the blog format.  So, we are going to ask you all to email us at albellaecuador@gmail.com  with your vote, 1. keep the blog - or 2. go back to emails - or 3. I'm sick of it already.  

Don't be afraid to tell us please.  We're not doing this for our health, it is a lot of work but so many of you have indicated you enjoy them, so....... let us know.

Hugs to all.

Thursday Jan 12/12

Thursday Jan 12/12 update

On the way to the new house I stopped at a ferreteria where the young fellow speaks passable English and asked for a sink hose connector.  After showing me some diagrams I picked the right part and it was a whole 90 cents.  Fred Flintstone was already at the house and was really happy that I had supplied the part he needed.    

I had emailed Michael earlier to see if I should hire Enrique to do some of the work.  He agreed so the call was made.  Enrique came within 15 minutes and I gave him a quick tour and rundown of our situation and what work we could throw his way, like installing the tub and building our removable wall in the garage/dining room..   He left but was back within ½ hour with his metal guy who will construct our screens for all outside windows and later build the roof over the terrace.  This fellow took the measurements of all the windows and we discussed the terrace roof options.    Then Enrique came back a third time with estimates for the terrace roof.  I was flabbergasted that it was cheaper to go with bronze smoked glass than chloroplast panels!

Meanwhile Fred Flintstone was in the lavanderia to clamp down the hot water hose.  I didn’t supervise him doing this.   My mistake.  Instead of using the same holes he used to nail up temporary supports, naturally he made new holes.  Instead of logically placing the clamps and making sure things were straight, well, he did them differently.   You can see the result in the photo attached.

Then we tackled the new double sink.  He applied way too much silicone and we seated the sink.  Then Fred proceeded to suck it down into place with wire or at least as close as he could manage.   I cleaned up the sink area myself and was very careful not to get silicone anywhere on the outer sink surface as silicone can cause oxidation of metals.  Their “stainless steel” is nowhere near the thickness, strength or durability that we are accustomed to and the sinks stain easily.  He also hooked up the under-sink piping.  Now when we apply plumber’s tape to joints we use about 3-4 wraps and we’re done.  He doesn’t seem to be satisfied until about 30 wraps.  I am surprised any thread is left to catch on the fittings.  He did not a bad job and I only needed to tighten one fitting later.

Then we extended the water lines to front of the garage where we also put up the new Bosch on-demand water heater.   This time I closely supervised and made sure he lined things up properly.  I asked Michael to call the Kywi installer to come finish the installation so the Bosch 2-year warranty will be valid.   With any luck they will be able to do that soon, maybe tomorrow as well.

At 2:30 Jorge and Michael showed up along with the welding guys to discuss amending the main gate so it will swing outwards.  The welders will return in the morning to install a new lock and to tack up heavy screen to the inside so nobody can tamper with the gas, heater, or my bike which will all be in that front corner.

Fred was up in the main shower and cleaned up all the debris which I carefully spread out on the dirt road in front as it helps keep any dust down to a minimum.   That was Freddy Flintstone’s last act and I can’t say that I am sorry to see him gone.  At least I can discuss things with Enrique and get things done properly.

Everyone disappeared and I didn’t know if and when anyone was returning.  I called Jorge and he said they would be there in 5 minutes.   He returned with Freddy, who packed up his gear, and dropped off replacement bathroom tiles, plumbing+drain items needed for the tub installation, and the screen and lock for the front gate.

All in all it was a good day and we are finally seeing progress. 

Bella continues to shop for items for the house and I suggested she call in the drapery people to make their measurements.   Our move-in date is getting closer, we can feel it.

I bought a phony plant from a roaming salesman and was tagged by some woman trying to sell nutrition supplements.   The people going by on the paths are fun and interesting to watch.  I was waving to a young fellow walking with his Mom so she came over to talk and I got a nice shot of the little guy.  I just love these dark-eyed kids.

