On the road again
 

I hate it, but we are leaving this place after only 7 years and moving to a new home. The realtor is picking up the earnest money check in about an hour.

The move is basically a compromise over what my wife needs in life and what I need.
One aspect of our personalities is simply not easily compatible. She is energized by human interaction and can chatter away with anyone about anything for hours. Being around people wears me out, I mean literally sucks the energy right out of me. I could be a hermit. My quiet demeanor frustrates her, and the solution is to get her nearer to more of her people. We are pretty isolated out here, and I love it, but Vicki needs to be nearer her family and friends. We've had 7 years of heaven for me and 7 years of isolation and loneliness for her, so it's her turn. We will be 10 minutes from her daughter and 20 minutes from her best friend, 20 minutes from her quilting guild meetings.
It's not all bad. We're paying $725k for the new place and we'll get $900k to a million for this old shack.

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ohio/3107-clear-springs-rd/pid_65065047/

So if she is visiting with family, it is quieter where you are, no?
This could work out well for both of you. The big factor now will be: what are the neighbors like.

Best
Les

Yeah, that's tough that you're an introvert and she's an extrovert. At least you've got 5 wooded acres at the new place. You can hide there and avoid people and let her go gallivanting around to recharge her energy while you stay home and charge yours. At least you're not moving into a neighborhood where all of the homes are 15' from the neighbors

WD,

You have described the exactly how Introverts and Extroverts work. You need to find your happy place at your new digs. I believe that all people oscillate between being an I and and E. It is just a matter of what charges your batteries. Example? I am a crazy extrovert. Made my living in sales. Will work a room like nobody and remember all the names and details. And, I get up before everyone else in my house (it is 6:16 am) and have a couple of hours of introvert time.

Your challenge? Is to find a way to charge your introvert batteries. I saw 5 gorgeous acres. A pool room. You can do this. You are not moving to a high density urban setting.

I looked at a street view and he has some latitude. Hard to see house with the trees as they are mature and create privacy.

We lived in the Huntwick/Champion Forest area in NW Houston suburbs and those houses were stacked. You had to live inside the backyard privacy fence because once in the front yard you were socializing.

I love "selling the old shack for a million". Growing up we had an asphalt sided house in Toledo that my Dad bought for $5k and he hit bank three years later selling for $7k. Things change. Apples and oranges comparison but just the order of magnitude.

This sounds crazy, but one of my best friends is like you, and I get along great with him. In any setting, he starts working the room and I just fade into the background.

I will be building a garage/shop for my car hobby and there is a pretty good-sized shop in the basement of the house. I'll have plenty of spaces to hole up and work on projects.

Excellent post.

Me as well, except the name part...I really have to work at that.

That is the key, at least to me.

A long time ago I was doing some operational flight test on "Tethered Duck", a way to get SEALS in a raft from a helo in minimal time.

Very similar to this:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747662291.jpg

The E-8 Seal Senior Chief working with me on the program was a very interesting guy. I may have written this before here, but he was an introvert and his description fits me:

An Introvert walks into a room with 25 Stones, an Extrovert with none. When the Introvert leaves, he has no more stones...the Extrovert leaves with 25 stones.

I call it my "Low Stone Warning Light": At about 5 stones I need to be headed form the door.

Find, as LWJ mentioned, your charging station.

Property is beautiful by the way...both of them. :cool:

Inquiring minds want to know which new room will get the quilting machine set up in it?

Beautiful new place, almost makes me want to cash that check they sent us for our place and move east.....but the snow factor is too great a deterrent for me.

Hopefully you'll have a neighbor to help you paint the out-buildings and do small chores!

Good luck with the move, Patrick. Vicki is lucky to have you, and reversa-vicea.

It will go where the pool table is. We will have to take it apart darn near to the last nut and bolt to get it in there.

Tinker toys of the highest order!
I don't envy you the task. I will admit I had fun taking ours apart and turning it into a sewing table of sorts.

Same situation here. I’m a Pisces and she’s a Sagittarius. I’m basically the unibomber without the bombs and manifestos. My wife knows all the neighbors, talks to strangers at the grocery store (and everywhere) and makes me go to parties when I want to stay home

If I could move from here way way way out to the country to a house with a mile long driveway, I would be a happy man

Good luck with the move

She was morning
And I was nighttime
I one day woke up
To find her lying beside my bed
I softly said, "Come take me"

For I was lonely
In need of someone
As though I'd done someone wrong somewhere
But I don't know where
I don't know where
Come lately

You are the sun, I am the moon
You are the words, I am the tune
Play me

Song she sang to me
Song she brang to me
Words that rang in me
Rhyme that sprang from me
Warmed the night
And what was right
Became me

You are the sun, I am the moon
You are the words, I am the tune
Play me

And so it was
That I came to travel
Upon a road that was thorned and narrow
Another place
Another grace
Would save me

You are the sun, I am the moon
You are the words, I am the tune
Play me

You are the sun, I am the moon
You are the words, I am the tune
Play me

-N. Diamond

Yep. I just spent 5 days in greater Phoenix with extended family and each day I needed 2 hrs to escape the festivities and go hide somewhere to recharge and refresh. Fortunately we had a basement suite which made this possible.

