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MAY NEW HOME NEWS
TUESDAY MAY 31, 2011
DAYS LEFT - 102
10 Volunteers
4 Contract framers
3 Architects
4 HVAC Technicians
2 HVAC Supervisors
1 Electrical Engineer
2 Visitors
The big news of the day is that both existing restrooms met with the wrecking ball. This was not in our original plan, but when it came time to install all the HVAC equipment it became apparent. It always makes the volunteers happy to be able to destroy something.
When El Viejo first reported the destruction, I had the impression our only option would be the porta-potty, but upon closer inspection, with my camera, I discovered there still exists a men's restroom (accessible) and a women's restroom. There is privacy of sorts -- each restroom has a door facing the hall. Of course there is no ceiling and there is the possibility of a HVAC technician working overhead. Much better, however, than having to walk outside in the rain and go half way around the building to find a porta-potty. One interesting twist - the door that says "Ladies" is only visible from the inside. Oh, and we have hand sinks!
The morning was spent on tool repair. Replacing blades, sanding bits, repairing cords that were cut or torn, triggers, and handles. It's always a puzzlement how so much dirt can get packed inside some of the tools. Last week El Viejo's computer power cord appeared to be dead - turned out the port was full of grit. Once he vacuumed the port, it worked just fine.
The new sander has arrived, but hasn't been picked up. The new reciprocating saw burned out -- it is a $240 tool that was just three weeks old. It was taken back and Jerry's replaced it -- "no problem" - They said must have been faulty to have only worked three weeks (despite the fact it showed a lot of wear from working so hard every day.) That is the same saw that resulted in a worker stomping out of the building in a fury. The three month calendar in the project office got updated and a trip was made to pick up building prints for a meeting with the architects and electrical engineer.
I published something in error yesterday. I said there were 23 skylights left to cut - the actual number is 27.
One new tool was purchased - a magnifying glass with a light. There have been so many splinters buried in hands that it became necessary. Everyone knows where to find it and the tweezers.
QUOTES OF THE DAY: I heard many comments about the restroom demolition:
"It's like peeing in a bombed out building." "It's really surreal. Pavarotti singing on the radio and as I walk into the torn out restrooms it is like a war zone with shattered timbers, smashed tiles, pipes and wire netting sticking out. But with all the skylights, the lighting in the building at night is beautiful."
"I was alone in the building and thought I heard one of our lumber carts rolling around. I went to see who it was and discovered it was some kid on a skateboard out on the front sidewalk.....the building is so full of places covered with plywood that outside sounds are like they are in the next room."
El Viejo: "At one time I thought we would be done with demolition by October."
Response: "Last October or this year?
Thanks to the four new people who have offered to become Break Room Dancers.
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MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011 MEMORIAL DAY
DAYS LEFT = 103
17 Volunteers
4 Contract Framers
1 Mechanical Engineer
1 Architect
4 Visitors
It was a very busy day, especially on the roof, as 3 skylights were cut and another was prepped for cutting tomorrow. These are the major ones in Rooms 4, 5, and 6. After the hole is cut for the main skylight in Room 3 there will still be 23 skylights left to cut. They are smaller than the ones cut today. El Viejo's comment about the ones cut today - "They are glorious."
The volunteers installed sheet rock in areas where the HVAC contractors will be hanging ducting this week and it needed to get put in place before the ducting. The building got a good cleaning, boards were de-nailed, debris was moved and dishes washed. Every broom was called into action. As excess roofing was cut out, it was tossed to the ground and a crew carted it off to the dumpster. Thirteen bowls of soup were consumed.
One volunteer became an expert at using the planer on the old siding that will be recycled onto the new addition (see photo below). The quotes of the day were flying around during the lunch break (photo right). Thanks to everyone who took the time to come lend a hand -- great things were accomplished.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"The planer really does a job. But it's loud and it shrieks, and everyone in the room needs ear protection."
"We had technical difficulties with the scissor lifts -- we could make one of them go up and down and another one go forward and backward, but neither one of them would do both. And when we got one of them all the way up it was too short to reach the ceiling."
"It was so noisy we needed a pneumatic shoot to send messages back and forth" (like the old days for sending money at a department store from one floor to another).
Is anyone out there tired of this endless rain??????