I watched a young lady with a hyper-active white puppy that almost got lost in the grass but he would just bounce his way through.   I should have taken a video but my battery was too low.   We are so going to love this new place when we get settled.

When I got home I called Marcelo, the gas man, to bring me a new propane tank and regulator at 9:00am to the new place as the Water heater installer will need to test the machine.

Bella is off tutoring Segundo and my eyes are getting heavy….

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.

120112 MovingWater+GasLines

120112MainBathWork

120112 MainBathHotWater

120112 GuestBedroom

120112 FredFlintstone

120112 NeighborKid1

120112 NeighborKid2

120112 BoschOn-DemandHotWater

Tues-Weds Jan 10-11, 2012

Tuesday Jan 10/12 update

Bella did some shopping for household necessities, like bedding while I spent a very frustrating 10 hours at the house.  I left home at 6:15 and basically spent the whole day watching Fred Flintstone hack away at our nice concrete walls with a small sledgehammer and chisel, then pound away at our sink with a hammer and screwdriver.

There are three things underway there, making a vent for the water heater above the front gate, extending the hot water to the washing machine, and changing to a double sink.   Fred Flintstone is a hard worker but he is definitely from the stone age in methods of operation.  Jorge has used him for years and trusts him but he doesn’t speak a word of English and just responds “Si” to whatever you say.  I just have to step back and let them do it their way even though I could do a better job 3 times faster if I knew what to expect inside the walls.

I had researched on the internet how to drill into ceramic tile so I tackled the task of installing three vanities in the bathrooms with four anchors and screws each.  I started with my own bathroom just in case I really screwed it up.  Actually I did pretty good except I put it in upside down the first time.  That didn’t take long to fix.  The next two I did even smarter so they really took no time at all.  Then I cleaned windows and floors from top to bottom while listening to the pounding of Fred Flintstone.

Jorge came by and saw that Fred was having so much trouble extracting the old sink that he called in a young fellow with brains and tools, and who spoke some English.  This new fellow had the old sink out in no time then cut into the cupboards to make room for the piping and drains.  I told Jorge he should use that guy more often.

At 4:30 I couldn’t take any more of the pounding and left.  Bella had a super supper waiting with scrumptious brownies and that lifted my mood a lot.  By 9:00 I was headed for bed, totally exhausted. 

I determined that I would not go to the house until the afternoon tomorrow and give my poor body a break.  I need to accompany Bella to the bank because they need my signature.   Bella’s signing authority has to wait until we get our cedulas which will mean a trip to Quito very soon.

I had Skyped with my friend Sean from Beijing who has taken a teaching job in the Sunnan province because the money was good but it means being away from his family most of the time.  In discussing matters he said he would not be able to read this blog, or use Facebook or YouTube as they are all blocked in China.  We certainly take a lot of these privileges for granted, don’t we?

Wednesday Jan 11/12 update

I woke up at 3:30 with a pounding headache and body aches all over.  I took a few drugs and laid down until Pancho decided to knead me into submission to feed him and Peso at 6:00.   The cat food here has such poor nutrition that they are always at the automatic feeder.   However they do love the tuna here, as Manta, Ecuador is the tuna capital of the world.

Bella and I went to the Banco Pichincha and got the draft for the ½ payment on the house so we can be ready as soon as we get word from the lawyers.   We also took out some ready cash to pay for the renovations.

Then Bella went shopping for supplies while I went to the new house again, arriving about 11:00.  Fred Flintstone had completed the hot water connection for the washing machine but has yet to secure the water lines to the wall.    Then we went down to tackle the sink piping and secured the faucet, etc but he said he was missing a piece of the drain so off he went.  This was 1:15pm.   About 2:15 Jorge showed up with the type of piping Fred had gone looking for, tried to phone Fred but Fred had left his cel phone here.  Jorge left. 

I checked the big corner cabinet shelf which also needed a chunk cut out for the sink piping and discovered that a block of wood acting as support on the left side was only held there with tape!  If we had loaded that shelf up with heavy items it would have collapsed.  So I fixed that with some anchors and lag screws.

