Pixielated Builder

Christmas (Part 2) Christmas Day

2010-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It has been quite sometime since my work bench was this bare. Usually, there is some sort of project going on.

Lack of an on going project has allowed me space to put up a Christmas Tree.

I've recieved a lot of Christmas Card.

Are you ready to see whats in the package? I sure am!

I'll never figure out how FaeX gets such a large item into their shipping containers. Turns out that this package wasn't addressed directly to me. In fact it was addressed to Clara Pamplemouse and Miranda P. Ixie , in care of me. Looks like this is my next project, a combination coffee shop and book store.

I'll definitly be calling in the Phist Bros. to help with this. Guess I'd better look over the plans and figure out where to start.

If I don't see you before, have a Happy New Year!

Christmas (Part 1) Christmas Eve Day

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there. I'm on my way to the FaeX office. As you can see we've got a pretty "big" snow storm going on. FaeX has a package for me, but can't deliver it due to the storm. I've decided to go pick it up, especially since it is tagged to be opened tomorrow, on Christmas Day.

The storm has ended and I'm on my way home with the parcel. While I was in town, I decorated my Jeep for Christmas.

I'm really getting into the Holiday spirit this year. What do you think of my hood ornament?

Do you remember Miss Fahren Hite, the owner of the Tin House? She made me a beautiful ginger bread house, as thanks for building her unique home.

Stop by tomorrow, when I open my package. I have no idea what's in it, but I'm anxious to find out.

The Tin House (Part 7)

2010-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm glad you stopped by. C.Pender Sr. just called and told me that a Miss Hite is on the way. It will be really interesting to meet her. Hope you have the time to stay around and meet her. I've got a key ready for her when she arrives.

When Miss Hite arrived, she said to just call her Fahren. She is the little red headed pixie that has been living at Devika's house. She seemed happy to get the key to her new home.

I took her on a tour of the house,and explaining the sprinkler system and the other fire prevention items. Fahren was very impressed with all the fire proof material that went into the construction of this house.

She was very pleased with carpet on the metal staircase. Fahren said the second floor looked just like she had imagined it would look.

It looks like I set the second floor windows at just the right height, for a pixie of Fahren stature.

Once the tour was over, Fahren thanked me for her "Most Wonderful House, Ever!".Then she hurried to Devika's to get ready for moving.

Fahren did not explain why so much trouble was taken to fire proof everything. C. Pender (aka Dad) told me the reason I wasn't allowed to know the clients name before, was because of my Blog. He said that Devika reads my blog and some strange things had been happening at her house. If I had mentioned Miss Fahren Hite in my blog, it would have given away a "BIG SECRET". Oh well!

Be looking for you to stop by my next job, whatever it might be.

The Tin House (Part 6)

2010-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! You got here just in time. A few minutes later and you would have missed meeting Tarin.

He's just now coming off the room, after installing fire proof shingles. Hope you're not afraid of spiders. I always like using Tarin to do the roofing. It takes him about a quarter of the time it would take me. Plus, he's really professional. Tarin usually doesn't say much to strangers. So many people runaway from him, that he feels unwanted.

I've built and installed a railing at the top of the stair case. Most of the work now, is detail work. Some of the paint needs to be touched up.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Later the same day.

There was a Thunder Storm in the area this afternoon. A strange feeling came over me,and I thought an all metal house could be very susceptible to lighting strikes.

Thats when I put a Lighting Rod on each end of the house.

I'm just doing some clean up, in preparation for turning the "Tin House" over to the owner. I still haven't a clue as to whom that owner is going to be.

After I empty this trash can, I'll be done.

Hope, I'll be seeing you on my next project.

The Tin House (Part 5)

2010-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. As you can see, I've gotten a lot done on the second floor.

Since this structure is made of metal, it's going to be difficult to heat in winter and also to keep cool in the summer. Therefore I'm installing a great deal of insulation.

The stairway arrived today and has been installed. Since I don't know who will be living in this house, I've put carpet on the steps. Who knows what kind of footwear they might be wearing? Bare metal can get pretty slippery, and I'd rather error on the side of safety.

In the construction business, it is always nice when the stairs are in. It makes it so much easier to get tools and material to an upper floor.

The second floor sprinkler system is installed. We'll be testing it after the final inspection by Taelyn's Fire Department.

The next job will be installation of the front roof section. I hate shingling, so I think I'll turn that task over to Tarin. With his eight legs, he's a "pro" when it comes to shingles.

This job is getting close to completion. Stop by in a day or two and this house may be done.

The Tin House (Part 4)

2010-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Good Morning. I'm just finishing the sprinkler system for the first floor.

For those of you who don't know about such things, I thought I'd explain how a sprinkler system works. Basically it is full of water at all times. There are sprinkler heads placed to cover the whole area of the interior space. Each sprinkler head has a piece that will melt when a preset temperature is reach in the covered area. That allows the water in the pipes to flow and extinguish the fire.

Here's a closer look at some to the details of this sprinkler system.

The flower petal looking thing is the actual sprinkler head. The area that a particular head covers, overlaps with the other close by heads. When water flows in the system, a fire bell on the outside of the structure will clang. At that time, Taelyn and his Fire Truck will repond.

I'll be starting on the second floor, next. As always it was good to see you, stop by anytime.

The Tin House (Part 3)

2010-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is the way the "Tin House" looked when I left the work site, yesterday.

This is the way it looked when I arrived, today.

Notice any thing different? After putting in a call to C. Pender Sr. (aka Dad), I found out the clients had made a visit to the house. He straightened up the job site, to make a better impression. He still is not prepared to give me any information on the pixie who is moving into the Tin House. Also, no input as to why the unusual fire proofing.

I did find out that this house is a "Habitat for Pixie's", project. Which means, I'm volunteering my labor on this house, the materials are being purchased with donations.

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Later the same day.

As you can see, things are progressing. The front window and door are in and the trim is finished. Some of the base board and corner molding is also done. Once I get the second floor on, I can work on the "sprinkler system". The client really wants some fire prevention.

The Tin House (Part 2)

2010-11-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Good Morning! You're here rather early. I'm just getting here myself.

Things seem to be progressing fairly well. These metal frame windows, offer a nice contrast to the metal of the house. I still don't know why we are making this home so fire resistant.

The plans call for fire resistant everything. This pretty wallpaper is made of material that will withstand temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The flooring material is also close to that temperature limit.

I've got to pick up some materials, so I need to leave. Stay around as long as you care to. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

The Tin House (Part 1)

2010-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's been awhile since I've seen you. It feels kind of strange to have my tool pouch on, but I'm ready to get back in the "groove". Come on in and I'll you show the plans for this "unique" home.

I'm not sure who will be moving into this house. Like all the homes I have built, this one has some unique features. The biggest being, that it must be extremely fire resistant. The exterior is made of metal! Hence the name (The Tin House).

The plans call for an additional window on this side, and also a window on each end of the second floor. It has involved a great deal of metal cutting.

See you again. Stop by anytime.

The Return of C.J.

2010-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there! It's my understanding that my Dad has been looking for me. Well here I am.

I guess that I need to do a little explaining. Let's face it, I had some personal problems. Most of which were caused by the girl pixies. I've never considered myself to be a ladies-man, but those little girls were sure chasing me. They're all cute and cuddly, but I just couldn't decide which one I like the most. So! I left town.
.

I spent some time on the road with a carnival. Mostly I ran some of the games. It got boring after awhile. That's when I became a stunt rider.

Jumping canyons was much more exciting, but all so more dangerous. Some of my "away time" was spent in various hospitals, with various broken parts. Luckly, I am all better now.

I've had a long talk with my Dad, and am going back to work, building "specialized" homes for pixies. The first one will be made of fireproof material.

MISSING

2010-11-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this Pixie?

Carr Pender Jr. aka C.J, has been missing from this blog site since June of 2009.

C.J. is 4 inches tall, (5 inches if you count his hair).

Has light blue eyes and platinum blond hair.

Has been known to frequent areas of construction,

Hobbies include fishing and motorcross racing .

Anyone knowing of his location, please notify me.

C. Pender Sr. , Pixielated Builders, 555-555-5555 or

E-mail pixielatedbuilders@yahoo.com

NO REWARD OFFERED!

A Personal Chat

2009-06-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

The sounds of heavy equipment running.

Hi there, thanks for stopping by.

As you can see, I've been cleaning up my work area.

This is the clearest my work bench has been in many moons. I've got some other projects, but a cleaned construction site is a good way to started.

Let me move this dumpster out of the way, and if you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you.

Make yourself comfortable.

I really don't know where to began. The other day, when I went to pick up my stuff at Clara's Coffee Shoppe, Clara explained something to me that I was completely unaware of. Miss C said that a lot of the girls around here find me to be attractive. That's why they followed me to the pool. This information also explains why I was doing so many service calls on garbage disposals. I was rather embarrassed by this news. There are some very attractive young ladies living in this area, but I had not really given them any thought. Let me explain why.

When I was attending M. I. T. (Miniatura Institute of Technology) , there was a girl there that I adored. Maxine was the greatest! She could pick up a dime with a front loader! I've seen her parallel park a folk-lift. Watching her operate a Jack-hammer was like watching a ballet. She was just plain amazing! We dated for a little while, and then she moved on to that great construction company in the sky. As I recall, the name of the company was GREAT WHITE CLOUD ESTATES. They specialize in residence for flying fairies and pixies. We lost contact with each other, but she still holds a special place in my heart.

Now that I'm aware of the situation with the neighborhood girls, I've got some thinking to do. I'm not sure that there is any one of them that I would be interested in.

Of course I could be lying. Be seeing you soon.

The Pumpkin Project (Part 4)

2009-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

C.J. singing softly "This job is done" (to the tune of our day will come).

Still singing while putting the finishing touch on the last window.

Hi! I didn't hear you arrive.

I'm sure glad that this project is over. Doubt if I'll ever build another pumpkin house. There are just too many problems in the design of this type of structure.

I think the "Pumpkin House" came out pretty good. The true test will of course be what the customer thinks. Silvana is due here shortly, in fact here she is now.

C.J.: "Welcome, Silvana. What do you think of your pumpkin house?"

Silvana: "I am impressed! It really looks like what I wanted. Can we go inside?"

Silvana: "I'm sorry C.J., but it is so small inside. I'm afraid that my furniture will not fit. I am really sorry, the workmanship is great, but it just won't do. Could you possibly find a buyer for me?"

C.J.: "I'll see what I can do".

If you know of a pixie looking for a home, have them contact Pixielated Builders & Realty at the number listed on the "For Sale " sign.

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Clara from the Coffee Shoppe called and asked if I could stop by.

When I arrived, Clara told my that she was in possession of the items I had left at the Pool, when I escaped the "crowd".

Clara is a real down to earth individual, and I asked her about the "pool crashers".

I got my life preserver and flip-flops, and some information that really embarrassed me. I've got some things to think over. Maybe I'll share Clara's insight, with you next time.

The Pumpkin Project (Part #3)

2009-05-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

This new floor gives more headroom, but less flat floor space. I do think it is a large improvement from my first design.

I think that I've got a handle on the window problem also. It requires building some extra framing. The test on the old pumpkin seems to work. A trip to Norm's Dollhouse is in order, as I'm short on framing material. Think I'll visit the Pool again.

I decided to take the long way, since it is such a nice day. The scenery is really nice, also.

Strange, I feel like someone is watching me. Oh well, I'm relaxing, no time to worry about it.

Almost there. I sure have been enjoying these pool visits.

This is great! The pool is very quiet, think I'll take a little nap.

(Loud music from a boombox)

What!!

Where did this crowd come from?

Multiple female voices " Hi, C. J."

Why is it only crowded in this area of the pool?

I don't understand, but I'm going to get out of here!

I think I left my flip-flops, but I'm not going back.

Seems that I may have to start spending more time building and less time relaxing.

The Pumpkin Project (Part 2)

2009-05-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

Some projects go easy, others hit a snag sometimes, but I've never run into a job where there is one problem after another. I managed to get a floor into the pumpkin, the problems are that it does not leave much head clearance and does not fit flush with the sides.

I don't like the way it will fit against the cut out section, either. I may end-up getting another pumpkin and starting over. The next problem appears to be fitting flat windows into a curved side.

That's it! I'm taking a break. A friend of mine is getting a swimming pool into shape for Summer usage. He told me to stop by when I got a chance. This is CHANCE! I'm going to load up my stuff and go relax by the swimming hole.

It was a long drive, but here is the gate.

My friend wasn't around, but had given me instruction on getting into the pool area. It looks pretty deserted.

I found a nice area and set up my beach chair, umbrella, and some liquid refreshment. This is really relaxing.

I spent about a half-hour in the sun. It was pretty bright and I decided to pack up and leave. I get sun burned very easy, and decided it was a wise decision.

It was so nice to relax, that I thought I would do a little 4-wheeling on the way home.

This has been Great!

I got an idea as I drove into the sunset. I'll let you know about it in my next entry.

The Pumpkin Project (Part 1)

2009-04-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Pixielated Builders has always specialized in Unique homes for Unique pixies. This next project is about as "UNIQUE" as it gets.

Pixielated Builders has a new client, she has requested that we build her a house made from a pumpkin. I've explained that pumpkins are not available at this time of year, and we will have a better chance of finding a pumpkin in the fall. She is not willing to wait that long, and has agreed to find the pumpkin needed. I wish our motto was "Normal houses for normal Pixies'.