Photos below: left= before skylight; right= after skylight
 
 
 
above: refinishing old siding
on Memorial Day, for re-usel.
Left above: Cutting blocks on Memorial Day
SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2011
DAYS LEFT = 104
1 Volunteer (As far as I know)
The volunteer did a building check. It's highly possible there were other people with keys who were there today, but I wasn't able to go by this afternoon to check the sign-in sheet and food in the refrigerator.....
Tomorrow, Memorial Day, there will be a full crew of framers working on the roof and it is always handy to have a ground crew to move materials for them. If you are a volunteer who loves climbing around on the roof, there are things for you to do as well. For those who aren't into spending time on the roof, there is beam sanding, insulation stuffing, sheetrock installation, sweeping and debris cleanup, and sanding the siding that will go back up on the new addition. I know there are other items on the jobs board, but I can't remember what they all are.
Hot food will be delivered, and the pantry has a good supply of munchies. Doors open at 8 AM and closing time is about 5 PM. We hope to have a nice long list of volunteers on the sign in sheet tomorrow.
There are 27 Break Room Dancers and they are doing an incredible job of providing wonderful food. Thanks to all those who have signed up for the upcoming week - there are still a few empty slots. Contact Marina McIntire if you want to take part - marina.mcintire@comcast.net
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Our Salem YUUTH have not given up. I have alerted them that the BUUB is now closed Saturdays and Sundays, so they should come down on a weekday – after school is out. I warned them about sandals. I also asked them to let you and Ed know when they are coming, with an approximate count, a few days in advance (there should be at least five of them)." The YUUTH want to earn money donated toward their scholarship fund to visit their sister church in Rumania. It will be fun getting to meet the Salem YUUTH and perhaps our Youth will want to come work with them.
SATURDAY, May 28, 2011
DAYS LEFT = 105
4 Volunteers
1 who checked the building at 7 AM
1 who worked installing sheet rock for four hours
2 who stopped at 4 PM to check the building and collect info for this email
Inside temperature 64 degrees. Hard rain at 4 PM but only two tiny leaks in Room 1. Bright enough throughout the building to not have to turn on the lights.
Tomorrow, Sunday, the BUUB will be closed, but Monday is a full work day and we hope to have a good volunteer crew.
Next week there are very few people who have signed up to bring food for volunteers. If you have not yet donated food and would like to get on the list, please contact Marina McIntire to become a Break Room Dancer.
Thanks to Bob Coleman for posting the following on SHARE last night. It is my
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Friends...
and with all due respect to judy who does such a wonderful job of keeping us all up-to-date on the "buub":
bob was in the buub today, his third friday... nothing, of course, compared to those of you who have given so many hours...but, for bob, it was ...well, something.
to say going there has been a "learning experience" does not do the activity justice:
my first friday there, i learned how to use this small jack-hammer device which separated a bunch of bricks all stuck together into a bunch of separate bricks in a pile, to be recycled, i guess. elliot taught me how to use the thing.
my second friday there, i learned how to use this large rotary, portable sander, to sand those beams high in the ceiling of the sanctuary. ed taught me how to use it, and also, the "lift-thing" that takes you up into the rafters so you can get real close to those beautiful beams in the ceiling...the lift thing is a marvel...and i still recall ed's remark as i lifted off, "its a little shaky, but it wont tip over"...words i repeated a number of times as i sanded and wobbled....
my third friday at the buub, today, i was taught how to use this scraper deal which takes the paint off of the thinner side of a board by somehow scraping it, though not in a quiet manner. indeed, none of the pieces of equipment mentioned above operated quietly. (chuck kept pointing to the ear-muff deals he was wearing, and gesturing to the wall where others hung, waiting....bob, being the natural man he thinks he is, felt that was unnecessary). mark and gil taught me how to use this tool.
when i first entered the service, so many years ago, the mantra was "OJT", which for you youngsters means "on the job training"! well, as my experiences above note, if nothing else, the "buub" will train you in ways you cannot imagine.
thanks ed, mark, elliot, and gil....you have made my buub experience.....interesting. and to those of you looking for a way to "expand your skills" , and as mark indicated to me, "saving the church a whole lot of money ", i recommend going on down there and giving some time to the buub.
peace
bobcoleman
(by the way, my "spell check" tells me i am spelling "buub" incorrectly, but what do they know!)
FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 106
22 Volunteers
6 Visitors
4 Contract Framers
4 HVAC Technicians
1 HVAC Supervisor
1 Electrician
1 ARchitect
8 for Chinese Dinner
It was a happening place at the BUUB and deep appreciation is extended to those who answered the call for help. Everyone pitched in and helped get much accomplished. We had a call near 1 PM from the sheet rock company saying "we will be there in ten minutes" and as luck would have it, fresh recruits arrived just in time to help get it all into the boiler/mechanical room out of the rain. We were the last slot of the day for a delivery. Some of the sheet rock was 12 feet long, so having a good crew on hand was essential. More than 100 sheets were moved.
Special sanding was tried on some of the siding taken off of the north side of the building where the new addition is now. The old siding had blisters in the paint and the paint had been put on in a slap dash manner. By flipping over the boards, we will be able to use what used to be the back side. Only one board got done today (see the quote of the day for details).
Sheet rock was installed in various places other than the ceiling has originally planned. There was a lot of cutting of insulation, sanding of beams, installation of attic insulation, wood moving, and cleaning up the catwalk. One volunteer was sent to the roof to clean up the leftover debris from cutting two small skylights on the south side of the Social Hall. (Thankfully it was one of the few times today when it wasn't pouring rain.) A break room dancer delivered food and two trays of dishes were washed.
One professional framer who is a friend of the architect volunteered his services all day.
As noted yesterday, the BUUB is officially closed tomorrow, but several people have indicated they plan to be there - so if you want to clean bricks, sand beams or work on insulation, you are welcome to come by and see if the building is open - use the north side door by the kitchen. We have not heard of anyone planning to be there Sunday. Just remember - only one service this Sunday - 10 AM.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
Why only one board of siding was sanded:
"And then the big spark came off sander!"
"We have been on this project for ten months with no flu, no food poisoning or vermin in the building, and the infirmary is closed. Pretty amazing with such a big volunteer crew."
"People keep calling and emailing -- Aren't you working tomorrow?" "I have a key, I will be there Saturday."
Perhaps that is the best way to attract a big volunteer crew --- announce that the BUUB is closed!
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 107
5 Volunteers*
2 Visitors
3 Contract Framers
4 HVAC technicians
1 HVAC supervisor
1 Architect
*The number of volunteers is a bit misleading. One was a person sweeping, two others were there only 20 minutes. There is a Volunteer Void. We need more people coming in during the week on a regular basis or we will be forced to hire professionals to do work that can be done by our own volunteers. Every weekday, from 8 AM to 5 PM there are jobs waiting to be done. Our volunteer coordinator called 27 people today and only two indicated they were available tomorrow or Monday.
Tomorrow, 100 sheets of sheet rock are being delivered and they have to be brought into the building. We are especially recruiting for tomorrow and Monday. The BUUB will be closed Saturday and Sunday.
I apologize for starting with the bad news first.
Today sheetrock was added to patched areas and around cold air ducting. Beams were sanded, framing was reconfigured for the HVAC installation, and insulation was added. There was after hour sweeping and dishes washed. El Viejo met with the structural engineer.
The steady rain these last few days has put the roof to a test, and I am happy to report there are only a few small leaks. Too bad we haven't built the swale - we would have Lake BUUB by now.....
Reminder: There will be Chinese dinner at the Fortune Inn, 1775 West 6th tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.
There is a Notice of a Public Meeting sign on the property to the north, formerly the McGavic Law Office. The sign indicated the meeting related to a request for a change of use permit to allow for operating a private school. I have no details, but will try to learn more.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"When I am called to see if I can volunteer, rather than saying 'buzz off', I just say 'My Saturday is subscribed until 3:30 PM."
"Hi Judie - I realize you are not the volunteer coordinator for the BUUB, but I think you have more insight than I do. My teenage son has some community services hours he needs to fill for school. Could we show up around 3:30 tomorrow (Friday) to do some work? Should I contact Ed Z first to see if they need workers? Neither one of us are 'skilled' but are happy to do odd jobs, even just vacuuming and dusting."
This is what I love seeing in my email Inbox. No need to call Ed Z first. We always have work - skilled and unskilled!