Then I saw the sink faucet gasket lying on the floor so I had to take off the faucet again and correctly install it with the the gasket in place.  Sheesh!

I started to tackle little things for Bella.  I found out what was wrong with her fancy new lamp switch so I fixed it with a little ingenuity, a cut up push pin, electrical tape and duct tape.  It works good as new now.

Then I set up her bathroom for the telephone shower but I had to go get a short piece of pipe at the neighborhood ferreteria.  The lady in the shop couldn’t understand what I wanted but he young son, about 8, found it right off.  He is one bright boy.

About 4:30 I called Michael to let  him know what was, or rather wasn’t, happening.  He called back to say that Jorge would soon be over and that he would bring a sample of the screen he wants to use on the gate.  I was waiting at the gate around 5:15 and Fred shows up with the same kind of pipe that Jorge had brought earlier.  He starts to play under the sink again and now says he is missing a screw-on connector.  Then he just looks at me with a resigned look and says “Manana?” (tomorrow).  I nodded yes and we left at 5:30.  Jorge still had not shown up.

The days are slipping by and small pieces are getting done but there is still so much to do.   We are both so anxious to move in already but we really need a metal worker with a portable welder next, then a concrete/tile worker, etc, etc. Wish us luck.

 That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.

120111 GettingWaterToLaundry

120111 ViewFromFrontWindow

120111 HeaterVentDamage1

120111 HeaterVentDamage2

120111 SinkPipeCutouts

120111 HotWaterToLaundry

Monday Jan 9/12

Monday Jan 9/12 update

Well I was up early to walk to the new house to meet Jorge and contractors at 9:00.  It had rained but I was a little early so I walked the rest of the neighborhood to the south and east to see what is around.  Within 3 blocks we have a small park in all four directions.  Right in front of us we have the double walkway which has a grassy slope down to our alley/street and we often see people reclining in the shade of the trees there.

3 blocks south is the “autopista” or ring road which will also zip us over to the big Mall De Rio on the west side of Cuenca.   2 blocks east is the hospital, we think it is for government employees, and a small creek.   And of course, 1 block north is the mighty Rio Tomebamba which we cross to get to the Monay Mall and the Coral store.

Jorge showed up on time soon followed by the cabinet guy and Michael Berger so we went over our desires for the pantry and island.   Bella will be so excited to see that finished.

Then the electrical/plumbing fellow came and we went over some of our wants before starting on putting up light fixtures in the living room.  I decided to get him to keep going and do all the fixtures but we only had enough toggle anchors that Jorge brought for 1 fixture so I ran to Coral, then 2 other ferreterias but nobody had any.  So Jorge jumped in his truck to get them, and it turned out that he got them at the hardware store where we bought a few fixtures on Saturday, just above our present house.

I really don’t understand how experienced workmen show up a jobsite with no tools, none….   They expect that I am going to have the tools for them to do the job.  Hello……  I did bring a lot of tools with me and have purchased more so we are in pretty good shape but it still ticks me off that I am paying these guys almost double the daily rate AND they need to use my tools.   I told Michael that I am going to charge them rent for the tools.

Once we got the first fixture up we learned to ignore most of the usual mounting hardware because they don’t work in these thin plaster ceilings with no mounting boxes.  Basically we would take the ceiling bezel and mark our holes and use a large drill bit to make a hole big enough to accept toggle anchor bolts.  I had Jorge get 50 toggle bolts and matching washers and that is what we used throughout.  He brought two larger toggle bolts that we used for the heavier dining room fixture.  They hook up wires really long and use electrical tape mostly instead of the plastic joiners.   This fellow and I worked all day, side by side, not understanding one another at all except by signs and pantomime but between the two of us we overcame a lot of adverse situations presented to us by the products we had bought.   Can anyone explain to me how I can get 3 supposedly brand new identical fixtures from one store and two of them be missing many key components???  I bought 3 cute hanging flowery fixtures for the bedrooms and only one was complete, of which Bella is the lucky recipient.   The next best is in the guest bedroom but mine is a composite of spare parts and pieces.  All in all, it came out pretty good, mostly thanks to my own ingenuity.   I think the other guy would still be there if he had tried to do all this on his own.  

