August 30, 2003. The deck and skirting are finally done. Just another small project outside and clean up inside. The outside project is more stairs to the front door above the tongue. Wonder how long that'll take?

August 29, 2003. Much to tell! Since the trailer wound up so high off the ground we now need to build a porch...that was promised to be done by last Sunday...here it is Friday and it still isn't done...looks like it'll be done tomorrow, maybe! Will write about more of this and other things sometime this weekend! 

Asked Building and Planning the purpose of the necessary skirting around the trailer....answer: cosmetics!

As you may have noticed there are new pictures of the rig above. I have to mention that many week prior to now we had to remove all the vinyl lettering. That in itself was quite a project. Actually the letters weren't the problem, a little heat and they peeled off rather effortlessly. But the adhesive was a super chore until I found a real super remover. At first I was told, by a sign shop, what to use and expect to take 15 minutes for each letter!!! I tried there suggestion and they were correct...it took about 15 minutes to clean the adhesive for each letter. No way I was going to take a week or more to clean the rig up. At our local NAPA store I discovered an adhesive and vinyl remover that was $16 per 16 ounce can. I spent about $120 to complete the job but it went fast! It turned the adhesive to a powder as it tried which took from 1 to 5 minutes then it just scraped off with a plastic squeegee. Anyway I am trying to get at a point which is that silly picture of the guy on the trailer cooking behind the smoker. He is painted on and needs to be sanded off, compounded, possibly repainted, etc. I have no idea who he is supposed to be but he has gotta go for sure, asap!

August 22, 2003. Hurray! We now have electricity! 

I'll try to write about some other stuff a bit later tonight!

August 21, 2003. Am totally exhausted today from a lot of work, but it feels good...sorta!

Well I thought they were done with the blocking, came back the next morning before them and discovered blocks pulled out from under the trailer scattered everywhere. The inspector told the blocking crew that the codes have changed and they couldn't use the solid cap block on top of the celled blocks. After the celled blocks you use hardwood then your wedges. Finally the next day, Wednesday morning ,it was completed with anchors. The inspector approved it. The crew didn't charge me anything above the estimate of $500. I thought for sure I was going to be charged for the extra labor. The inspector said he would call the power company to get them to wire us up and get "turned on" (no pun intended)! I called the GA. Power engineer I have working with and he said he hadn't heard anything yet for my address. Spoke to the inspector this afternoon and he promised to call them right then...heard that the other day. But this time I told him that the power company said if he'll call it in today they'll be out tomorrow and hook me up!!! Hmmm...I just won't get excided about anything anymore until I see it! I did many projects that did not require electricity except for a shelf that needed to be shortened so the reefer would fit against the wall. Oh guess I didn't mention that the refrigerator arrived late Tuesday and we put it into the trailer yesterday. So I removed the shelf to take home and trim it to size.

Am told the deck may be completed this weekend...knowing the person doing it I doubt it'll be done maybe by Wednesday.

Was talking to Fast Eddy ordering a pallet of pellets the other day when he came up with a darn good idea for the drive up window. The two rear doors are a total of 42 inches wide with the right door having the lock and latch apparatus. So the distance between the door frame on the left door is 15 3/8 inches wide and between the hinges is 36 inches. I have been talking to a concession trailer window manufacturer somewhere in the Midwest who custom builds the windows. After much thought especially after the trailer moved up so high I have had varying thoughts. Window is just to small. Eddy suggested we just remove the door, frame it out, and install a larger window. Fantastic idea and so simple! You see, someone else, not directly involved with a project can look back and see other things. So we have asked our ex-roadie friend, "Little Richard", that does house restoration in the Atlanta area, to visit us as soon as he can take a break and stay with us on the "River" (which is now home. I think there is an explanation somewhere below all this what "The River" means...search for the Chattahoochee River, this is also known as the "Ye old roadies home! That comes from when "we' all were working in rock and roll, another whole story from the 70's!) If you can't find it then email me and I'll write an explanation here if you're curious.

Okay I think that's 'nuff for tonight...I wanna get some sleep even if it is still early.

August 18, 2003 evening. Well I didn't do anything about the ice machine today...to hot without a/c. Looks like the guys have finished blocking and hopefully they'll anchor it tomorrow. The Building and Planning inspector checked out my wiring at and up to the trailer. I made a slight blunder not isolating the common from the ground at this point. Didn't think I need to because the distribution panel only had one block. So I thought it would be okay to tie the common and ground together like what is done many times in a house distribution panel. A little over $5 and 2 drilled holes I installed another block for the grounds. The inspector will drop by again tomorrow and check it out. If it's okay he'll then call the power company and give them the okay. That'll make things go a lot easier when the a/c on!

Because the trailer is now another 15 inches higher rather than the anticipated 7 inches after blocking, we'll have to build a deck so our customers can reach the serving window comfortably. Asked the inspector if we need a handicap ramp. He said he doesn't require it but the ADA (?) may raise a fuss and highly suggests we build one. And we will. Thought about dirt instead but it'll require so much it would probably look like a burial mound! Wondering how a wheel chair can negotiate the gravel prior to the ramp!?!

August 18, 2003 The ice machine finally arrived 12 days after ordering from Atlanta. Will hook it up today.

Tommy and I have been tossing ideas about a shelter with picnic tables. Because of costs we will build the tables and purchase a metal 2 car carport. A wooden shelter using used wood will cost many times more than the prefab carport. Spoke to "our" Building and Planning Department inspector about doing this. First thing he says is "you need a permit"! It Seems as though there are dozens of these carports all around the county that were erected without a permit. But since we are using it for the public, things are quite different. Anchoring is the main issue because of wind. The normal anchor system is six 36" long rods driven into the ground through the outer bases of the carport. Building and Planning doesn't like that system very much. First they suggested a cement footer which acts as a weight. After talking and pleading awhile to try to keep our opening costs down they informed me that if the manufactures specifications prove the anchor system to withstand 90 MPH winds that that would over ride the county code. Guess what? Found out that these cheap carports made in Mexico have NO specifications available! Found a better build unit out of Arizona with 90 MPH specs but for considerable more money. So I guess we will go with what the county wants for an anchor system. Wonder what they will tell us about the picnic tables we want to build. Our design comes from the city park so I doubt they'll have much argument there. But who knows? I might mention that only about 5 years ago you could nearly build a sky scraper without a permit here. I do understand why all the rules and regulations just wish we put them in place a 100 years ago so it wouldn't be such a shock for us now. Also every, I mean every county person we have been in contact with have been very kind, understanding, and patient. As a matter of fact the inspector from Building and Planning is a very close friend of Tommy's younger son, Jody. He also was at one of our 4th of July "on the river parties" 2 years ago when I did the Q-ing. He actually made the statement that that was the best BBQ he has ever eaten. I'll take that rather lightly as he was doing very well with our keg of Bud!

Last Friday while I was in the Building and Planning office filling out another application for the permit for the shelter our inspector came out the building and saw Tommy  waiting for me in his pick up. Tommy explained how frustrated we were because the man that is to anchor the trailer showed last Monday, worked about 2 hours and hasn't been seen since. We Heard that his helpers father was very ill in the hospital. Tommy must have really showed his frustration because, as I understand it, the inspector, of whom knows the anchor guy, says that he'll come out Monday and get our power turned on. I have much to do inside the kitchen but haven't had any electricity to do anything!