WEDNESDAY MAY 25, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 108
10 Volunteers
4 Contract Framers
1 Electrician
1 HVAC Supervisor
3 HVAC Technicians
1 Acoustical Engineer
1 Architect
1 Electrical Engineer
 The copper has left the building! This is a joy and a delight for many reasons - it is such a hot commodity we were concerned someone would break in to steal it. Of course the delight is in the amount of money Schnitzer Steel paid us. $2,167.14. Volunteers had stripped the rubber coating off of 227 pounds of copper cable (see photo on May24).
Because there was over an inch of rain in Eugene today, there were no new holes punched into the roof for skylights. Preparation was done on skylights in anticipation of being able to make the cuts on Monday. Believe it or not, the contract framers want to work on Memorial Day. Photo: J.T. Justman with some of the copper.
Food was delivered, dishes washed, wood moved, nails pulled and beams sanded. Crews installed insulation and sheet rock ahead of HVAC ducting being hung. The late day cleanup crew worked in the catwalk to pick up debris and sweep the area. The electrician did some pre-wiring in the attic and catwalk areas.
A REMINDER: Now that weather is warmer, exposed toes have begun to show up on volunteers and visitors. Please wear only closed toe shoes. That means no sandals. The BUUB is a construction site and our number one goal is to keep everyone safe. There is zero tolerance on this issue.
PLEASE NOTE: The BUUB Open House hours have been changed. On Saturday, June 11, we will be open from 8 AM to 2 PM. (Not 1-4 PM) This will be a great opportunity to come check out all the wonderful changes since your last visit.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"I needed several pieces of sheet rock to fit a specific space that needed several sheets cut to 11-1/2 inches. So I cut them down from 11-3/4" sheets. I turned my back, came back to get them, and another volunteer had cut them down to 9" and nailed them into his space. Is nothing sacred?"
"I am trying to wear out my clothes before I die."
TUESDAY MAY 24, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 109
10 Volunteers
4 Contract Framers
4 Contract HVAC Technicians
1 HVAC Supervisor
4 Ferrari Scissor Lifts (they reproduce!)
Contract Electricians
1 Architect (fresh off an airplane)
8 for Membership Committee Meeting
 The cable stripping is DONE and the results will be taken to Schnitzer Steel tomorrow. We hope the price for copper has gone UP! (pictured here) Work today included yard work (mowing), installing sheet rock, moving plywood, washing dishes, sweeping, cleaning up insulation and lumber scraps, replacing the refrigerator handles, and cutting two of the four smaller skylights in the social hall. The wall "wash" skylights in the Sanctuary and Room 6 were prepared and are ready to cut tomorrow (unless it is pouring rain). The electricians began installing fixtures in the attic but are not hooking them up. The framers worked with the HVAC team to make sure all the ducting can fit through the framing. Teamwork, that's what we like. QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"At 8 PM last night there was a big storm front that went through. It was raining so hard I was concerned the plastic would not hold on the skylights. But there was not a drop of water in the building."
"It's so bright in here I can't even take a decent photograph."
One of the contractors was working up high on a scissor lift when the blade on the saw he was using broke. He lowered the lift, stormed through the kitchen, slammed the back door and outside shouted in a loud voice "#$%#!" He stayed outside long enough to have a cigarette and calm down. When he came back through the kitchen he said, "I am really sorry for using that language. This is a church, and I shouldn't have said that."
One of our church members was having coffee with her neighbor this morning. The neighbor knows she is a UU. Turns out the neighbor's son-in-law works for the City. He said: "Everyone on the City staff is talking about the Unitarian Church project... volunteers are doing most of the work... they even have an 80 year old woman sanding beams from a scissor lift!" Are we awesome or what?
Add to the BUUB glossary: "The Brick Yard is also known as Robben Island." [From the 17th to the 20th centuries, Robben Island off South Africa served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Today it is a world Heritage Site and museum...]
Membership Committee (pictured right) met with El Viejo to gather info  rmation, check out the building layout, and talk about potential Membership Committee needs including: Where will we keep name tags?
Discuss type of name tag system (similar to Salem UU)
Show sample of new name tag design
Need a pamphlet rack for UU brochures.
Need a place for display items - sign up sheets, newsletters, etc.