I have no idea what they would have done if I had had no tools at all.  The cabinet guy better not come to mee looking for tools.   I have no saws for wood yet, just a little hand saw.  I have heard that cable installers have borrowed a homeowners screwdriver and pounded a hole through the concrete wall with a rock to install their wire.   It was almost the same experience here, except I had a hammer too!   Welcome to Ecuador.

Bella is looking to take a weaving course and get a loom.  She is looking at making our own rugs for the house!  You just can't keep a good crafter down!

I hope you enjoy today’s photos.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.

120109 Wet Wildflower

120109 Autopista

120109 Central Park

120109 Our new home- yellow on left

120109 Our creek and hospital

120109 Installing Fixtures

120109 Jorge Beltran in front of house

120109 We are behind right of center

120109 Our Creek

120109 Top Dog

120109 Our dual walkway

Sunday Jan 8/12

Saturday Jan 7/12 continued

Well Saturday didn’t exactly go as planned because we couldn’t cut the debit card in half.   Bella needed it to go get some more deposit money for the contractors and I needed it to get more supplies.   Bella trumped me this day because she was going to the area of the bank to meet a new bridge player for lunch, named Manon, from Tennessee I think, who is here alone as her husband initially didn’t want to come to Ecuador.

So we decided to check out the light fixtures at a hardware store (ferreteria) on the road above us, Gonzalez Suarez, and we ended up buying four very nice fixtures for the main floor which I cabbed over to the new house right away, then walked home.  We only need about 9 more fixtures for the upper floors.  Bella took a bus for her luncheon and then checked out the #15 bus route to see how handy it can be from the new house.

There were celebrations going on in the community with all kinds of fireworks  until the wee hours.

Sunday  Jan 8/12 update

I walked to Kywi to swap the gas line and pick up the balance of the supplies today for security and plumbing.  They did not have 16 meters of the gas line so I had to take a credit.   There is no way I want to splice gas lines and  restrict the flow and maybe cause leaks.   I tried to buy their best reversing security gate electronic lock and they were out of stock.  I ended up getting 3 cute light fixtures for the bedrooms and several energy-saving bulbs, and the two faucets for the washing machine area.  I managed to fit it all in my backpack.

Then I  cabbed over to the Coral store in the Monay Mall and picked up the 16 meters of gas line as well as Bella’s bathtub.  They drafted one of the employees to carry the tub over to the house and I paid him $2 for his trouble.  I removed the shower doors in the second floor bathroom and put the tub in place.  It fits in well with a few inches to spare so maybe we can get that project under way as well.  Now I am all itchy on my hands from the fiberglass.

I put bulbs in Bella’s new fancy lamp and tried it only to discover the switch does not work.  I guess we will have to jerry-rig something there.  Welcome to Ecuador.   You literally should check out everything before you leave the store.

We now have most of the supplies in place for a proposed meeting with Michael, Jorge, and a couple of the contractors tomorrow so we all get on the same page and get some work done.  Hopefully they will show me the proper way to install fixtures in their paper thin ceilings which are made with bamboo crossmembers and fibrous leaves coated in plaster which is very soft.  I had managed to put a fixture in the new terrace but that portion was concrete.

We enjoyed Skyping with family this week.  Thank you to those that keep in contact this way.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.

Outcast Rose  Jan 8/12

Cuenca Kids 7  Dec 24/11

Cuenca Kids 8  Dec 24/11

Cuenca Kids 8  Dec 24/11

Hummer Silhouette  Dec 14/11

Cuenca Mommy  Dec 16/11

Cuenca Kids 10  Dec 24/11

Cemetery Flowers Jan 8/12