Looks like a nice pad, best wishes on the move.

Trying to get past what I'm losing here and look at what I can do with the new place.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747747919.jpg

First thing I need is a place for my cars and the lift. At first I was thinking about a new steel 3-car garage, but now I'm thinking maybe just doubling the size of the existing barn with an extension. It has 50 amp 220 and electric heat. It is well positioned for solar panels, too.

Going solar is a priority here, as this place is ALL electric.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747747919.jpg

The kitchen is small and doesn't have enough storage. That range is resistance electric and looks like 36 inch. I'm getting our realtor to confirm. I want an induction stove and I want a exhaust vent with a fan that will buckle the windows. I think I can get rid of that above-the-stove microwave and shoot an 8" exhaust pipe out the wall. I need more counter space. Can probably extend that island 3 feet.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747747919.jpg

The room to the left is right off the kitchen and we've decided it will be my office. I can get some floor to ceiling pantry-type cabinets to put where the hutch is now to serve as a kitchen pantry.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747747919.jpg

We'll be spending a lot of time going up and down these basement steps. They are very shallow - maybe 7 inches or less. I'm thinking I can remove the carpet and screw deeper steps right on top of these. Don't know. I'll have to look into that.

Anybody have Simply Safe alarms or Starlink? This place has both, and the equipment conveys. I don't know anything about either one.

I have both.

There are a number of Starlink "Generations"...if it is Gen 2, like mine, it was a complete game changer for me in terms of connectivity speed on the farm.

Friends of mine that travel a lot have the "Roam" version since they travel from here to their remote farm in Ohio all the time.

https://www.starlink.com/

We installed Simply Safe in South Carolina and it is a great addition for situational awareness.

Wonderful place, Pat.

Your kind consideration shows you love your wife a lot, and I'm sure she loves you the same. The house and property you sold is very pretty. Being a fellow extrovert I can understand it wasn't the best fit for her.

Lots of people dream of retiring and moving to the country. Not me. I dreamed of living in a luxury condo, the bustle of downtown, and a beach within walking distance. I can't afford that, but I did manage to get close.

I'd look at stringing some LED lights up on top of the kitchen cabinets for some after hours indirect lighting.

Just signed contracts to have a new structure built and 26kw worth of solar panels and a 10kw battery installed. The 30x50 building will be attached to the rather poorly constructed existing barn (the black rectangle in the photo. I don't need a barn that big, but that's what it'll have to be to hold enough solar panels. The floor of the east half of the barn (right side, in the photo) will be concrete, and I'll eventually finish the walls and ceiling. I'm moving my 2 post lift, and this will give me plenty of room.

I've had periods of bad depression over this whole thing. It's been a real roller coaster, from deep depression to cautious optimism. This past weekend was particularly bad, as I had to confront the reality that with all the work we have to do to get ready to abandon this place I probably won't have time to do much work on my Speedster.

Vicki suggested a little retail therapy, so I've been looking a new tractors.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1749657725.jpg

The arrow is a Bradford Pear tree that has to come down. No great loss.

My dad was in the Air Force. We moved a LOT. I went to 11 different schools, and year after year I heard "class, this is Glen the new kid"

Until 3rd grade I was very shy and introverted, and I had no friends. I remember thinking on the way to school in 3rd grade, having no friends sucks. So on my first day in school I screwed up all my courage and walked up to 4 boys that were obvious friends with each other. I just introduced myself, and that year my mom even commented how many friends I had.

Of course we moved again, and I had to start over with new friends.

Now I can talk to anyone, anywhere. At my wife's 50th high school reunion I only knew my wife and one of her friends. They wanted to catch up with former classmates, so I was left alone with people from a small town. I chatted and with many different people, and had a good time.

I have started conversations in elevators, supermarkets, and big box hardware stores. My brother is the same way. His wife is always amazed how he can talk to any stranger.

I feel ya. I'm a mild introvert (need occasional social interaction but in small doses) and wife is an extreme introvert. She could literally never talk to other people and be OK with it, I think. That's a strain on us sometimes; can't imagine what it'd be like to have complete opposite ends of the spectrum cohabitating.

Best of luck on the move.

All of a sudden, things are moving fast. Work is beginning on the new barn right on schedule. They dropped off a stack of trusses Monday, some doors and windows Tuesday, a BIG stack of lumber yesterday.
This morning, I woke up to the sound of a diesel idling in my driveway. It was the construction crew, waiting for it to get light enough for them to start work.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758829280.jpg

The sun hadn't cleared the trees yet when they started laying out the foundation.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758829280.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758829280.jpg

By 8:00 AM they were ready to start boring holes for the poles.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758829280.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758829280.jpg

It started to rain about 1:00, so they knocked off for the day. They say they'll be setting the trusses and roofing on tomorrow, weather permitting, and filling the post holes with concrete on Monday. It should be substantially finished by the end of next week, except for the floor. Final concrete is scheduled for 10 days out.