Need table and bulletin board space for community literature
Plan for a pull up table in lobby area
Plans for a public telephone in the lobby
Examine options for coat closets
Examine options for storage
Talk about traffic patterns, how to direct new people to sanctuary
Talk about "newcomer reserved parking spaces" - how many?
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MONDAY MAY 23, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 110
10 Volunteers (Plus 2 More Yesterday)
4 Contract Framers
3 HVAC Technicians
2 HVAC Supervisors
There was wire and cable stripping, with only three more of the heavy cables to do. We hope to be done with the cables in the next couple of days. Sheet rock in-filling is time consuming. Another time consuming job is installing insulation in the voids around the skylights, but it's necessary to get it all done prior to the ducting going in.
Bricks were cleaned, dishes washed, boards de-nailed, roof, insulation, and woodworking debris cleaned up, and floors swept. Despite all the regular and diligent cleaning, every surface in the building is gritty to the touch.
The framers cut the skylight in Room 7 and the chute was built and is ready for sheet rock. They also re-arranged some of the framing to accommodate HVAC ducting, and the same was true with needing to adjust the length of some of the vertical fire suppression pipes.
Additional safety equipment was required for the contract workers who are up on the roof -- interestingly enough, it is not required for volunteers. It relates to the contractors who have power saws in their hands! Speaking of the roof - temporary tarring was applied around the skylights where there were leaks during the hard rain last week - especially in Room 1.
Architect Mark Doonan flew to Washington, DC for the weekend for a family celebration but is experiencing difficulty coming home because of the disruption to air traffic caused by all the tornadoes and thunderstorms in the east. If all goes well tomorrow, he will return Tuesday evening.
We plan to purchase the power sander for doing the beams. There is only one source in town and one had to be ordered, but in the interim we have the use of the loaner. It makes the job so much easier because of it's efficiency and having the vacuum that collects all the dust.
We finally found a volunteer who is "fit" for the assignment of sanding the beams. A young male, former football player, with upper body strength! He was able to sand for five straight hours - the former record was three hours and that person was pooped at the end of three hours. The beams are looking great.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
The book that disappeared from the kitchen was found - Stranger in a Strange Land showed up in the book case in the office. I asked El Viejo if he had put it there. No way. "It is so Unitarian -- they see a loose book, they put it on a bookshelf!
Now if we could only find that radio power cord......
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SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 111
6 Volunteers (that I know of)
The BUUB was closed today - but we know that doesn't necessarily mean nobody was there. The excitement of the day was the building of a ramp in order to accept the donation of a riding lawn tractor for the entire mowing season in order to keep the long grass and weeds at bay. Since all the wide doors except the west end door have been removed, there is only one place to bring it into the building. Some assembly required.
Tomorrow the HVAC contractors will be back installing more cold air returns and the framers will continue working their way around the west side cutting skylights in Rooms 4 and 5. There was a suggestion to snap some before and after photos of the rooms to get the full impact of the drastic difference in the amount of light from the skylights, so the "before" was done.
Tomorrow, volunteers can attack the brick pile, install insulation, sand beams, put up sheet rock and sweep. A high priority is stripping the rest of the wire cable so we can get it out of the building.
A question was raised about whether we would have a security system installed - and the answer is yes, using a closed circuit TV system. Not so expensive to install because the walls are wide open.
There have been a number of jobs that were downright boring, mundane, dirty, and seemingly meaningless. Amazingly, we haven't had anyone go on strike. It's some of those seemingly meaningless jobs that turn out to be of great value. For instance - remember all those "dots" on the walls and ceiling that were laboriously scraped off last summer and fall? Because of the diligence of that scraping, we were able to save all of the old sheetrock and just put another layer over the top, saving big dollars. So special thanks to the dot scrapers!
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"That was sure scary hearing about the break-in at the BUUB. Thank goodness nothing was lost."
"Is there any work for the volunteers this week at the BUUB?" "You Betcha!"
"I have been thinking about the small miracles happening at the BUUB every day and how a boring job like removing those dots can result in us being able to save the old sheetrock in those rooms."