I was surprised, but Silvana found a pumpkin. That's her perched on top of the"Great Pumpkin". She sometimes fills in for the Tooth Fairy, which explains her wings.

So we have the pumpkin, but we had additional problems. Try going to your city/county offices and try to get a building permit to make a residence out of a pumpkin. Talk about "orange" tape. There are no building regulations covering this type of structure in any records for this county.

I finally had a "bright idea". You may remember the nursery rhyme:
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

By doing a google search, I located Mr. Pumpkin Eater. He graciously provided me with the original drawings for his wife's house. It took awhile for the Fae city counsel to review and finally approved his plans, as an acceptable structure. Then we had to resubmit plans with the modifications that fit Silvana's ideas of her perfect home. that took more time, but we are now able to move forward with the "Pumpkin Project".

We marked off a rather large section in the rear wall as we will be cutting it out .

As you'll notice, we have the heavy equipment standing by. The crane for lifting the section and the front loader and truck to help with the disposal of the innards.

Taelyn has had some experience with pumpkins (as this file photo shows) and indicated that they can be very messy.

For a Tooth Fairy stand-in, Silvana is pretty sneaky. She could have let me know that this was a Styrofoam pumpkin and had no innards.

Maybe things are turning around and this project won't be as bad as I had thought.

A Home for Miss Hitty ( Part 7) Finally

2009-04-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hi there, visitors. I hope that you did not report me as a "missing person". My disappearance had to do with a quest to find the right building material for the next "Pixielated Builders" project. For now I'll just say that the item was out of season in this part of the country.

I did get back just in time to welcome Miss Hitty to her new home. Dad and the Phist Bros., finished it during my absence.

Sorry, but the photos Dad took during my trip, did not come out. I am posting before and after pictures of the remodel.

The front.

The side.

The interior.

I think this project, turned out very well.

Thanks for your patience, I'll try hard to keep you current from now on.

A Home for Miss Hitty (Part 6) A Sterling Silver Moment

2009-02-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

My sprained ankle is fully recovered and I was back at work on the "Hitty House", when I got an emergency call from Miss Devika. She manages the Maplewood Dorm.

The garbage disposal was making loud a racket and I had to disassemble it.

Miss Devika had no idea how the knife got in the disposal.

About an hour later I got a service call from the "Creepy Sisters", over at the Sea View.

They also had a noisy garbage disposal. They must have had the thermostat turned up to about 95 degrees, cause it sure was warm in their house.

The Creepy Sisters had no idea how a fork would have found it's way into their disposal.

I was just barely out the door when Miranda called with a service problem.

Strange, but her disposal was also making noise. Miranda expressed an interest in plumbing, and I offered to show her what I was doing. She said that she could see just fine.

The spoon in Miranda's drain, make one complete table setting that I had removed from disposals today. I wonder what the odds are of such a coincidence?

I hurried back to the Hitty House and unloaded my tools. I'm taking the rest of the day off. I'm going to ride my ATV. I'm going to let Dad handle any future "Service Calls".

See you soon.

A Home for Miss Hitty (Part 5)

2009-02-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been missing for a little while. As you can see there has been an accident.

As you probably figured out, the Phist Bros were playing with remote control cars. When I went to investigate, I managed to trip on the car they were playing with.

I ended up with a badly sprained ankle. Dad was pretty mad at Lefty and Wright. Since I've been laid up, he has been working them pretty hard.

All the siding is on and ready to be painted.

The first and second floors are coming along also.

I'll see you again, as I start getting around more.

A Home for Miss Hitty (Part 4)

2009-01-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Nice to see you again. I've just been checking some of the siding.

Come on in and I'll show you how we are progressing.

We've got the wallpaper hung and the carpet laid.

We'll be putting the framing around the inside of the windows, next.

What was that?

Never mind. I must be imaging things.

The second floor will be next. What the....

Excuse me, I need to find out what's going on here.

............................................

Meanwhile in the shadows. (Silent chuckling).

A Home for Miss Hitty (Part 3) and more:

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hello there. Have you grow some since the last time I saw you? Just joking.

Dad got this new piece of equipment. I'm not to sure what we'll use it for. The adjustments are a little difficult for me to use. Looks like the Phist Bros. will be using this more than I will.

We are starting to put the siding on Miss Hitty's house. The decision was made to use sheets of siding. That should speed up the process quite a bit.

The "boys" lift the siding into place, while I check the inside alignment.

What do you think of their new outfits? The gloves were their Christmas present from me. It worked out very well. Next Christmas, Wright will get a blue glove and Lefty a white one. It is nice that the gloves are sold in pairs.

A few nails and this piece will be done.

Taelyn has invited me over to see the New Years fireworks from the "Tower of Taelyn". I think there are too many Holidays at the end of the year. We just don't get a lot of work done.

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Taelyn decided not to stay up to greet the new year.

As you can see there was a problem with observing the fire works. My advice is look for a dark place for such an activity.

Well never the less, "HAPPY NEW YEAR" AND BEST WISHES FOR THIS YEAR.

Gone Fishin'

2008-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Taelyn was so happy about the work I'd done on the Lighthouse, that he gave me a boat for Christmas.

I loaded the boat into my jeep and headed for a fishing spot that my Dad had told me about.

It was a long trip, but I was pretty excited about trying out the boat.

The boat was easy to handle and I had it in the water in short order.

It was nice to be fishing again. I'm going to have to take more time for this kind of activity.

Excuse me, I think I just got a bite.

"Darmit"! You caught me. The boat drifted to far away from the camera. The lakes are all frozen around here, and this was the only way I could test out my boat.

A great philosopher once said "Give a man a fish and he will have a meal. Teach a man to fish, and he will find a thousand ways to avoid working". At least that's what I think he said.

I'm going back to dreaming of catching a five pound Bass. See you later.

A Home for Miss Hitty (Part 2)

2008-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'll been working on Miss Hitty's house, pretty much by myself. It will be Christmas tomorrow, and the crew have been taking time off to shop. Luckily, I planned ahead, and all my shopping is done.

The barn doors are all over-sized, and I'm putting in some frame work to allow a conventional door to fit.

Sometimes on a tight fit, a tap or two with a hammer helps.

For the door to function correctly, I have to make sure everything is square.

A few more inches and we'll see how well I've lined things up.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

I have to do the same type thing where the side doors were located. Instead of a door, these will now have windows.

I've got to leave now. The "creepy sisters" (they live in the Sea View) want me to make sure their chimney is not clogged or to sooty. They don't want Santa to get dirty, or have any problems getting through their fire place.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

A Home for Miss Hitty (Part 1)

2008-12-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

>

This is what Miss Hitty's house looked like when we started the remodel project.

First thing we did was have Tarin remove all the shingles.

Then Lefty and Wright removed the front sections of roof. Miss Hitty's bedroom will be on the second floor, her canopy bed needs the extra clearance.

We built a scaffold, and I cut a section out of the front wall.

Once it is removed, I'll repeat the procedure on the left side.

Here is what the place looked like when we knocked off for the day.

As you can see, all the molding strips, doors and etc. have also been removed.

We need to cut some openings for the new windows and size-down the areas where the old doors were. By seeing you.

Clean-up and Misc.

2008-12-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

After completion of the lighthouse, it was time to clean up the work bench.

So I got out the front loader.

Heavy equipment sure speeds up a clean up chore.

At Pixielated Builders we try to save all usable materials for future applications. The items in the truck will be sorted and may find a home on a new project.

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Well, as usual a new job has come up. Actually it is a complete remodel project. Sometime ago my Dad built a special structure for a little girl . It was a barn for the young lady's pet unicorn, UNI. I don't know what happened to the unicorn, the barn now belongs to Miss Hitty.

I meet with Miss Hitty, she seems like a very special lady.

We discussed some of the options. As you can see, it will take a lot of work to convert this to a home suitable for Miss Hitty.

Miss Hitty had some ideas and plans. I'm going to take them home and study them. I think we'll be able to do a nice remodel job for Miss Hitty

The Light House (Part 9) "TheTower of Taelyn"

2008-12-07T01:55:00.001-08:00

I've been very busy lately. For some reason I've gotten a rash of "service calls" (but that is a different story). Also, there have been a great many request for me to put up Christmas lights on the various houses.

Taelyn has become a little impatient with the progress on his lighthouse. Dad decided that he and the Phist bros. would complete the job. Actually, I think Dad may be a little bored with not being more active.

I turned the key over to Taelyn, which made him very happy. I also asked him to give you a tour.

.......................................................................................

Taelyn: Welcome to my new home. Come on in and I'll show you around.

This is the first floor, and will be the kitchen/dinning area.

I'll have this very nice fire place on the second floor. This will be my living room.

The third floor will be my bedroom. If you don't mind, I'll carry my mattress up on the way upstairs.

C.J. added this trapdoor to the beacon house catwalk.

That concludes the tour of the "Tower of Taelyn" (I think that is what I will call it). I hope you enjoyed it and will stop by once all the furniture is in place.

A Day on the Links

2008-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Phist Bros invited me to play a round of golf, something I had never tried before. Wright was sure that I would find the experience, very interesting. Since I am trying to develop a better boss-employee relationship with the boys, I agreed to give it a try.

I had discovered that I am by no means a "natural". Wright seems to be pretty good, and Lefty better than me.

After the first nine holes, Wright said he was close to par (whatever that means).

Lefty had taken less swings at the ball then I had, and seemed very happy about that.

Lefty then gave me a nickname, he called me "hacker". I'd never had a nickname before and was kind of pleased, that I was fitting in.

By the 18th hole, I had improved a great deal. I hit the ball in the hole in very short order.

Lefty seemed to get worse as we went along. On the 18th hole, he kept yelling "four", even though he was well over four swings at the ball.
That's when I figured out what Wright had meant by finding golf interesting.

When Lefty doesn't do well, he gets angry and breaks his golf sticks. Wright and I snickered, we did not laugh out loud however, since he still had some unbroken clubs.

I don't think this is a game that I'll be playing again.

The Lighthouse (Part 8) Who would have guessed?

2008-11-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

I was surprised that you haven't been by for awhile. Dad explained that you visit by way of the Internet. It seems that one of the bills that I customarily just put in the desk drawer was for Internet connection. That's all straightened out now, and I'm glad to see you again.

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We are ready to install the roof on the Beacon House. Alonzo made arrangements for a crane, with which I hoped we could do the job.

I practiced operating the levers and such, and when I felt confident, we hooked the cables to the roof.
A problem with using miniature equipment for miniature building, is that such equipment does not convert well for handling scale loads.

First the crane tried to tip over.

Then the boom gave way.

This caused a problem, as I had planned on lifting the completed Beacon House on to the main structure with the crane.

Dad said that I complicated the beacon house roof project. His solution has always been to "let the Phist Bros. do it".

They are more useful then I had thought. The roof is on, and looks good. I guess I'll need to rely on Lefty and Wright a lot more.

The Lighthouse (Part 7)

2008-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

C.J. humming softly "You Light Up My Life".

"Hello, again. I'm just cleaning the lens for the beacon. Just a minute and I'll come out."

"I'd invite you in, but as you can see, it is a little crowded in here".

"I'll bet that for a minute, you thought that I was trapped in here. We have , however, added a door".

"The door sure makes access a lot easier".

"I was surprised to discover the amount of electrical things needed to make a lighthouse beacon function. It is all coming together".

"Next we'll be adding the roof, railings and some flooring around the beacon house. See you soon".

The Lighthouse (Part 6) The Beacon House

2008-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the last few days, I've been working on the Beacon House, with Lefty and Wright. They don't seem to be to happy about my being the Boss. "The Kid" is what they call me, but only when they think I can't hear them.

The plans call for the beacon house to be built on the top of the light house. I talked with Dad, and we've decided to build the assembly on the ground and then lift it to it's proper location.

I gave the Phist Bros the day off and asked Taelyn and Alonso to help with the final assembly.

They put their shoulders to it, and we got it closed up. That's when I discovered that the designer had neglected to include a door.

Taelyn and Alonso got some ladders and I climbed out. We will be putting a door in real soon.

I took a group photo of the three of us.

My new shoes are helping with my photo taking. You may be asking yourself the question "How does C.J. set the timer and still manage to get in the photo, when he needs a ladder to get in and out of the Beacon House"? Well, I'm not telling! I will say that the next time you get a fancy piece of equipment, read the manual.

The Lighthouse (Part 5)

2008-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Good Morning. I did not expect to see anyone this early. There must be a great deal of interest in the Lighthouse Project, as you folks seem to be coming by oftener. But, since you are here I would like to tell you about an idea my Dad has had.

Let me get my coffee cup, I'm a real "troll", without my morning cup of caffeine.

Dad wants me to take over the "business". He wants to semi-retire. He says that since I just graduated for M.I.T. (Miniatura Institute of Technology), that he thinks I'll do okay. He'll of course be around if I run into any problems. I'm going to give it a try. If "Pixielated Builders" looks a little different, it's because I'll be doing the Reports.

Darmit!

Darmit again!

Dad use to take all the photos. That's why he was never in any of the pictures. I've discovered that our camera has a timer. However, I'm experiencing a problem getting into position before the time expires.

Part of the problem appears to be my work boots. I trip on the laces when I try to hurry into position.
Hopefully, with non-lace shoes and some more practice, I'll do better next time.

