Happy New Year to all cyber friends!I never make resolutions, because I never keep 'em, lol

Jay, I hope everything just falls into place for you to get started on your family's future home. Are you ready to retire this year? If so, will you be moving down and building full time? Or will you be building the house on weekend trips for a while? And now the most important question - have you built a house before? {{!gwi}}

Oh, how I wish I was ready to retire! At 56, I still have a lot of years to work. The plan is to sell our house in FL, and then when the timing is right, I'll leave my job here in FL, and head to SC. If I can, I might try to have the excavation and foundation done before I leave. I have 'budgeted' a year to get the house done, working 6 days a week.

The hard part is that my wife will continue at her job at least until the house is habitable, or until she can get a job in SC. It will be hard, because we're never apart for any length of time, but someone has to keep the income stream going, and maintain that all-important health insurance.

Have I built a house before? Yes and no. I've done virtually all of the various tasks of house building before, just never all on one project. I don't look at it as a particularly difficult project, as long as my health stays good. Compared to my daily work (I'm a tool and die maker) construction is easy. The hardest part for me will be accepting that something is 'good enough'; perfection comes with the territory in my line of work!

jay that will be one heck of a project! and it will be interesting to watch your progress. good luck with your build in 2010

Happy new year everyone!

T&D maker, huh? Oh yeah, I've worked with some dynamite T&D makers and they all shared one thing in common - the need to do it right the first time. They got us out of a lot of tight places! (I worked in a factory for 36 years before I retired at 57 earlier this years).
Here's hoping that when the time is right, everything will fall into place, and the right job will open up for your wife. Good Luck!

I'm looking forward to it Jay. In fact, you should start a blog - much easier to keep up with and you can post all the pics you can.

I'll probably start a blog once we actually break ground. I just have to pin my son down long enough to show me how to start and maintain one! My wife and I only half-jokingly remark that 5 years after he moves out, all of the electronics will be shoved in a closet, and we'll be reading books by candlelight!

Jay

Blogspot is incredibly easy if you want to go that way. Just an email addy & a password and you start typing your first blog.

But I know what you mean about the kids and technology. My youngest just left today to go back home but before she left, I bought a new phone and got her to help me set up service. I had been waiting for her to come home to do it.