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SATURDAY MAY 21, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 112
11 Volunteers
1 Contract Framer
3 Visitors
When El Viejo drifts off to sleep at night and begins to dream, his worst nightmare is that our new building burns to the ground or gets broken into and the thousands of dollars of his tools, the contractors' tools, and the copper wire will be stolen. When he arrived at the BUUB this morning, a window had been broken in the southwest corner of the building. Thank goodness, the attempt to get in was through the one window that was screwed shut and could not be opened. Nothing was missing! The police were called, a report was filed and the day was spent beefing up the security of the building.
When next you visit, you will see reinforcement boards on all six bays of the south windows and all of the plywood that covers doorways, etc. As you know, we are closing the BUUB on weekends, but it was a good thing that a Small Group Ministry group was there to volunteer and could help with getting things tightened up. They got a lot more done as well, including:
 • Making a "permit board" -- we have to display all those bright pink permits in a prominent place, which was a little difficult because we keep tearing off parts of the front of the building! • Cutting that thick copper cable into manageable lengths with a power tool.
• Installing criss-cross strapping on the south wall of the social hall to provide further stability (see photo right).
• Moving scrap wood to the firewood pile.
• Washing dishes.
• Other volunteers did sweeping and wire and cable stripping.
• The contract framer worked on sanding the underside of the beams in the sanctuary with that fancy new tool that is on a three day loan. He got one and a half beams sanded. It is brutal work.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"He is 31 years old - but he looked like a race horse at the end of a race by the time he finished with that sanding. That tool is awesome, and so was he."
And from our #1 Stripper: "It was so noisy in here with that sander and other power tools going, that I moved outside. It was a case of 'have wire, will travel.'"
Sunday - The BUUB is closed unless you have a key and a project you are working on.
Upcoming events - mark your calendar:
June 5 - El Viejo will speak at both services
June 11 - From 8 - 2 PM (new time) - Open House at the BUUB - Great time to come see all the changes since our last open house. Skylights, electrical panels, new addition, the 'dog kennel', the new water heater, the wide open spaces, well defined rooms, HVAC shiny stuff, a rearranged kitchen, new sidewalks, and much, much more.
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FRIDAY MAY 20, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 113
11 Volunteers
11 Visitors
4 Contract Framers
3 HVAC Technicians
1 Concrete Supervisor
1 Restaurant Supply Contractor
After spending so many hours on the roof this week, the framing crew was burned to a crisp -- both from the sun and from the wild time dealing with the rain on Wednesday, and too much time in the "dog kennel..." The "dog kennel" got a vapor barrier and it is all tacked down with slats.
Room 1 has a skylight all ready for sheet rocking. More and more of the building is bathed in light.
The sheet rock patching continues and there is insulation being shoved in behind some of the patched areas. There is miscellaneous framing and beam sanding. The beam sanding is being done with a "Festool" that is on loan from a tool company that is letting us try it for three days. It is a wonder -- it has its own vacuum system and we will probably purchase one since we have so much beam sanding to do.
Flooring in the attic was screwed down, there was wire stripping, de-nailing, recycling taken home and dishes washed. Roof debris was cleaned up and there was lots of sweeping and moving scrap wood.
In addition to the radio cord thief, we have a literary thief. El Viejo was reading a book at Momma's Table - went to do a chore and when he came back the book was gone! A thorough investigation will be conducted. If it is returned, there will be no questions asked. I suggested he look in the women's restroom. (Used by both men and women.)
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"I have been on hundreds of work sites, but never one as clean as this. It is the best organized place I've ever seen... all the wood sorted and stored on rolling carts...."
"Working on this job I have learned a little about your Unitarian religion — I think it is a church I could attend." Of course I gave him the full schedule for Sunday services.
"In the morning, the power tools scatter like a flock of birds and then they come back to roost at night on their charging stations."
"We saved another $950 today — a contractor submitted an invoice this afternoon and said it was $3450, and could he be paid because he had to pay his crew. El Viejo said sure, I will write it right now. The contractor said, 'really? — in that case I will charge you only $3,000 and I won't charge you for the other two small jobs we did." Total saved - $950. This happens over and over.
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THURSDAY MAY 19, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 114
9 Volunteers
4 Contract Framers
1 Electrician
2 HVAC Technicians
3 Asphalt/Concrete Contractors
1 Dump Truck Operator
1 Architect
Good grief -- turn grown men loose with a sledge hammer and they can sure have a lot of fun. There are new openings (covered with plywood of course) in the outside walls of both the Minister's office and the Music Director's office. Those were not the only new holes in the building — there is a large skylight in Room 2 and the Northwest and Southwest corner skylights of the chapel are open with light chutes ready for sheetrock.