The Lighthouse (Part 4) High Voltage

2008-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Hi there. Glad you stopped by again."

While going over the plans for the Lighthouse, I discovered that the light beacon, requires some pretty high voltage. This requires a trip to the Electric Supply House.

"The supply house had every thing we needed. A switch box and heavy duty conduit. Due to the high voltages involved, the equipment must be painted red."

"I'm as far as we can go, until we are actually ready to fire up the beacon. The conduit is in place and the switch box is wired Once the beacon is installed, we'll have the Power Company supply us with power and we'll test the operation.

One last thing for today. The High Voltage Sign that is required by building code.

The Lighthouse (Part 3) the rescue

2008-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Taelyn came to see how work was progressing on his Lighthouse.

C.J and Taelyn had never met.

C.J. gave Taelyn a tour around the completed areas. Taelyn seemed pleased with how much progress had been made. Of course Taelyn wanted to help, and since C.J. was unaware of the trouble Taelyn can get into. C.J. put him to work staining the new boards on the third floor.

I must admit that he was doing a pretty good job.

Until!

We got a ladder and Lefty held it while Taelyn climbed down.

I'm sure that C.J. has learned that Taelyn needs close supervision.

The Lighthouse (Part 2)

2008-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Pixielated Builders is back at work on Taelyn's Lighthouse. Between completion of Clara's and the emergency call, a lot had been accomplished. So here are a few photos, to get you caught up.

The Crew has been working pretty hard on this job. I mentioned last time that we had a new member joining us.

I would like you to meet Carr Pender Jr. (C. J. for short). He is laying flooring on the 3rd floor.

C.J. "Hi, everybody. Glad to meet you".

C. Pender "How is it going, C.J."?

C.J. "Ok, Dad.

C.J. just finished training at M.I.T. , and I think will be a real asset to Pixielated Builders.

AN UPDATE

2008-10-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty hectic, recently. I have had a rough time keeping up with everything that has been happening.

Mr. Thorne had called me, and Lefty, Wright and myself, had to respond to an emergency. I'm not sure what had happened, but it was necessary to relocate all of the Pixie's homes. When the crew arrived, there were no Pixies to be found, ANYWHERE! Except for Mr. Thorne. It looked as if the Pixies just dropped everything, and left.

When I have had occasion to move, I usually try and get rid of extemporaneous items. Since the Pixies left in such a hurry, we had to pack up everything. We had no idea what they wanted to keep or didn't want. The "Crew" made sketch's of the location of even the smallest items. Needless to say, it was very time consuming.

It is also political season, and of course Lefty and Wright are for different candidates. Surprise, surprise. So I had to listen to a lot of political talk.

We did never-the-less get the job done.

All eight of the structures are set-up, and awaiting the arrival of their owners. At the moment the lights are on but nobody is home.

Alphonso, Clara, Taelyn and Mr. Thorne had a meeting at the coffee shoppe. I guess they are trying to figure out how to contact the rest to the Pixies.

We (the crew), will be heading over to the lighthouse soon. It will be nice to be back on a simple construction job again. I got a WesternFae telegram today, and it appears that we will have a new employee, starting tomorrow.

I'll be seeing you at the lighthouse.

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 8)

2008-09-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

Clara: Where are my customers? Why haven't I had single customer? Where is everybody? I haven't even heard from anyone! Whats wrong?

Clara: How I'm I going to pay back my investor?

Taelyn: Hi Miss Clara.

Clara: Oh Taelyn, I'm so glad to see you. Do you know where everyone has gone?

Taelyn: Not really. I know that Mr. Pender and the Phist Bros. quit working on my lighthouse. Mr. Pender got a message from Mr. Thorne about an emergency. Then Mr Thorne asked me to come by and check on you.

Clara: Except for not having any customers, I'm fine. Sit down and have a cup of coffee. It's on the house. It has really been lonely around here and I would love a some company.

Clara: Do you have any idea where all the Pixies have gone?

Taelyn: No. The emergency that called the Pixielated Builders away, had something to do with moving some houses. Which houses, to where, I don't have any idea.

Alonzo: Hi Sis, Hi Taelyn. You look worried? What's up?

Clara: Do you know where the Pixies have gone? Taelyns the only visitor I've had since my Shoppe opened. Is everyone alright?

Alonzo: Mr. Thorne said all the Pixies had been evacuated. Why and to were I don't know. I think they may have scattered. I'm suppose to hook up phones at the Coffee Shoppe in case they may be trying to contact us. I know, C. Pender and his crew, moved all the residense to a new location.

Clara: You really don't know why there was an evacuation?

Alonzo: Rumor has it that it was something to do with Ariel. I've heard that she was very upset about losing control of the Coffee Shoppe and made some threats to the Fae Government. Again, rumor has it that she has been sentence to do a lot of "time" in "ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASSES".

Taelyn: That sure sounds like something Ariel would do.

Alonzo: Guess I had better get busy installing those phones. I'll give you a number to call Mr Thorne, if you should hear from anyone.

Clara: I am sure glad you two are here. I was really worried!

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 7)

2008-08-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Clara's Coffee Shoppe has come together and is ready to open.

Here's a couple of exterior views.

Cash register in place. Glass display case ready for fresh doughnuts, bagels and assorted goodies.

Clara (to herself) : Now I just need to wait for my very first customer.

Several hours later;
Clara: Still no customers! I don't think I've forgotten anything. The Grand Opening Ad was is the "Pixie Times". I sure hope Ariel did not find another way the sabotage my new business.

Clara: I guess I'll just have to sit here and wait.

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 6)

2008-07-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

The "Addition" went really well.

The new room will be used for storage. It will also have a double sink and the refrigerator.

The new plans also required the installation of a skylight.

We have added an outside patio in the front of the building. There will be a couple of awning tables in this area.

The espresso machine, toaster oven and blender are in place. The interior table and chairs are ready for use. The cash register is on it's counter and bins in the show case, are ready for doughnuts, bagels and etc.

The table and chairs for the patio are due to arrive at any moment, at which time we need to have the "Grand Opening" sign ready. Clara's "dream" is soon to be a reality!

I'm moving the crew back to the light house project, which has made Taelyn very happy.

*************************************

I just got a call from a very excited Miss Pamplemouse. Clara informed me that the sign on the coffee shop can now read "Clara's Coffee Shoppe". again. Due to some strange happenings in the Tree House, her business well be located at a differant site. Ariels trademark ploy is only in effect at the Tree House. Clara is very happy that she can call her business by it's orginal name. We'll get the sign changed before the Grand Opening!

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 5)

2008-06-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

The whole crew had been busy on Taelyn's lighthouse, when I received a call from Miss Clara. She has found an investor! Clara asked me to met her, Miranda and the investor Mr. Takanori at the site of her business. Due to the Trade Mark problems, Clara's Coffee Shoppe will now be called the"Wolfs Head Hideout". Miranda came up with the name. When this whole thing came to a head, Miranda had been reading "Robin Hood", and discovered that the Sheriff of Nottingham had placed a bounty on the "Merry Men". That bounty was the same as the bounty on a wolves head, so the Sherwood Band was sometimes referred to as the "Wolf Heads".

When I arrived Clara was just meeting Mr. Takanori and his assistant, Cloris (she serves as Mr. T's translator).

Mr. Takanori was very impressed with Clara's description of her dream business. How she had visualized the layout of the coffee shoppe.

Miranda had explained to Mr. Takanori the difficulty that Clara was having with Ariel, and Clara's lack of financing. Cloris then explained that Mr. Takanori was very interested in backing Clara's dream. He felt however, that Clara needed to think on a large scale, and asked what additional things Clara would do if she had "unlimited" financial backing.

Miranda and Clara went inside and conferred. Clara of course was very excited. After the discussion, they had a further conference with Mr. T. He approved of the revised plans, but saw the need to enlarge the coffee shoppe.

An addition at the rear seemed to be the answer.

The meeting broke up, and I returned to the Lighthouse. Taelyn was not upset when I told him and the crew that we would be relocating to the Coffee Shoppe project.

**********************************************

When I arrive the next morning there was a forklift unloading equipment.

A toaster oven,

an espresso machine,

refrigerator and misc. items.

I am not privy to what kind of a deal Clara has worked out with Mr. Takanori, but I am very glad to see that her dream will be realized.

Clara and Miranda presented me with modified plans, showing an addition to the rear of the structure. They had been pretty busy, as the plans were approved and had been added on to the existing building permit. Thing go pretty fast when the money reaches the right pockets.

The Lighthouse (Part 1)

2008-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Since Pixielated Builders had to suspend work on the coffee shop, the whole crew has been busy on Taelyn's lighthouse. The main walls are up. Tarin has just finished checking the exterior paint job.

Wallpaper has been hung on the walls of the first and second floors. The plan is for the first floor to be the dining, kitchen and living room.

Taelyn wants his bedroom on the second floor.

Once Taelyn decides what the third floor will be used for, we will paper and/or paint it, accordingly. There is a chance that the third floor may end up as an unfinished storage room. Taelyn has been involved in a variety of business ventures, and has acquired a lot of "stuff".

The entryway is about ready. It will need some tile on the lower walls and floor.

So far our biggest problem had been keeping Taelyn from getting underfoot. Luckily the Phist boys have some experience in such matters. He also still get some emergency response calls for his Fire Truck.

Speaking of Taelyn's fire truck, there is a rumour going around that Taelyn is being "paid" not to respond to fires in this area. The regular Fire Department and emergency response units give him a monthly fee to stay out of their way. That's where he got the money for the Lighthouse. I'll have to ask him about that.

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 4)

2008-05-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Lefty called me and told me that Ariel had called him, insisting that he and Wright meet her at Clara's Coffee Shoppe, Immediately! Being good employees, Lefty had called to check with me. I agree to meet Wright and Lefty at Clara's. When I arrived the Phist Bros. were busy taking down the "Clara's Coffee Shoppe, Coming Soon" sign, while Ariel supervised.

I quizzed Ariel about what was going on, and by what authority she felt she could have the sign taken down.

"It's quite simple my dear Mr. Pender, I have Trademarked several words with the FAE Government. I have exclusive usage of these Trademarked words in the Tree House. Coffee, Shoppe (and all variations there of), and Clara's, are now owned by me! Any use without my written approval is a misdemeanor, punishable by severe fines and anything else I can come up with! Please continue with the sign removal."

Ariel had several legal looking documents to prove her point. Rumor had it that Ariel was very upset about not being able to force Clara into a business arrangement! I had no idea Miss Ixie would go this far. Who Trademarks an individuals name?

We had no choice but to take the sign down. Lefty and Wright were amazed when Ariel proceeded to stomp on the sign, as it lay on the ground.

Grinding her tiny little foot into it.

Once Ariel had departed, I tried to call Miss Clara. There was no answer, hope she is okay.

********************

When I arrived home, there was a message on my answering machine from Taelyn. He asked if I could come by and advice him about a construction project he was involved in.

Taelyn acquired a kit for a Light House and has been trying to assemble it on his own. Never a good idea! We moved the kit to my work area and are checking to see what can be done .

"It doesn't look like the picture on the box" complained Taelyn. A door-to-door lighthouse salesman had come by Taelyn's and talked him into purchasing the kit.

"Should I sue the salesman, for selling me a defective kit" asked Taelyn? After I checked the kit over, I told Taelyn that the kit looked like it was repairable. I've told Taelyn that the Phist boys and myself will be over tomorrow to help him build his new home.

The lighthouse will keep us busy while we are waiting to hear from Clara.

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 3)

2008-05-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Phist Bros and I have had a pretty good week. The counters have been built and are in place.

We built a special case for displaying Clara's doughnuts. We have also added two ceiling fans with lights.

There is also a smaller counter for the cash register, and another for cream and sugar dispensers.

All in all, I am quite pleased with the way this job is turning out. Clara said that she would be by soon and had some news for me, which she felt was better delivered in person.

************************

Miss Pamplemouse has come and gone. Our meeting was not what I had expected! According to Clara, Ariel is trying to take over the Coffee Shoppe. To keep Clara from getting the necessary capital to continue the project, Ariel has caused Clara to lose all of her cleaning jobs. Without any income, Clara has told me to stop working and lock the place up. She has no way of paying for any more work.

I really feel sorry for Miss Clara, if I could afford to continue without her financing, I would. It was really depressing to hear Miss C. talk about how she visualized the way the shoppe would have looked.

She had been looking forward to the time when the "Sorry We're Closed" sign would have been changed to "Yes We're Open".

Fresh doughnuts and bagels in the show case. The coffee urns lined up on the counter behind. Coffee cups stacked neatly beside the urns.

Spoons, stir sticks, cream and sugar already on their own counter.

I've sent Lefty and Wright home. There is nothing to do but make sure our tools are picked up and lock the place up. It is very sad when a dream comes to this sort of an end!

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 2)

2008-05-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Work on the Coffee Shoppe has been somewhat sporadic. The problem is with the financing. Miss Clara makes her living by doing housekeeping for various residents of the "Tree House".
While she is very industrious, there is not an unlimited demand for her cleaning skills. She is putting every penny she can into the construction of her "dream".

Ariel stopped by a couple of days ago, and was impressed with the Coffee Shoppe. She mentioned stopping by and presenting a proposition to Clara, that might help with her finanical problems. She also had some suggestions, almost as if she had some control over this project. She seems very interested in the "Clara's Coffee Shoppe, Coming Soon" banner.