Meanwhile, I've been wading through boxes of tools and hardware, trying to get some sort of shop set up in the basement of the house. This will make a decent winter shop when I get it finished, but trying to work when your tools are all in buckets and boxes is a beeotch.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758830559.jpg

I got some pegboard up and primed it. This "shop" is nightmare-inducing for a guy who can't stand chaos. I had to take the workbench apart nearly down to the last nut and bolt to get it through the doors and into the basement.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758830559.jpg

I unpacked some boxes of hardware and put up a few shelves to put them on. This helps. I can at least find SOMETHING.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758830559.jpg

I was forced to buy a new tool. ;) I looked at used bush hogs and everything available either needed work or was too close to the price of a new one. I got this Land Pride because it's a well-respected brand, it's sold and backed by Kubota dealers, and it matched the color of my tractor. Went out to hog some bush with the Kubota, because my Ford isn't running right yet and I had to clear the space around the new barn construction area. The little Kubota handled the bush hog well enough, but I don't want to use it on a regular basis. I just need time to finish the Ford.

Barn construction day 2.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758987651.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758987651.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758987651.jpg

I took the first 3 pictures at about 8:00 AM on day 2.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1758987651.jpg

I had to leave for a few hours. When I got home at 5 the trusses were up, the roof was on, and the crew was gone for the weekend. They expect to have it finished by Wednesday.

Barn build Day 3: Trusses are up, roof is on, and the girts, are all on, and they have some of the siding on. They would have had all the siding on, but the pieces for the north side were cut 2" too short. It took 2 days to get the right siding pieces cut.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759421356.jpg

Barn build Day 4:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759421356.jpg

The barn is nearly finished. All that's left is gutters, concrete, and doors. They should all be finished by next week. The solar installers have been alerted, I'm just waiting for a call to see when they can start.

Nice work. I wish my guys could build that fast!

So you have an opportunity to get a bigger shop, I hope you took it.

Luv this thread .... kudos to Willie .... and Patrick!

Awesome progress :)...

Beauty.

What did you size your barn for?

I sized the barn based on the space I have at the old place, plus the requirements of the solar panels. They require 1700 square feet of roof. It comes in at a little over my current footage. The cost played into it, too.

Ha! I’m terrible at remembering names. I have a name tag I used to wear at meetings that said, “Hi! I don’t remember your name either.”

That has the makings of a barndominium!

Is there a connection between the two structures other than just the man door?

It's been quiet here for the last few days. The barn builders are finished and we're waiting on concrete and garage doors. Gravel should be delivered today, and concrete tomorrow if the weather holds out.
Since July 23 I've been driving back to the old place on alternate days. The house needed cleaning, I need to get the engine back in the Speedster and so some brake work while it's still on the lift. I bring back a trailer full of barn and garage "stuff" on every trip. The new place is now packed, so I'm taking a few days to put up shelves and get things put away so I have room to bring even more stuff over.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759831933.jpg

This is the inside of the new barn looking east. The garage door should be installed this week. The lift will go in the corner on the right.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759831933.jpg

Inside of the new barn looking West. That big panel in the corner is the sliding door. This end of the barn will have a gravel floor.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759831933.jpg

This is the old part of the barn. There is just room to get the Kubota and bush hog inside. I'm going to spend the next couple of days getting things off the floor and on to shelves.

Concrete day!




http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1760184786.jpg

A small crew began showing up at dawn, with a big skid steer and 20 yards of gravel.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1760184786.jpg

The rest of the crew, 10 in all, trickled in until about 11:00 when the concrete showed up.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1760184786.jpg

I was surprised the used a buggy instead of a long chute. The distance from the door is only 30 feet.

Concrete is finished and garage door is installed. I'm starting to move in.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1760535260.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1760535260.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1760535260.jpg

I doesn't look like anyone reads this thread, but I'll post progress anyway - for posterity. :D

I drive back to the old place every other day or so to get the old house ready to sell and haul back a trailer full of my garage/barn stuff. This has been going on for nearly 3 months. I've put over 3000 miles on my truck, dragging trailers back and forth (round trip is 100 miles). It's a bit frustrating because while I'm rushing headlong to get the move over with, Vicki is already painting the kitchen, as if the move was complete and all we needed was a housewarming party.

I read it!

Looking forward to the future installments; lighting, lifts, shelves and benches....

I'm following too, with more than a little envy!

why did you do the concrete after building the barn addition?

I'm reading every post, Patrick. The new concrete looks great. I was surprised at how quickly you were able to get that done. Back in my days at the Garage Journal (they dumped me because of a rant, the owner is pretty narrow minded) guys had more trouble with concrete than any other single item.

They seem to whine a lot though. Every garage is some kind of trophy to them. I guess if you use the place, get it dirty and unorganized once in a while, you just weren't with the program. Especially if you didn't get it in order for your next round of bragging pics.

Your new barn is terrific. I think you built it to use.