A vapor barrier was installed in the dog kennel and El Viejo got so warm he took off his jacket and tool belt and the tool belt is still up on the roof!
Additional copper cables were stripped. Those cables, when stripped, each weigh about 60 pounds which means, when sold, they will bring approximately $250 and there are 12 of them. I expect we can find something to spend that $3,000 on without much effort.
 The asphalt apron along 13th Avenue exit was added today and it appears to be level enough that all Prius owners will no longer drag the front of our cars on the way out (photo right). For the next few months the 13th Avenue entrance/exit will be closed so all the commuters and National Guardsmen will stop using our parking lot as a short cut. Some drive too fast and we have the safety of our members in mind.
Other chores attracting attention today - sheetrocking, wire and cable stripping, de-nailing, recycling, picking up the compost, sweeping, mowing grass, and washing dishes.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I am trying to remember where my money is... It might be up on the roof." In the tool belt?
Remember - Chinese dinner at The Fortune Inn tomorrow at 5:30PM - 1775 West 6th
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WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 115
7 Volunteers
4 Contract Framers
3 HVAC Technicians
2 Electricians
2 Roofers
2 Architects
1 Visitor
The whole team of contractors was totally burned out today - being on overdrive at 4PM after a full day of work and then having to jump into crisis mode yesterday to deal with the leaking roof, getting soaking wet, and being cold, all took its toll. Today they knocked off a little earlier than usual.
Their work concentrated on building a temporary roof over the south entry and a permanent area over the lobby - there was a 150 foot long extension to simplify the ducting that will eliminate the need for bends in the ducting. Some semi-permanent roofing was sealed down to help protect the building from rain.
The new system for stripping the copper cable was implemented and two very large coils of solid copper were wrapped around the body of the stripper to display the handiwork. It is impressive to see all that beautiful wire in one piece and of course the dollar signs were on high alert.
Cuts were made for the SW and NW end skylights in the chapel. One backhoe was delivered by the concrete crew. Large garbage cans have been sitting on the roof following demolition - I never knew what was in those cans but I have taken photos of them. Today I learned they contained about a thousand pounds of salvaged bricks and concrete. A faithful volunteer made numerous trips up and down a ladder to the roof carrying down loads of bricks and concrete in a 5 gallon bucket. The garbage cans have now been returned to service for trash and recycling. The same person who did all that was busy patching and infilling voids in the old sheetrock -- around doors, etc., in preparation for having a flat surface for adding a second layer of sheetrock. All designed to soundproof rooms.
A computer person arrived and got the printer in the office running again - something to do with which hole the cable went in.....
Despite our original plan to have the BUUB closed on Saturday, there will be a SGM team volunteering in the afternoon, so the building will be open and volunteers are welcome to come work between 9 AM and 5 PM.
El Viejo spent the day in his van -- most of it in search of a roof torch. After trips to Jerry's, Lowe's, Johnson Industrial Supply, Propane Supply, and a roofing supply company, he finally located one at guess where? Tiki Torch! His errand route also found him at Central Print, the tool repair shop, and a tire repair shop. Building a building is not always about using a hammer or saw!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Here are some nuts and hard boiled eggs."
"That soup was really good.....there is none left."
"Everyone loves the food that is brought in -- especially the variety."
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TUESDAY MAY 17, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 116
11 Volunteers
5 Contract Framers
2 Concrete Contractors
1 Electrical Engineer
1 Brick Cutter
3 HVAC Technicians
1 HVAC Supervisor
2 Contract Electricians
1 Contract Electrician Supervisor
1 Architect
Meeting with Structural Engineer
6 for BPOC Meeting
 You know how the motion picture industry always has streets wet to make the movie more dramatic? Well, I guess that's what was intended at the BUUB. Indeed the scene was more dramatic. Things were going along just fine until about 4PM when a black cloud passed overhead and dumped torrential rain on the roof - exposing every existing hole! Unfortunately, the workers were not "Singing in the Rain", they were grabbing every available barrel, bucket, and wastebasket. It was like a fire hose was flowing full force.