We have been making headway, never-the-less. There is a parquet floor in the dining area and tile part-way up the walls.

The food prep area is tiled. We have had to build some counters to "fit", and there a several more to build.Clara sent over a box of her home made doughnuts and coffee, with a note. The note said: "Do Not Take Any Instructions From Ariel. Miranda and I will be by to see you soon.Thank you, Clara Pamplemouse". If these were an example of her epicurean talent, she'll have a "GREAT" coffee shoppe business.

Clara's Coffee Shoppe (Part 1)

2008-04-11T02:40:00.000-07:00

The Phist Bros. have been pretty busy on the Coffee Shoppe project. The exterior walls are up and painted. Some work has been completed on the interior walls.

When we were ready to do the floor and add tile to the walls, I of course sent for Tarin.

When he arrived, we noticed a slight problem. All the other structures erected by Pixielated Builders had at least one open wall. The doorway was a bit tight for Tarin

Once he was inside, we discovered that there was not a lot of room for him to maneuver.

When Tarin took a look out the window, he broke out in a sweat and experienced a shortness of breath. Who would have guessed? Seems that Tarin suffers from Arachno-Claustrophobia. The dictionary defines Arachno-Claustrophobia as ( a spiders fear of being confined in a small space).

It took far less time for Tarin to exit ,then it had to enter the Coffee Shoppe. Once he had caught his breath and regained his composure, we talked.

" I originally came to this country to do scientific research" said Tarin. "The job did not pay much, mostly room and board, but I did live in a nice all glass apartment. My work was mostly being poked and prodded and observed. The only drawback was I was not allowed to wander around. When I looked out the window of the coffee shoppe, I had a flashback to my days in the glass cage. I'm sorry that I panicked, but in the future, it might be better if I worked in the open, doing shingling, siding and brick laying."

Tarin is a great worker, and I'll have to be more selective in the tasks I assign him.

*************
Just an up-date on our friend Edgar Bickley. It seems that his cabin was completely destroyed, and he has lost just about everything. It appears that he will be doing okay. We all admire his fortitude. Best of Luck Edgar!

The End of 102407-007 and the Begining of 032708-008

2008-03-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

THE END of Building Permit 102407-007

The moving crew is back at my shop. So is the Maplewood. Alonzo and crew got Ariel's House part way to the "Tree House", when the Highway Patrol forced them to turn around. Mr. Pamplmouse had forgotten to get the necessary permits and etc, for moving the house on the highway. We will be moving the house to the "T. H.", very soon. Using a more conventional approach this time.

Here are some photos of the finished project.

The front. A second floor window was replaced with a french door.

The left side. The four windows are an add on.

The rear view. Original design was for 12 rooms, we removed several on the interior walls and relocated others..

The right side. The two small windows were also an add on.

A NEW BEGINNING of permit 032708-008

Clara Pamplemouse (Alonzo's sister) wants to have a small general store converted into a small coffee shoppe. This is her picture.

The "Crew" is looking forward to working on a smaller project, again. Clara has asked for several modifications to the existing plans, which will make it an interesting job. The crew started by temporarily putting up the exterior walls.

We added a doorway in the rear of the building.

We were able to find a use for some of the interior equipment, although Clara will need to show us how she wants the interior finished. I'll keep you informed about the progress of this project.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

Taelyn called me and said that there was a Prairie Fire in Illinois. A picture of a cabin that was on fire looked a lot like Edgar Bickley's place. http://edgarbickleyscript.blogspot.com/ We are trying to find out if our friend Edgar is okay. Hopefully we will hear soon.

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part 7) Moving

2008-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

The place: C.Pender's shop.
Time : The crack of dawn (which comes later now, due to Daylight Savings).
Five individuals gathered around a map.

Today is the day chosen by Alonzo Pamplemouse for the re-location of the "Boarding House" to the Tree House. Tarin, Roboscan, Lefty, and Wright were studying the route that "Lon" had laid out on the map. In an commanding voice, Alonzo said "it is 0630, gentlemen, let's get started".

The first step, assigned to the Phist Bros., was the installation of wheels. They used the fork lift to raise the house high enough for this project. Task completed at 0827AM.

The plan was to have Tarin pull, the Phist bros. push, and Roboscan block traffic. Alonzo would ride on the roof and supervise. of course!

0900AM
The procession headed for the door of C. Penders shop. (Devika had stowed away and was watching from the first floor window).

1025AM
Getting thru the shop door was a little tricky. In the future it will be taken under advisement to make sure any future structures are smaller the the door.

1230PM
The house arrived at the front door of the C. Pender residence.

0100PM
Auntie Devika's Boarding House departed the front door. Please, be alert for a blue house moving very sloooooowly down the highway, heading in the direction of the "Tree House". At the rate the crew was moving, it may take a month or two to complete the delivery.

*********************
Once Tarin and the Phist Bros. get back, they will be helping me build a coffee shoppe for Alonzo's sister Clara. Rumor has it that Alonzo will be staying around the Boarding House as a "handy man". Devika feels that he should be on site to keep her house in "good working order" , and Ariel has agreed.

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part 6)

2008-03-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Alonzo had Tarin putting on shingles when I stopped by today.

He is really "Quick".

The mirror and make-up light has been installed in the bathroom. Devika used it to smooth her hair. She usually isn't vain, but does seem to really care about her appearance when she is around Mr. Pamplemouse.

As I was leaving, both Dee and Alonzo waved at me from the balcony.

I almost forgot about the Phist Bros. They spent the bonus money Ariel gave them on getting a "make over".

Here's their before picture, (usually their backs are to you in all the pictures I have of them). That's Wright on the left and Lefty on the right.

This is their picture after the "make over". Maybe I'm wrong, but I think their new appearance has given them "swelled" heads.

A few more finishing touches and the Maplewood with be moving to the " Tree House".

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part 5)

2008-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

C Pender here. It has been awhile since I last updated you on the Boarding House project. Sorry about that, but I've been busy arranging for Pixielated Builders next project.

Anyway, I stopped by the Maplewood today. From the look of things, Alonzo has been doing a great job. He has put Tarin back on the payroll and had him laying the carpet in the attic area.

I understand that he will also be doing the siding and probably the shingles also.

Devika has been spending a great deal of time, at the job site. She seems to be very happy with her apartment area.

Dee expressed some interest in what kind of view she will have from her windows.

We have little control over the final view. That will depend of course on it's final location at the "Tree House".

Before I left for the day, Tarin had started applying the siding. He is really an expert with those kinds of jobs.

The Phist Bros. seemed to be absent for the job site. When I asked Alonzo about them, he told me , that Lefty and Wright had taken some time off .They had been doing such a great job, that Ariel had given them a large bonus. The new found wealth was burning a hole in their "pockets?". I guess we'll find out what the blew the money on when they return.

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part 4)

2008-02-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

The other day I stopped by Devika's Boarding House. The attic floor was in place, along with part of the roof.

Also the stairs going to the attic, (Devika's apartment) were nearing completion.

When I returned home, there was a message on my answering machine from Tarin. He has finished his Web Site job and was inquiring if I had any work for him. I returned his call and suggested that he check with Alonzo about assisting with the shingling and/or siding installation.

Tarin called me back, after visiting Mr. Pamplemouse, and told me Lon would give him a call when he could help. Tarin also was suprised that Lefty had been very cordial to him. We both found this strange, as usually Lefty panics around Tarin. I decided to investigate.

***********************************

The following day, while on the work site, I asked Lefty about his lack of fear of Tarin. Lefty told me that he felt very safe when Lon was on the site. He suggested that I ask Lon about Spider Wrangling, which I did.

It seems that Alonzo had spent some time on the "Rodeo Circuit" and had been a "Wild Spider Rider". He had pictures.

The spider was kept in a cage for the event. The cages were a fairly new modification, and introducted, after some spiders had escaped into the town of Glendale. The "Glendale Rodeo" had been renamed the "Glendale Stampede" after that incident.

The rider then mounts the spider and tries to stay seated, using only one hand, the other hand must remain in the air. The Spider will try to dislodge the rider by "bucking, twisting, etc." Points are awarded for time and style.

These are pictures of Lon's last ride.

Lon said that he had retired from "Spider Busting", after his nose had been shortened. He finds that the construction business is much safer.

That explains why Lefty feels safe with Alonzo on the job. I think he figures if Tarin should get out of hand, Wrangler Lon will just jump on him and ride him to a standstill. I guess we'll see if that works out.

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part 3)

2008-02-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

Since "Lon" has taken over the majority of my responsibilities, I have not been spending a lot of time at the job site. I was pleasently surprise to see that things have been progressing quite well. Actually I am Shocked.

The carpet, molding, stairs to the 2nd floor and french doors had been completed.

The shower, sinks, and toilets are installed and functional in the second floor restroom.

I did do a complete inspection, after all, my name is on the Permit as primary constractor. The Phist Bros. seemed to be adapting to the new situation quite well. Lefty in particular seems to really like Alonzo M. Pamplemouse.

Devika came by today.

She arrived as Alonzo was taking his lunch break. He was kind enough to offer to share his cheese cracker with her.

Lon offered to show Devika around the job site. First was the restroom. Dee thought it was beautiful.

Dee found the kitchen to be lovely and functional.

Alonzo showed Dee where they would be adding shelves in the pantry,

and also where the light had been installed for the pool table,which will be going in the community room.

Devika was very pleased with the way her boarding house is coming together. I did find out that Alonzo has been using a lot of subcontractors. That explains how so much work is getting done. Of course that is going to drive up the cost of this job, but that does not seem to be problematic to Ariel. I am also very curious as to why Lefty thinks so highly of Mr. Pamplemouse.

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part2)

2008-01-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Alonzo M. Pamplemouse got to the job site about 11 this morning.

He was hired by Ariel, and works directly for her. It is my understanding that Devika will make all decisions about decorating the house (colors, carpets, furniture and etc.). I will be in charge of construction and my crew. Alonzo will however be the "coordinator", and deal with all purchasing, permits, inspections, Safety concerns, the quality of building materials and etc.

Alonzo came up to the second floor, where we were working, and introduced himself. "Hi, everybody just calls me "Lon". I asked Lon how we were going to handle the work situation, after all, most of the things he was taking over, were things I had been doing. Alonzo suggested that we sit down and discuss everything. "I'm kind of tired from being up this early anyway.

Ariel had told him not to interfere with the house construction, but be as helpful as he could possibly be. As he understood the situation, he was to ensure that only the highest quality materials were used in the construct. Since Ariel was very sure that the more expensive something is, the better it is, he had been told to spare no expense on this project. Ariel wanted him on the site, as close to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as possible. Since the house doesn't have a roof yet and few other amenities, I questioned where he would stay.

He had planned ahead. I had never seen a portable mouse hole, but he had one. It can be set up on any wall and he says it is quite comfortable. The peanut butter cracker, he said would take care of his meals for about a week.
I knocked off for the day. I some times wonder about this Fae World.

******************************************************

I was planning on having Wright or Lefty bring the shower stall (for the second floor restroom) in through the back of the house. In the past, one of them would just pick it up and place it in location. "That is not how Alonzo sees it."

He had rented a forklift!

He had had concerns about safety. The strain of lifting might cause the Phist Bros. some physical problems. Also he had rented the forklift from Ariel's "new equipment rental center". Lon was sure that it was top of the line, as it had been very expensive to rent.

The shower stall reached the second floor without incident, amazingly. I convinced Alonzo that the second floor would not stand up under the weight of the forklift, nor was there a reasonable way to get it up there. So he finally allowed the Phist Bros. to move it into place.

There was one more surprise, but I'm sure it is not going to be the last. The Phist Bros. and myself all got huge raises. Since this is work contracted by the FAE Government, we are entitled to the same hourly wages that government employees (doing the same type of work) get. (I think this is referred to as "Davis-Bacon Wages). At this rate,the Maplewood won't look like the Taj Mahal, but it will cost about as much.

Auntie Devika's Boarding House (Part 1)

2008-01-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Things have been progressing slowly. It has taken the Phist Bros. some time to recover from their Christmas Party. They also did not return to work until they had broken all of their New Years Resolutions (that didn't really take much time). With all the snow in the "high country", the Bros are now claiming to be skiers, and claim to be spending a great deal of time on the slopes. I can believe this as I have never met anyone with more potential for going "Down Hill. It is strange however, that anytime there is a closure of Interstate 70, due to weather conditions, they are always trapped in the traffic jam.

We have got some work done anyway.

The Community room came out quite well. The hanging lamp will be over the pool table.

This is a view of the dinning area and the kitchen.

We have been experimenting with the placement of the kitchen counters and appliances. The overhead kitchen light, we are planning on using, is on the floor.

The second floor is in place.

The majority of the electrical for the second floor is installed and tested. Devika picked out the wallpaper, and I think she made a good choice.

I got an E-mail from Ariel, yesterday. It seems that she is sending an individual, named Alonzo Marion Pamplemouse, to oversee this construction project. I don't know much about him yet. Rumor has it that for every dollar Ariel spends on this job, she will be reimbursed a dollar and twenty-five cents by the FAE Government. Ergo, Alonzo will be making sure that only the most expensive materials will be used, and the construction will take as long as possible. (I'm sure the Phist Bros. can help with that). I've heard of some government projects that were handled this way.

