Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ooooh...

So today J&H poured concrete. Eight yards worth. Three pads: One for the front door entry, one (the one that started the whole thing) for a new storage room attached to the house (which will also incidentally insulate the pipes inside that outside wall, which is why you don't put your main plumbing in an outside wall if you can help it) and one at the main hitching post.

Had a fair turn-out. J&H, of course. D&L. Me. And another neighborhood couple I don't talk about much, who - since I'm sure they wouldn't give a damn about my privacy - I'll just call Darrell and Marta*. Three hours of hilarity ensued, leaving us all feeling rather battered. But then there were hamburgers and bratwurst, which was very, very nice. Except that my normal diet is very bland and damn near vegetarian, and bratwurst invariably gets me running to the john. Which, since afterward I needed to shovel the shit of J&H's horses, could have been better timed...

*He's a cop. She does admin work in whatever government office will hire her. No neighborhood is perfect. I keep my distance, and forbid friends to discuss The Secret Lair in their presence.

4 comments:

Rudy said...

Out of curiosity, are you mixing the concrete onsite or having someone bring it in for the pour on a truck?

Joel said...

It varies. In the case of a seven-yard pour like this one, folks generally call for a truck.

Rudy said...

That's what we've done, I was just curious about what others do!

Joel said...

There are advantages and disadvantages. Locally, and depending on the volume, it's often less money to hire a truck than to buy pallets of bags and get them delivered - especially into the boonies. Then of course there's the advantage of not having to mix all that damned concrete in wheelbarrows or small mixers.

The disadvantages are equally obvious. A truck compels you to be ready to pour and finish a great deal of concrete in a short time. Fine if you can be ready for that, not so fine if you can't. Also there are places trucks just can't go, and believe me people live there.