Coincidences

Yesterday all of our ideas for our house addition went to the Structural Engineer.  Can I get a whoop whoop! 

I dropped everything off at his office late in the day and had me wait in the lobby for a few while he finished up a couple of emails.  Instead of getting on my phone and zoning out in email land, I started looking around his office and checking things out.  He had all of the typical things one would find in an office.  Desk for the wife out front.  Workstations for other Engineers to work in the back.  Large printer to print 24'x36' plans out on.  Pictures of his kids and various trips.  Picture of my Parents house?????  

Say What!!!!  So not kidding.     

Once he was done with his emails, he came to find me gaping at the picture on the wall.  I said,  "Wow, that's an old picture!"  He looked at me puzzled since 1998 wasn't that long ago.  So playing with him I said, "It looks like you have won some awards?"  He explained it was actually the Contractor who submitted the project and won him and the others involved that particular award.  He had no idea he had even won until he received a call from ACI asking him if he would like tickets to attend the awards banquet or to just send him his plaque?  

The house was built using a specific concrete filled panel system that was pretty much an unknown technique at that time.  I remember my Dad, the Contractor, and even my Grandfather all had to take classes and get certified before anyone could touch the panels on the job site.  

It was the last thing I had expected to see almost 15 yrs. later hanging over the desk before me.  Pretty sure my Mom has their plaque stashed in the basement somewhere.  I think at this point he was wondering why I was so interested in that particular house because it is the polar opposite design wise from mine.  So I piped up and said, "That's a great story.  Especially since that is my parents house."  

He looked at me shockingly and said "WOAH!! SERIOUSLY?"   

"Yes Sir Ree Bob, even I can't make that up."    

After I left and started to process things in my little brain, I realized I was a bit freaked out because once the plan is in place it isn't something that can easily be changed.  We are getting a basement with 9ft. ceilings.  Which is pretty much a luxury in a 100 yr old farmhouse.  We have 9 ft. ceilings throughout our house now which makes it feel more spacious then it actually is, since my basement cellar is barely 6'3 tall.  But with that existing cistern having to come out and buried 9 ft. deep, it didn't make sense to add fill.  

The other cool thing is that the attic trusses we have chosen allow for us to have an upstairs after all.  This means when Mr. Doyle is 65 and needs a man cave to hide in so he can study star charts or whittle duck callers, he will have a place to hide and do that.  That is unless I steal the space first, and turn it into a place to craft with washi tape and or a dead dingo dog and chicken taxidermy display room.  :)     

What.....like you thought I was going to say quilting or scrapbooking?   Right.  

Next step.....Permit.