NOT a home for the VanSwynes Anymore!

2007-12-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

Those of you that regularly follow "Pixielated Builders" know that every thing runs smoothly for C. Pender and crew. NOT!!! Ariel came to the job site, and I was in formed that she now owns the Maplewood. It appears that the Van Swyne sisters had a falling out. The two older sisters do not want to live in the same residence. They sold the Maplewood to Ariel.

With the influx of more residents to the Tree House , Ariel has decided to have the Maplewood redesigned as temporary housing for displaced Fae ladies. If it wasn't for the Tax Breaks Ariel will get and the fact that the Fae Government is giving her an allotment for each tenant, I would think that Ariel had developed a "streak of nice". We all know her better then that.

Devika has agreed to manage the "Home", and I will be dealing directly with her. Some of the first floor walls had to be removed, and most of the second floor interior walls , will not be installed. Devika's plan is for the first floor to have a large community room.

The Kitchen and dining area will cover the rest of the first floor.

Since there will be a large number of meals served daily in the "Home", the area under the stairs has been converted into a pantry.

The second floor will be a large open dormitory and there will be a large common bathroom. The attic will be Devikas personal rooms and office area.

The Phist Bros. are back and the work has been going quite well. I've decided that we will try and finish one floor at a time.

The Phist Bros. insisted on having a Company Christmas Party. I'm not going to say much about it. The picture shows Lefty taking a short "nap". Partying can be hard work!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the gang at Pixielated Builders!

A Home for the VanSwyne's 2 (Permit 102407)

2007-12-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

In the last year, I've built or remodeled 6 structures for various denizens of the "Tree House". Some rather large, some a great deal smaller, but one question always comes up. "Whose paying the bill"?

After my problems with "Pixie Gold", I now have a policy of checking the financial back ground of my clients, before I get started. Thus, I ended up at the 1st National Bank of Fae. Mr. Sterling, the banker, was very helpful and assured me that the VanSwyne sisters were very capable of financing any project, as long as it did not exceed 7 figures. I did not ask, but Mr. Sterling seemed to feel the needed to tell me more then I needed, about where the VanSwyne fortune came from.

One story that he had heard from his grandfather (their money has been in the family that long), was that the money came from an inheritance from their uncles of several generations ago. As the story went, these uncles (Norman, Hyrum and Maximillian) had designed the first air conditioning unit that would be of commercial value in the auto industry. This was around 1930. They approached several auto manufactures, and while the auto tycoons loved the thought of automobile air conditioning, there was a problem. At that time the brothers were know as the Swine Bros. (they did not change their name until some years later), and were insistent that SWINE AIR CONDITIONING be on all of their units. The name was not necessarily a great selling point, in the eyes of the manufactures. Finally, a compromise was worked out with Ford. The Bros. sold the rights to their units, but with the stipulation that their first names appear on each unit. That is why auto air conditioners have settings of NORM, HI and MAX. Yes, I know, I'm not sure I believe it either.

It was also suggested that their inheritance may have come from the these same three uncles, but had come from a settled lawsuit . Something to do with harassment, along with pain and suffering caused by a Wolf. Again who can be sure? They appear to be very solvent, which is all I needed to know.

I've started with some of the walls.

I'm hoping that once Wright and Lefty return, we'll be able to get a lot more done.

A Home for the VanSwyne's 1 (Selecting a home)

2007-11-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

I met with the VanSwyne sisters at Norm's Dollhouse. There are three sisters Cecilia, Josephine and Mina. They seemed like nice young ladies. The girls kind of scattered around the store.

Cecilia wanted a home with a second floor porch.

Mina liked all of the multi-floored houses.

After much searching and discussion, the girls settled on the Maplewood.

It would be very unusual if a home for any denizen of the "Tree House" did not require "modification". This one is no exception.

Since Cecilia likes the second floor porch and is planning on spending a lot of time there, we will need to add a door from the second floor hallway to the porch. The railing on the porch will need to be made a little higher (a safety precaution). It might upset the balance of things, if pigs all on a sudden started to become airborne.

Josephine has decided that she would like her own "Mother-in-law" type apartment in the attic. This will require the addition of an outside entrance to this space.

Mina seems to have no "special" requirements. It is still early in the building process, and there maybe things that come up later.

The Maplewood construction will be starting a bit slow. Tarin is still working as a "Web Site" designer on a bridge building project, but will be coming back as soon as he can. Taelyn is still very busy with his Fire Department and Construction business. I'm trying to contact the Phist Bros. Last I heard they were traveling the "Thumb Wrestling Circuit". I'm going to start with the preliminary work and hope I get some help soon.

Before we left "Norms Dollhouse" the VanSwyne girls posed for a picture at their new home. Cecilia (the oldest in in the pink dress), Josephine (the purple dress) and Mina (the youngest in the green dress).

I'll be back with you, when there is some progress to report.

A Barn of a Different Color

2007-11-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

A manila envelope arrived the other day. I contained a picture (drawn with crayon), a printed note and a stack of hundred dollar bills. It was from a little girl at the Tree House.

Kelsey said that she needed a house for her pet Una. Don't ask me what kind of critter an Una is. Her father had given her some money and permission to have a house built. I of course called him to verify. It's always a good idea to check thing out when dealing with the denizens of the Tree House.

The project was a go. Kelsey's father said what ever Kelsey wanted was okay. If the envelope money was not enough, just give him a call.

Here's how it turned out.

Kelsey picked the colors, of course. The "Barn of a Different Color" will be leaving for the Tree House.

I've been in contact with the VanSwyne Sisters about building a residence for them. I'm setting up an appointment to visit Norm' Dollhouse to show them some samples. I'll keep you informed.

Sea View Part 12 (The End ?)

2007-11-04T13:23:00.001-08:00

I was on the job site ahead of the Phist Bros. J.R. Katscan and Robo-inspector had worked things out, and the Sea View had passed inspection. The safe had been removed from the tower room, but Ariel was still limiting access to the upper floor.

When Wright came through the kitchen door, I said "Goodmorning Wright, how are you this morning"?

Wright screamed and said, "Oh no! Ariel turned you into a frog! I swear Lefty and me didn't say a word about the attic to anyone!

I started laughing, as I watched my friend the frog hop away. "Ariel did not turn me into a frog. I just thought it would be fun to pull a joke on you. After the bad time you are always giving Taelyn, I felt you deserved it."

Wright of course was not amused. Jokes are always funnier when you are the Joker.

The Sea View will be leaving soon for the Tree House. Before it leaves I thought I would take some pictures of the final product.

I've got a smaller project to work on for a little while, it's a home for a pet. There are also three little girl pigs, that are looking for a "Pixielated Builders" special home.

Thank you very much for keeping Ariel from finding out I told you about the attic.

Sea View Part 11 (Inspection part 2)

2007-11-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Once Robo-inspector came down from the attic, Ariel went over and erased part of his memory. She deleted all information about the "special" use for the attic area. Robo-inspector was still able to report any code violations, but only those that did not interfere with what the attic would be used for.

J. R. Katscan had arrived on site by this time, and was not to happy about being refused access to the attic and storage room. He was even more disturbed by the presence of another inspector. These building inspectors can get real territorial!

Robo-inspector came out to meet with J. R. Katscan. At first J. R. was very standoffish. He finally settled down, and listened to Robo's report. While J. R. was not necessarily happy with the lack of information from Robo, he had little choice. This is a FAE residence, and subjected to FAE rules and regulations.

In actuality, J. R. really has no authority on this job site. I guess that since this house was built in his "territory", he felt that he was in charge.

After some further discussion with Robo-inspector, J. R. turned to me and informed me that, he would issue the Certificate of Occupancy from his department. He assumes that Robo-inspector will be issuing a COP from the FAE building department.

Hurray!!! I"m really happy that this project has come to an end. Things were pretty good when I was working for the "Group", but there has been a lot of tension since Ariel has been in charge. The Phist Bros. and myself will be on site early tomorrow to clean up. Then all that is left is to move the Sea View to the "Tree House". Remember, you have not seen anything in the attic!

Sea View Part 10 ( Inspection part 1)

2007-10-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

J. R. Katscan notified me that he would be coming by, and was planning on doing the final inspection. As requested by Ariel, I called and passed on this information on to her. She was on the job site quicker than you can say "Jake Robinson", make that "Jack Rubinstien". Forget it, let's just say that she was just there very quickly.

Ariel went up to the tower room, put some papers into the safe and locked it. She secured the tower door with the iron bar, and told me that J. R. Katscan was not allowed in the attic or storage room. When I ask how she proposed our getting a certificate of occupancy, she said not to worry. It would be handled.

According to Ariel, the safe now contained information which was of "TOP SECRET" importance to the FAE Government. NO ONE , but herself had the necessary clearances to be in the attic, or anywhere near the safe. (That included J. R. Katscan).The FAE Government were going to send over an approved inspector to check the attic for any violation of building codes.

When the Robo-inspector arrived, Ariel had a conversation on the front porch with him. As I understand, his memory contains all the building code regulations. However, he can have the "special" use of an area explained to him, and make specific exceptions to the codes, accordingly.

He begain with the storage room, taking note of the iron bar that kept the attic stairway from being opened from above. (Again it looks to me that Ariel wants to keep something in, not something out).
He apparently has the necessary clearances, as he was allowed to inspect the attic. He also was allowed in the tower room, with the safe.

(to be continued)

Sea View Part 9 ( The Attic)

2007-10-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Shortly after Taelyn and Tarin departed the job site, the long awaited material for the attic arrived. Ariel came by with the plans for the attic, and things got strange! The walls for the tower were to be reinforced with brick, inside and outside. I wish that Ariel would have let Tarin have attic access. The way that spider can put down shingles, laying the bricks would have been right up his alley. However, Lefty and Wright did okay.

Bars were then added to the windows in the tower, and also in the black room. No bars were put in Eris room however. If you are trying to protect something in the attic, why wouldn't you put bars in all the attic windows.? The next strange thing was the "special" tower room door.

Where Ariel got this door, I don't know. It looked like it might have been designed for a prison. It had a very heavy duty steel frame, that was bolted through the bricks. There was a slot with a flap on the bottom of the heavy steel door.

Ariel showed up with a safe. According to her the safe was to go into the tower room and was the reason for all the security. The safe is currently empty, but will hold something, that Ariel considers very important.

I've got a lot of questions about this attic. I am certainly not going ask Ariel, however.

1. Why not bars on all the attic windows?

2. If you are protecting this safe, why does the door secure from the outside? It looks to me that the door is designed to keep something in, not someone out!

3. How does Ariel think this house is going to pass inspection, with all the safety violations?

I'm going to talk to the Phist Bros. and warn them again, not to talk about anything in the attic. Once again I'm going to ask you to do the same. I'm getting a little "frog" in my throat, hope it is not spreading. Ariel can be VERY DANGEROUS, when she is crossed. I guess we'll find out soon.

Sea View Part 8 (More Construction and Some Finished Rooms)

2007-10-04T02:15:00.001-07:00

While we are waiting for more material to arrive for the attic, we got the appliances and cabinets installed in the kitchen.

The "Group" also got some furniture to try on approval, for the living room and dinning room.

We tried the furniture for effect and then moved it out to a storage area. We still have a lot of work to do and I did not want to take the chance on the new furniture getting damaged.

Since Taelyn and Tarin are not allowed in the attic (per Ariel's direction orders), I am running out of things for them to do. Luckily Taelyn has become more active with his "Fire Department" and has requested some time off. I'm thankful for that! It was getting to be a struggle to keep him out of the attic. He sure is a curious little guy.

Tarin is doing the shingling over the second floor porch. When he's finished with that, he is going to leave and do some Web Design work for a friend. He said he will be available for my next project.

Once, again Tarin did a great job. Eight legs are sure an advantage some times. I'm scared to think of how much trouble Taelyn could get into with that many appendages!

Ariel insisted on my covering the windows in the tower, just so Tarin would not see anything she did not wish him to see. She has also delayed the arrive of the attic material, until Taelyn and Tarin are no longer on the job site. Please remember, not a word to Ariel about anything I tell you about the attic remodeling!!! On occasions I gotten a frog in my throat, but I sure don't want to be one. No offence to any frog or toad, living or squished.

Sea View 7 (Progression)

2007-09-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

With Ariel's help in the financing of the Sea View, we are making a lot of progress. "Two men met on the street. The first asks the other, "How's business?". The second replies "I'm busier than a one armed paper hanger". Sounds like that guy is pretty busy, right? Well I have found some one that is even busier. How about an eight legs wallpaper hanger!

The whole crew has been concentrating on the first and second floors.

This is the finished kitchen.

The Bathroom is also complete .

Eris came by to check out her room in the loft area. Who would have thought that a purple hair pixie would like purple decor?

I've had to keep an eye on Taelyn, the little rascal is real curious about the loft. Per Ariel's instructions, I've told him not go up there, but you know Taelyn. Once the first and second floors are complete, the Phist Bros. and I can concentrate on the attic area.

J.R. Katscan has been hanging around a lot. He seems interested in what's going on. You would almost think this was his home.

The material for the loft just arrived. I'm interested to find out just what we are doing up there. Remember, I'll keep you informed, but not a word to Ariel!

Just a note: You may be wondering why all the doors and molding has been painted black. Simple, it's the only color the "Group" could agree on.

Sea View 6 (A Visit)

2007-09-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

The "Group" came by for a visit today. Ariel was also with them. They posed for a group picture and spent some time looking over the work that was complete.

Hera spent most of her time following Taelyn around. Remember, she is the one who got Taelyn his temporary appointment as Supervisor on this job. I think she has a crush on him.

Ophelia and Freya seemed to like the foyer and main staircase.

Ariel seemed pleased with the folding stairs to the attic. We had also installed the store room door on a temporary basis, so that we could control access to the attic.

Ariel informed me that we needed to get a good quality lock for the hallway side of the door. She also added that Eris would be taking over the left wing bedroom in the attic, and was to be added to the access list for the attic. Eris living in the attic with the hallway locked from the outside brought up safety concerns for me. I ask Ariel how Eris would exit the attic, in case of say a fire, if the door were locked and the stairs were pulled up. Surprise, surprise, according to Ariel, Eris has the ability to "teleport". She can imagine herself some place else and be there instantly. Pixies have some amazing talents. Even so, I told Ariel that that the building inspector (J.R. Catscan) would not approve of such a safety violation. Ariel said that any time an inspection was needed, I was to make sure that she was informed, and that she would be on site and handle it.

Eris followed Ariel up into the attic, and a lot of discussion, in low whispers. went on. I may be a bit paranoid, but if seemed that they did not want me to hear much of their conversation. I even got a frosty look from Eris, when she thought I was too close.

Eris was established as Ariel's right hand pixie , and would be giving me instructions when Ariel was not available. Plans were being drawn up for the re-inforcing of the walls of the tower area. Ariel took some measurements, and said that she would be ordering a "special" door for the tower also. After Eris picked a color scheme for her room, Ariel and the "Group" departed.

I must say that this is getting stranger and stranger. Maybe, the tower is going to be a "vault" for some of Ariel's money. Whatever it is, she sure is worried about security.

Sea View Part 5 (A Reprieve?)

2007-09-13T11:56:00.001-07:00

I thought that you might be interested in meeting the "Group". Experience has taught me that it is always a good idea to have photos of your clients. You never know when you might need them in a civil action suit.

From left to right are Ophella, Freya, Eris and Hera, I refer to them as the "Group". These are the pixies that I'm building the Sea View for. They were doing pretty good, until the Bank refused to except "Pixie Gold", as payment for the building expenses.

The house was progressing pretty well. We are however running short on materials and are trying to complete as much as we can with what we have on hand. Here's pictures of two of the rooms.

This is the living room.
This is the dinning room.

We were getting our tools and equipment ready to suspend work, when an interesting thing happened. Taelyn was in the dining room cleaning the new light fixture that had just been installed.
When Ariel opened the dining room door and saw Taelyn, she started yelling and Taelyn fell off his ladder.

Ariel, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you getting the dogs out of my house?

Taelyn, "Hera put me in charge of this construction project. I'm the head contractor. The dogs in your house, are Baxter's fault. He invited them to live there, without asking me.

Ariel, "We'll just see whose going to be the Head contractor! I don't care who invited the dogs, I want them out! If you ever try to do a house sitting job again, you won't get a recommendation from me, EVER! C. Pender, where are you?

When Ariel found me, she explained that she had agreed to finance the completion of the Sea View. She was now in complete charge of the project. Her initial demands were:

1.The "Group" were allowed to make decisions about the first floor and second floor , with the exception of the storage room . The loft and storage room belonged to Ariel, and I was to follow her remodeling directions to the letter, without asking questions.

2. Under no circumstances was Taelyn allowed to continue as head contractor, and he was not allowed to work in her section of the house. There was to be minimal access to the loft. Any persons working in the loft were not to discuss the changes made with ANYONE!

After explaining to the Phist Bros., we agreed that we could comply with Ariel's demands. I introduced Lefty and Wright to Ariel, and she again stressed the "no discussion with anyone". I've heard that Ariel is not what you would call "nice", and if she wants to, can make an individual pay dearly for crossing her.

Next Ariel and myself looked over the job, and she informed me of some of the things she wanted done. A set of fold-down stairs were to be put in the storage room, and were to be the only access to the loft. Only Ariel, the Phist Bros. and myself were allowed in the storage room and above.

She approved of the black bedroom in the loft, and said that we did not have to install a door. A bead curtain or the like would do just fine. Ariel spent some time looking around the loft, making notes, and muttering "This will do nicely" to herself. Then she told me to make the stairs in the storage room a priority and that she would have further instructions later. At that time she departed.

*********
I imagine that you are finding all this as strange as I do. I am not about to try and guess what kind of a "deal" Ariel has made with the "Group". What her plans are for the loft is again something I don't think I want to know.

It may be a violation of confidence, but since I'm very sure that no one who reads this blog will tell Ariel, I will continue to keep you informed about this project. I am relying on your discretion, I might have trouble finishing the Sea View, if I should get turned into a frog or worse!

Sea View Part 4 (Return of Lefty)

2007-09-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at the job site, I discovered that Lefty and Wright were back at work. Wright said that he was intending to "garnish" Lefty's pay. It seems that Wright feels that he is entitled to a great deal of compensation for the "expert" care he gave Lefty. There is also the expense of the "Lefty Scam" project to be considered. Lefty is not of the same accord, and likes to make duck noises every time he walks by Wright.

I had planned on doing some demolition in preparation for the refurbishing of the Sea View. From the looks of it the Phist Bros. got a little bit over enthusiastic.

When I ask why they had been so aggressive in demolition, their response was that they were just following Taelyn's orders. It has become necessary for me to once again explain that Taelyn is the "figure head only" supervisor on this job. Lefty and Wright said they will start asking me before they proceed with any project, in the future.

When Wright said "he said to do it", Taelyn was a little upset. Luckily, he got an emergency call from his PDCS. By the time he got back, everything was fine.

The next morning Taelyn decided to help Tarin bring the stairs (living room to second floor hallway) into the house.

I asked why he had used the front door instead of bringing them through the rear of the house, which is wide open. "The hand rail would have been on the wrong side", was Taelyns answer. It is sometimes very hard to understand Taelyn's logic. Don't get me wrong, I still like Taelyn , a lot. I've never known anyone with so much enthusiasm. The stair installation was going well, until!

We got Taelyn untangled and the stairs are now in place. You may have seen one of those charts that mark how many accident free days there have been on a job site. We have two. One for the rest of us and one for Taelyn. Taelyn's very seldom gets past two or three days at the most.

The Phist Bros. have been getting a lot of work done in the living room. The wallpaper is up, and most of the electrical is done. The addition of the carpet and molding should complete the room.

********

I got a call from the Bank. There is a problem with the financing of this project. The Group, have been making payments for the building materials directly to the Bank. You guessed it, more of that "Pixie Gold". The Bank will only accept currency, from now on. I understand that the Group, has approached Ariel, about helping them get said currency. We'll keep working until we run out of the building materials we have on site, and hope something can be worked out with Ariel.

Taelyn's Fire Truck (Part 2)

2007-08-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

For all practical purposes, Taelyn's Fire Truck is ready to roll. A First Aid kit and some tools have been added to the left side.

Hoses and some construction material have been added in the truck bed. Don't forget this is a multi-purpose vehicle.

Taelyn has moved some of his construction tools into the storage area right behind the cab.There are times when Pixies just completely amaze me! I asked Taelyn how he was going to be notified when there was a fire call. Listening for fire calls on a scanner, might get him into trouble. We doubted if the "official Fire Departments" would appreciate his presence on a fire scene. You may not believe this next item. Mr. Thorne has installed a satellite dish on the truck, capable of GPS. Nothing really amazing in that, however, this satellite is tuned to a "very special" frequency that is able to detect pixie distress calls. All a pixie has to do is yell "FIRE!", the satellite picks up the signal, and a siren goes off in Taelyns truck. Once the distress call is received, GPS locates the exact location of the call, speakers on either side of the driver (by voice), guide Taelyn's Fire Truck to the site.
I need to talk to Mr. Thorne. As ingenious as this system is, I think there may be problem with it. My question is, does the PDCS (Pixie Distress Call System) only detect "Fires", or all kinds of distress situations.

I may be being selfish about this .... but. Will "Rats!", mean I will be outfitting the truck with exterminating equipment? Will, "I think I am in deep dodo", require sewer sucking tools?

The possibilities are staggering! I do hope Mr. Thorne can refine the PDCS.

******
Some of the Pixies have been calling the "Lefty Scam " number and making donations of "Gold".

We all know that "pixie gold" is not always what it seems. So far Wright has several bags of twigs, one bag of straw, and some odds and ends. I do believe that Lefty will be back to work very soon!

Taelyn's Fire Truck (Part One)

2007-07-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

After finishing the Hitty House (that as pirated by Miranda), my attention was turned to the fire truck that Taelyn had found. It was kind of fun being away from the house building for awhile. We found some ladders and an axe to replace some of the missing equipment. The motor for the water pump was "toast", so we installed a rebuilt motorcycle engine just behind the right front wheel. It seems to work.

Taelyn insisted on doing all the lettering in his unique style. This is truck number 1, in his fleet.

A problem did develop. Due to Taelyns lack of stature, he could not reach the pedals. Some creativity, resulted in the installation of motorcycle handle bars. This put all the brake, throttle and etc. controls within easy reach. Plus Taelyn thinks it looks cool.

We added a seat belt (shown across his lap in the above picture). Taelyn insisted on Naugahyde upolstery , which proved pricy. As the Nauga's are very small this year, and it takes a lot of hides to cover a seat. When Taelyn was discussing what would be going in the bed of his truck, I noticed the lettering he had added to the rear bumper.

Taelyn was quick to point out that this was a multi-purpose vehicle. So far, he has plans to use it as a Fire Truck, Construction Truck and possibly use it in his Snow Removal Business. He asked how difficult it would be to add a snow plow. I wisely developed a hearing problem at this point of the conversation. Taelyn also had an advertisement on the side of the truck, how I had missed it, I don't know.

The truck still needs some items, and it will take a little while to completely finish it to Taelyn's satisfaction.

********

The phone lines are still open at the "Lefty Scam Fund". Since there have been zero phone calls and zero pledges, I think Wright is about ready to declare Lefty fit to return to work.

A Change In Plans (Plan B)

2007-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

The Hitty house is complete and just in time. The Story Teller is due to arrive any day now. The refurnishing was not too complicated.

The addition of electricity, window frame molding, carpet on the second floor, floor molding through out, repainting the kitchen and an overhead light.

Then, came Plan B. The house was commandeered! See Miri's House.

*******

Lefty is still laid up. Personally, I feel that Wright is taking advantage of Lefty,s situation.

Taelyn went to visit Lefty, the other day.

Lefty seemed very interested in learning about Taelyn's Fire Truck. Everything was going well, until Tarin arrived for a visit.

I understand there was a great deal of screaming, as Lefty drove under the covers.

Lefty hid under the covers until Tarin left. I really think that Lefty is , once again, taking things to seriously. Tarin brought flowers and it looks like he is really trying to make friends with Lefty.

*******

Lefty is having problems paying his medical expences. It seems that Wright has to charge some pretty hefty fees. Being a Quack alumnus, his Mal-Pratice Insurance rates are staggering, thus the high fees. Anyone that wishes to help defray Lefty's bill, might donate to the "Lefty Scam Fund", call 555-5555 (please have your credit card available).

A Change in Plans

2007-07-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

(Emi), called, hoping that I would be able to help her with a problem. A new doll was moving into the Tree House. Since this new addition has the reputation as a teller of great stories, it was felt that she should have her own home. The other inmates were excited about the arrival of a Storyteller, and had found a log cabin they thought would suit her. The problem arose in the fact that the new doll was due to arrive very soon, so there was some urgency in completing the refurbish.

Since Taelyn is the "Pseudo-Supervisor" on the Sea View house, I asked him to meet me at the site of the Story Teller's house. Emi had requested the addition on lighting, carpet and a little painting, to dress up the cabin. With Lefty being laid up, (his condition is being greatly exaggerated, by his health care specialist, Wright), this was a good time to tackle a smaller job. Taelyn was in complete agreement, and will tell the "Group" about the delay on the Sea View project.

Taelyn was very helpful with suggestions. I found out that Taelyn has an alternative reason for recommending a delay at the Sea View. He has his own Fire Truck!

According to Taelyn, he found the truck abandoned. It had been stripped of ladders, hoses and all fire fighting tools. He was wondering it I could get it outfitted so that he could start his own Fire Department. The name "Taelyn Independent Fire Department" is sure to send fire insurance rates soaring off the charts.

We'll see what can be done about getting his truck rigged up, If he is playing Fire Frighter, it may keep him out of my hair, once we get back to working on the Sea View.

Sea View 3 (A Day With Surprises)

2007-07-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

The "Group" decided that they would like some touch up on the exterior of the Sea View. This involved some sanding, priming and repainting. The colors will be staying close to the same. But because of an "incident", it became necessary for me to call in Tarin. Of course, Lefty was not too happy about this!

Once again Tarin did a great job. I can not say enough about the advantage of eight legs and multiple eyes, when it comes to this kind of work.

The "incident", once again, involved Lefty. That was no surprise. I had put him to work doing the sanding. He was doing a pretty good job, until he slipped, fell, jumped, or whatever.

I'm not sure that he knows exactly what happened, himself. My feeling is that he fell asleep. Never the less, there he was laying on the counter, the sanding block on top of him.

This is were the "SURPRISE" comes in. From the following (overheard) conversation, it became apparent that Wright had had some medical training. He immediately had Lefty in a brace and was counseling him. Who would have guessed that he had access to an Xray machine?

The conversation went sort of like this.

Wright: I see no signs of anything broken inside you.You say that the pain is in the area of your pointing finger and thumb. There may be some damage to the soft tissue, tendons, or nerves, which will not show up on an Xray. Take two aspirins and call me in the morning. I'll mail you the bill. Next!

Later, I questioned Wright about his medical expertise. He told me that he had attended, but not graduated,from Mallard Medical University. MMU (home of the Sun Tanned Ducks) is on some remote island in the Caribbean. Apparently he is not a full fledged Quack Alumnus.

As I said it was a day of surprises.

Sea View 2 (Permit RM 63007)

2007-07-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

J.R. Katscan has issued the permit for the remodeling of the Sea View. In case you notice, that is not fur wallpaper inside the house, but is J.R., after he hung up the permit.

I got the Phist Bros. to come by and look at what we would be doing. They were quite surprised by the scope of the project, and frankly not very enthusiastic. They had some real problems with Taelyn being the supervisor. Once I explained that they would really be taking orders from me, they felt a little better. There are some problems with the electrical circuiting in the house also, ("The Group" have some specific ideas about lighting) that will mean doing some minor demolition work. That seemed to put a smile on the Phist Bros.... "knucks"? Lefty was very glad that I will probably not need Tarin (the spider) on this project.

We get started with some of the removal work, and laying out the necessary modifications to the electrical.

J.R. Katscan has taken a real interest in this house and every time I turn around, he appears to be observing what is going on. Hope he isn't planning on being underfoot all the time. If so I may have to get Lefty and Wright to get out that ball of string , again .
See Perfect Home Pt 10

He seems to like lending a hand, now and then. Here he is helping Lefty checking some roofing.

Some of the rooms are going to be more difficult to complete then others, but we are making good progress on the first floor.

We haven't seen Taelyn on the job site yet, which is probably a good thing. When he shows up, I might give the Phist Bros. permission to use the ball of string on him too.

Sea View 1 (Remodeling Contract)

2007-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sooner or later, came sooner then later. The bid on the refurbish came through in a somewhat round about manner. The job had been given to a friend of the clients, Taelyn, by Hera, one of the owners. The other owners Ophelia, Eris and Freya, were not very confident in Taelyn's construction ability. We worked it out so that Taelyn is the main contractor, but only if he uses Pixielated Builders to do the actual work. It boils down to ,I'm doing the work, and we are pretending that Taelyn is in charge. The Phist bros. have been "strongly" advised, that they are not to be pulling any scams on Taelyn.

The Sea view is a larger house than I have been dealing with. You may notice , from the back ground that, it is not in my usual construction area. Mrs. Pender has graciously allowed me to work on it in her kitchen.

Where Eris, Freya, Hera and Ophelia (from now on they will be called the Group) found this house, I'm not sure. I do know how they aquired it. (Pixie Mortgage Payments) The previous owner had done a great deal of work on the interior, and after discussion with the group, we will be making minimal changes to the inside. The members of the "Group" have already staked claims to their favorite rooms. Most of the work will be the addition of lighting, molding, doors and so forth.

The exterior will be repainted, but using the same color scheme. We will need some more windows, doors and be doing some detailing.

Since this is a pre-existing building, it was necessary for me to have it inspected prior to being issued a building permit. The building inspector, J.R. Katscan, gave it a through going over.

J.R. (stands for Just Rotten) pronounce the house to be structurally sound and he will be issuing the permit shortly.

The Purrrfect Home (Part 12)

2007-06-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

> Once again there was trouble on the construction site. A lot of the following is just what I have been able to glean from asking a bunch of questions. How much is fact I could not tell you.

Supposedly, Lefty was doing some touch up painting in the kitchen/family room. He said that he had an eerie feeling that he was being watched. When he turned there was a giant monster getting ready to attack him. At that time he claims that he calmly left the house, found a phone and called for assistance.

Wright's version was, he heard a scream, then shortly, something shot past him like a speeding bullet. Since the "rocket" somewhat resembled Lefty, Wright followed him. After Lefty made a phone call, he was too excited to answer any questions. Wright decided that he should call me.

Traffic was a zoo, there were road closures, traffic jams, etc., I did manage to get to the site, and was met with the following.

Lefty had apparently called the National Guard. They had surrounded the house and were trying to get the spider to come out.

Just as I approached the officer in charge, I heard him tell a sergeant, "Get on the bull-horn and tell that spider to come out with it's hands up and it won't be harmed!". To which the sarge said, "Sir, I don't believe spiders have hands, nor arms for that matter". "Sergeant, I've just recalled that spiders don't have hands. Tell it to put half if it's legs up and come out".

I told the Captain, who I was and asked what I could do to help. Before he could tell me to mind my own business and leave, the Spider called out. "Did I hear someone out there is named C. Pender? I need to talk to him, tell him Mr. Thorne sent me over for a job interview".

We finally got things sorted out. The National Guard left, without causing any damage to the Purr-jon house, that could not be easily repaired.

The spider had not meant to scare Lefty, and was sorry because he just has that kind of effect on people. His name was Tarin. He has been a friend of Mr. Thorne for a long time. When he lost his job as a WEB designer, due to down-sizing, Thorne had suggested he come by and see me.

Since we had just installed the roof, I thought that I would give Tarin the job of shingling. This is usually one of the most time consuming and boring jobs in construction.

I love Mr. Thorne! Tarin had the roof shingled in no time. Multiply eyes, eight legs and a great deal of enthusiasm. What a worker! He even made several tours around the roof to make sure everything was correct.

I know you are saying to yourself, "This solves C. Penders problems". Not so! Yes, Tarin is as efficient as two (maybe even three) workers, an answer to C. Pender's prayers. However, a problem has developed with the Phist brothers.

Lefty won't do any work because he is afraid of Tarin, and all he does is carry around a rolled up news paper for protection. Wright on the other hand has formed a group (consisting of only himself) to make sure that Tarin is treated ethically.

The Purr-jon house is now complete and the deed and keys will be turned over to Rose and Lily in the next few days. I'm not sure what my next project will be. I had put in a bid on the refurbishing off a large house, but was informed by the owners that they had found a local contractor (a personal friend) that was going to take on the job. I'm always curious about my competition and inquired who this contractor might be. Taelyn! Sooner or later I may still get that job.

The Purrrfect Home (Part 11)

2007-06-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

Work is progressing on the house fairly quickly, the Phist brothers have been taking a lot less time off since our little talk. I am still looking to hire some additional help. The building homes for Pixies is really booming. Pixielated Builders may be getting a contract on a refurbish of a very large house.

The other day, while I was in the loft, I heard a shrill little voice calling "Mr. Pender, are you up here". The first thing to appear in the doorway was some wild yellow hair, followed by a very small young lady. She said her name was Dolli, and had heard that I was looking for construction help. When I asked her where she had heard about this, (mainly with the idea of strangling said person) she said that the Phist brothers had mentioned it, while they were in her diner. She owns and operates "Dolli's Grub and Java". Of course I had to ask the standard questions.

Me: " Why are you thinking of changing jobs?"

Dolli: "Well the Board of Health is closing down my diner, just because I refuse to wear a hair-net. Have you ever heard of anything so stupid? A hair-net would mess up my lovely hair."

Me: "What do you know about construction?"

Dolli: "I've heard a lot of construction talk in my diner and can learn very quickly. When I opened the Diner, I had no idea how to cook or even boil water. Every time I walked by a construction site, however, the workers would yell "Hey Dolly, what's cookin'?" So they must have known that I had a natural talent for cooking, and that's why I opened a diner. I even had a repeat customer the other day, or would have if he's seeing eye dog had not pulled him back out the door".

Me: "If one of the Phist brothers asked you to bring them a hammer, what would you do?"

Dolli: "Ask them what it looked like, and then try and find it."

Me: "Well, thank you for stopping by. I have some more interviews to do and will let you know."

Dolli: "If you hire me, I'll be glad to fix lunch for the crew, every day! I brought you a cake."

The Phist brothers take enough time off without them getting food poisoning, too! I hated to fib about calling her, but luckily she had forgotten to leave a number.

I had only been back at work for a short time, when a squirrel poked his head in the front door. He had also learned that I was seeking help. His name was Randy Rodent Again questions had to be asked.

Me: "Why do you want to work for me?"

RR: " I'm by nature a forager, but I heard the Phist brothers talking in the Park the other day, and they said they work for you for "Peanuts". I got to thinking that it would be real nice to have a steady income and be able to spend more time with my family."

Me: "What do you know about construction?"

RR: "I've built several nests, usually in hollow trees, but sometimes on tree limbs."

Me: "What would you do if I asked you to bring me a saw?"

RR: " I'd first have to remember if I had it and where it might be stored. I do have a compulsion to pick up stuff that has been left laying around and storing it for future use. Most times I can remember where I stored it.... Well, sometimes..... Actually, I usually forget."

Me: "Well, thanks for stopping by. I'll let you know."

What's a pixie contractor suppose to do, I just can't seem to find anyone that will be of any assistance. Maybe my luck will chance. Mr. Thorne said he might have someone that would work out. I guess we'll see.

The Purrrfect Home (Part 10)

2007-05-31T01:30:00.000-07:00

"Don't pay the ransom, I've escaped!"

No, I am not in Brazil having absconded with client funds. Nor am I in legal trouble, or any of the other rumors that have been started by sources unknown. Not a lot of progress has been made on the Purr-jon house, lately. The reason for this is two handed, or I guess I should say the lack of two handed.

With weather turning nice, it has been hard to get any work out of the Phist brothers. They have been to baseball games, tennis tournaments, horse shoe matches, lawn bowling, gone fishing and it seems anything to keep from working. Would you believe they even went out of town for "Thumb Wrestling Mania"? I've had to sit them down and have a long talk about their remaining in my employment.

You are not the only one that has taken note of no updates on this blog spot for awhile. The Purr-jon sisters are stopping by later to discussion why their home is taking so long. I've begged the Phist brothers to at least appear busy while Rose and Lily are on the job site. They got right to work, what they are doing, I don't know. After having reprimanded them, I felt it best not to ask.

I met with the sisters in the loft area. They said they were pleased with the house, but wished it were progressing faster. They liked the carpet, being more impressed with the sun room ,than the other rooms. (I've since learn from the Internet, that cats distinguish blues and greens clearer then other colors. Most other colors appear in gray ranges). They tried to pin me down to a completion date and I managed to side-step it, time after time.

Then the yarn that the Phist brothers had laid out began moving and the conversation came to a halt.

In a split second Rose and Lily were out the door of the loft, their focus on the slowly disappearing yarn.

Now I knew what the Phist brothers had been up to when they laid out the trail of yarn.

By the time the Purr-jon sisters had reached the ball of yarn in the front entry, all thoughts of completion dates, slow progress and etc., had slipped their minds.

They spent some time pushing and chasing the ball of yarn around, finally got bored and then departed. Lefty and Wright have just proved that they are a valuable asset to Pixielated Builders. Even so, I've got to find some additional help if I plan on completing this house any time soon. If you know anyone that might be interested, have them drop by the construction site for an interview.

The Purrrfect Home (Part 9)

2007-05-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

I'd been to the Builder Supply Store again, seems that that's my home away from home anymore. When I returned I found that Taelyn was busy working on the carpet in the living room, by himself. Not a good thing. So I went in search of the Phist brother, who should had been helping (read as supervising) Taelyn.

There was the sound of a fire extinguisher being used in the loft. Worried that there might be a fire, I ran towards the loft, only to hear Wright tell Lefty " Cool me another one", then the sound of the fire extinguisher again. As I got closer I heard Lefty say " You got any threes" and Wright say "Go Fish".

I was not happy with what I discovered. It seems Lefty and Wright had decided that while I was away they could have a little party. They had been using the fire extinguisher to cool their beer. Reluctantly they returned to work, and I went down to help Taelyn. I heard a muffled cry. " Mr. Pender, Help"!

Can you guess where Taelyn is at? Here's a hint. Usually large lumps are not found in carpet.

I yelled for one of the Phist brothers to come and assist me. Lefty was first on the scene and helped lift the carpet off Taelyn.

I asked Taelyn what had happened. "I don't know Mr. Pender, I was trying to put this carpet down, when everything went black". Of course Wright had been to the first-aid kit and brought the gun, just in case Taelyn had a major injury.

"Mr. Pender" said Taelyn, after he was extracted from under the carpet, " I've been thinking that maybe the construction industry is not for me". "I know that you count on me a lot, but would you be angry if I quit? I think that I have a lead on a job that will suit me better".

I told Taelyn that I would miss his fine work, but that he felt it was best, I would accept his resignation. I wished him good luck, and he departed. I will miss him, but I think our accident rate will drastically decease. "Good Lucky Taelyn, where ever you go"!

The Purrrfect Home (Part 8)

2007-04-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

On my insistence the Phist boys apologized to Taelyn for pulling that "Board Stretcher" prank on him. I don't think Taelyn even realized that he had been duped. He said that he was"Sorry that he hadn't been able to find the Board Stretcher". I've known the brothers pretty much all of my life, and can honestly say that their behaviour has not been improving, lately. I wonder if this has anything to do with their appearing in this blog spot? It seems that some people react strangely when they reach any form of notoriety.

Taelyn set about installing the overhead light in the dressing room.

Surprisingly? , that did not go well!

Upon hearing the crash when the ladder fell, I dashed in to see what had happened. That ladder should get a job at the Rodeo, as it had hog-tied Taelyn faster then the record time for calf roping. Being unsure how bad Taelyn might be hurt, I yelled for Lefty to bring the "First-Aid Kit".

By the time Lefty arrived I was pretty sure there were no life threatening injures. Minor scrapes were about it. Application of a band-aid or two, would cover the situation. When Lefty reluctantly open the first-aid kit, I was stunned!

A bottle of Wild Turkey and a gun, were the only contains of the first-aid kit! Lefty explained that the "Wild Turkey" was for minor injures, and the gun was in case of major injures. It is not hard to figure out why Lefty and Wright had been hanging around the first aid kit, so much, lately. Wright arrived on the scene and tried to insist that Taelyn looked like he had major injures.

I confiscated the gun from Wright. Taelyn is going to be just fine. I'm just going to have to be very selective in picking jobs for him. Oh yes, I'll see what can be done about getting a more conventional first-aid kit!

The Purrrfect Home (Part 7)

2007-04-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Taelyn has been real helpful. I've got him working closely with Lefty, kind of like an apprentice. His eagerness makes up for his lack of knowledge. He has a lot to learn and seems to enjoy hammering the most.

There has been a rash of accidents on the job site. None of them have been major, just little things, slivers, small cuts, abrasions and etc. Lefty and Wright are never far from the First-Aid Kit. .

I had to make a trip to the builders supply house, and when I got back Taelyn was missing. Lefty and Wright claimed they had no idea where he might of gotten off to. Maybe it's me, but they sounded less then truthful.

About a half hour later Taelyn returned. I asked him were he had been and heard quite a story involving a "Board Stretcher".

Taelyn said that he had been helping Mr. Lefty with the floor molding in the Sun Room, when they had discovered that one of the boards was too short.

At that point Mr Lefty had asked Taelyn to go find a "Board Stretcher" so we could make the board longer.

"I didn't really know what a "Board Stretcher" looked like so I checked in my Basic Carpentry Book" said Taelyn. There was no picture or anything about board stretching in my book. Mr. Lefty and Mr. Wright seemed to be very busy, and didn't have time to describe what it looked like. I looked for you, but you had gone. I decided to go see my friend Mr. Thorne, and ask him.

As I was leaving I heard Mr. Wright ask Mr. Lefty if he had "scammed the Newbie". Not knowing a lot of the technical terms in carpentry, I did not understand what they meant. Then Mr. Wright laughed and said to Mr Lefty " give me a "high one"".

After I had found and asked Mr. Thorne about the "Board Stretcher", Mr. Thorne told me that the only place that might have one was at the Ice Cream Shoppee. It would be best to go there, order a Root Beer Float, and only when I was finished with the Float, ask about the "Board Stretcher". The phone rang while I was there and I think it was Mr. Thorne, who talked to the shoppee manager. After my Root Beer Float was finished, I asked if they had a "Board Stretcher". The manager said that they had just given out the last one, and would not be getting any more, for awhile. He also suggested that Mr. Lefty might try and find a longer board. "I'm sorry I was not more helpful" said Taelyn.

I thanked Taelyn for his excellant effort, and went in search of those trouble making Phist bros. Do I have a "Board Stretcher" for them!

The Purrrfect Home (Part 6)

2007-04-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

We had just finished the carpet on the last wall of the sunroom, when Taelyn dropped by.

Taelyn " Good Morning Mr. Pender".

C. Pender "Good Morning to you too. What brings you around?

Taelyn " I decided that I need a job . Saoirse and Andara said that you might be looking for some help in your construction business. Is it possible that you would be interested in hiring me?"

Before I had a chance to respond, the Phist brothers appeared. It is amazing that you can call them all day long, and they don't respond, but let something happen that is none of their business and you'll be tripping over them. Once I got them to go back to work, I asked Taelyn a few questions.

C. Pender "Why do you want to get a job?

Taelyn "I've been house sitting for Ms Ariel, and like the idea of having my own house, someday.

"I've brought some tools, just in case" said Taelyn as he pointed at his wheel barrow.

Taelyn "I've even been reading a Basis Carpentry book."

When you are in a service related business, your employees are a reflection of your company. Bad help can make or break you. While I like Taelyn, I honestly did not know a lot of his background. I insist that my work force be "drug free". So I asked Taelyn if he thought he could pass a drug test.

Taelyn "I don't know, Mr. Pender. Maybe if I studied, because I don't know anything about drugs. Saoirse and Andara, did teach me how the determine which nails go in which walls ( See: A Cabin in the Forest (Part 2). , if that will help.

C. Pender "Do you have a criminal record?

Taelyn "No records. I just have DVD's and CD's ."

I guess I'm just a soft touch, plus I really do need some help on this construction site. I heard myself say " Okay Taelyn, I'll give you a try".

Taelyn grabbed his hammer and Basic Carpentry book and said " Whoopee! What do you want me to hammer, first?"

I sure hope that I did not make a mistake!

The Purrrfect Home (Part 5)

2007-04-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

The Phist brothers get weirder every day. Since the "Accident", they felt it would be a good idea to have a First Aid Kit available on the job site. This did not sound like a bad idea to me, and I told them to put one together. Lefty insisted that there would be nothing in the kit that could be used as a tourniquet. After Wright tried to "tourniquet" (read strangle) him, he won't work if there is anything on the job that could used as a "tourniquet". Thus, the brothers and myself inspect the job site each morning for any such devices, before the day's work can commence.

We have finished putting the molding and door trim on the loft.

The room with the beige carpet will be a combination kitchen/family room.

We have a good start on the Sun Room, and barring disruptions from Lefty and Wright, it should be done soon.

As hard as it is to get quality work from the Phist boys, the LeFoot bros. proved to be even less productive. They kept tripping over each other, and really had trouble using tools. I think that about all I can use them for will be "transportation". If you know of some good workers, contact C. Pender at Pixielated Builders.

The Purrrfect Home (Part4)

2007-03-22T02:24:00.000-07:00

The Phist brothers and myself had been hitting it pretty hard. After deciding to complete one room at a time, construction has moved at a fairly rapid pace.

The room with the burgundy carpet is going to be a Dressing Room and also contain the Restroom facilities. The Purr-jon sisters are "models" and spend a great deal if time with make-up and such, thus the need for a rather large room. The loft area will be the sleeping area. As requested, I am installing wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling carpet. Lily and Rose have left all decisions as to carpet colors up to me. I am starting to think that they can not distinguish colors.

All was going well, until the accident!

As it was explained to me, Lefty fell off the step ladder and then the ladder landed on top of him.

When I arrived on the scene, Wright was either checking Lefty's pulse or giving him CPR. I haven't a clue as to which one. I am not sure if Wright knew either.

The accident scene became even stranger, when Wright proceeded to apply a tourniquet to Lefty, even though any blood from his wound was already dried. When I asked Wright why he would do such a thing, especially since it could strangle Lefty. He's explanation was, ever since they were kids, one of his secret desires, had been to put a "tourniquet" on Lefty. What better time than now?

It always take some time to discover the truth when dealing with Wright and Lefty. However persistence will usually pay off. While playing with a untility knife Wright had accidentally cut Lefty. Since they have no insurance, they decided to fake an on the job accident, with the hope that Workmans Comp. would cover the medical expense. To date these medical expenses are the cost of a band-aid and a dab of neosphorene. The Phist brothers waste a great deal of time and effort trying to be "clever". If you remember, when they wanted to go fishin, Lefty had faked an injure to that same thumb. Just proves that "it's not nice to try and fool C. Pender"!

The Purrrfect Home (Part 3)

2007-03-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

An incident took place at the "House Warming" for the log cabin that makes it necessary for me to explain the C. part of my name C. Pender. I think it was Miranda who started the whole thing, but all those Pixies have a sense of humor and joined right in. It seems that one of the pixies would call out, "C. Pender" and all the others would then call out "Yes, I see him over there!" This lasted most of the evening, and produce many laughs and giggles from the party attenders. Well at least no one snorted tea through their nose ( but that's another story).

Actually the C. stands for Carr, that's with two R's, unless you are a Purr-jon sister, then it is pronounced with three r's. Carr Pender pretty much describes what I do for a living. I'm thankful that Mom and Dad Pender named me Carr instead of something like "Fish Gutter" or "Boston Strangler" Pender. That might have meant my going into a completely different line of work. Through the years, any time I would apply for a job, the employers always assumed from my name that I was a Carpenter, which has worked out well.

Work on the Purr-jon house went very slow this week. Lefty showed up with his thumb in a band-aid, said he had a hang-nail, and could not work. Wright of course couldn't work either, he never goes anywhere without Lefty.

I managed to get to Norms Dollhouse and pick up some more electrical, paint and carpet supplies. Rose and Lily have desided that they want wall to wall, and floor to ceiling carpeting. They don't seem to be too fussy about colors, and since we are dealing with a great deal of carpet, I'm trying to keep the cost down by looking for bargains. I think I'll try to complete one room at a time.

I found out that I am going to have to take the Phist Brothers in hand. Lefty did not have a hang-nail, they wanted to go fishing! Hopefully, they will be ready to get some serious work done this coming week.

Cabin in the Forest (House Warming)

2007-03-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

The Pixies sure know how to throw a House Warming Party (or as Lily and Rose would say Parrrty). Thorne is, among all his other accomplishments, a gourmet barbecue chef. Good thing that I'm don't eat like that all the time, or I would be known as C. the well rounded Pender. http://mirandawandering.blogspot.com/2007/02/tiny-log-cabin-housewarming.html

Each of the Pixie Guest has their own uniqueness. After seeing Saoirse and Andara's home several of them approached me about building homes for them. They said living on Wendy's desk is nice , but they would like some privacy. There were so many conversations, that I've really forgotten which pixies asked about what special features for their house. If the demands on Pixielated Builders continues, I may have to hire The Phist brothers full time, and add some more temporaries. I wonder if the LeFoot brothers are busy? They are not as agile as Lefty and Wright, and somewhat shy, as they don't get out to often, but maybe they could be of some help.

The party lasted until well after dark, and Saoirse and Andi let me take some pictures of the interior of the cabin. I was surprised (not really) as to the furnishings. Those little darlin's are very unique in every thing they do. Who else would have lawn furniture in their living room?

Doesn't the Fire Grate give off a nice warm glow? I think the hurricane lanterns give the house a comfortable feeling.

I've included some pictures of the process on the Purr-jon house. The Phist brothers are really working hard.

Time to get back to work, see you later.

The Purrrfect Home(Part 2)

2007-02-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

There is not a lot to report this week. The first couple of weeks on this type of project is spent taking care of preliminary objectives. A lot of time has been spent on looking at carpet samples, paint color tabs and asking questions of the client. It looks as if all of the carpet and paint colors are being left up to me. Every time I show Lily and Rose samples, they just say"that will be purrrfect", although they do show a slight preference to blues and green.

There was a lot of framing work to do on the windows and Sky-lights. So much so that I've hired a couple to temporary assistants. The Phist brothers (Lefty and Wright) have helped me on some previous projects and are very capable. That's Lefty holding the saw, Wright is of course on the right.

They did an excellent job completing the framing. Both are quick and very skilled, although Wright doesn't always seem to know what Lefty's doing.

It's time for me to get cleaned up as I've been invited to a house warming party at Saoirse and Andara's home. It is now know as "The Log Cabin in My Kitchen". See http://mirandawandering.blogspot.com/2007/02/little-log-cabin-in-my-kitchen.html My next entry will have some pictures of what the furnishings look like.

The Purrrfect Home (Part 1)

2007-02-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

My meeting with the Purr-jon (Pronounced Persian) sisters, was successful. This time I asked a lot more questions and found the the sisters were every bit as sophisticated as the Saiorse and Andara were naive. (I always like to include photos of my clients, but when I asked if I could take their picture, They suggested that I use one of their "glossies" instead. They may be into modeling as they had a whole portfolio of photos). It's interesting that they would chose a "seafood restaurant" for our first meeting.

Their tastes ran toward the more modern, and they wanted a home with lots of windows and skylights. Once again, it was off to Norm's Dollhouse.

It did not take the sisters, long to decide on the Contemporary Ranch House. The skylights provide excellent interior light. The high ceilings a feeling of openness and airiness. The Purr-jon's said it was Purrrfect! (They roll their R's a lot, I think they may be French).

This appears to be a "normal" construction job. Normal carpet, normal electricity, no indoor well. no vine and twig ladders, no dirt floors and no scenic calender wallpaper. They did indicate that, I should plan on using a lot of carpet, and 'absolutely' no tile or slick flooring. Oh well, that's my speciality (providing unique housing for Pixie's). Thus I'm now working on Building Permit # 020607-003.

By the way do you remember that little bag of "gold" coins Saiorse and Andara gave me as a bonus? When I went to deposit it at the 1st National Pixie Bank, the bag contained leaves and twigs. They must have made the "gold" with Pixie magic, and as Ms. Ariel had said "things made with Pixie magic are not always what they seem". I'm not upset about it, they are really sweet young ladies, and I'm sure they meant well.