The crew leapt into action, raced to the roof and started doing whatever they could to stop the flow of water into the building - mostly the east hallway. Thankfully the tiles had been removed from the front lobby and there was a nice gravel bed to sweep water into. The three people on the roof were soaked to the bone. One of them used his butt to cover a large hole to keep the water from draining into the building. After they got things under control they managed to find enough spare clothes to change out of dripping wet clothes for the drive home. El Viejo was still damp for the BPOC meeting, and as he sat next to a heat lamp we were sure we could see steam coming off of him!
The work of the day included:
Yard and attic work, sheetrocking, sweeping, brick stripping, painting a door and sorting wood. Innovation figured out a way to strip those oversized coils of copper wire.
The framers cut and framed in the NE and SE corners of the chapel. Tomorrow they will cut and frame the NW and SW corners. They also worked on making the "dog kennel" on the roof bigger. (In case you are wondering, the dog kennel is that addition up on the roof that will house the HVAC systems.) Most of the HVAC stuff that has been installed is cold for air return.
We expect to start on installation of sheetrock and insulation before too long - involving approximately 500 bundles of insulation and 3,000 sheets of sheetrock. We are looking for 3 or 4 "Captains" who are willing to help oversee sheetrock and insulation crews which would allow us to have volunteers on Saturdays and Sundays. In order to give his mind and body a rest, BPOC wants El Viejo to have at least two days off every week. He needs to work week days because of contractors, inspectors, etc., being there.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"I think I will go home and take a hot shower so I can dry off."
"When given direction, the volunteers do a better job than professionals by doing the same job over and over. Consistency is best."
"Sunday afternoon I drove the Ferrari to the four corners of the building, took it up as high it would go (about 24 feet) so I was able to look down on the roof --- it is really cool from that perspective."
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MONDAY MAY 16, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 117
9 Volunteers
2 Visitors
4 Contract Framers
2 Contract Electricians
3 Contract HVAC technicians
2 Concrete contractors
1 Architect
1 Caterer
1 Break Room Dancer
Keep checking out the roof - every day it is different. The three main rooms now have their major skylights - Sanctuary, Social Hall, and last by not least - the Chapel. Otherwise, most of what was done today was odds and ends. One of four holes was dug for the foundation for one of the four block columns that will support the major south entrance.
Insulation was replaced in areas where it was pulled down when holes were cut in the roof for the smaller skylights. The shear wall on the west end of the social hall was finished (using odds and ends of new and scrap plywood panels). Knockouts were done for the HVAC systems. There was cleanup, sweeping, and dish washing. El Viejo said he spent most of the day in the "dog kennel", which is related to the HVAC chase on the roof. His back was covered with sawdust, and it must have been hot up there - it was the first day I have seen his arms exposed since last summer!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"It is so light in the building now, it is hard to tell whether we have remembered to turn off all the lights at the end of the day."
"The only rooms that are dark are those where we have not yet cut the skylight openings -- and there are no lights in those rooms."
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SUNDAY MAY 15, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 118
20 Volunteers
I forgot to ask if there were visitors
A big THANK YOU to the Breakfast Cluub - at least 11 adults and 6 children volunteered from 1 to 4 PM. El Viejo completely filled two white boards with a jobs list thinking he would be lucky to get half of the work done --- but guess what? At the end of the allotted time, it was ALL crossed off, jobs done, and they were asking for more!
Here is a list of what got done:
Clean Up Rooms 7, 6, and 3
Wrap Sisiutl carving and build a wheeled cart to hold it
Clean wood box and dumpster
De-nail plywood
Demolish cast iron pipe in South entry
Cut cast iron pipes in kitchen
Haul 25 large bales of insulation up to the roof using the scissor lift
Install insulation in tunnel wall and ceiling (mechanical chase)
Screw slats to hold insulation in place
Haul concrete from south sidewalk into dumpster
Clean up front lawn
Cut up old gutters
Sweep gravel in parking lot
Clean up area around dumpster
Move brick cubes to dumpster
Finish west wall plywood panel support in social hall
Put in grounding rod for internet line
Move 2x8 and 1x4 lumber to respective stacks
Dishes were washed
It was fun watching the young kids operating the scissor lifts and see their ease and comfort walking around on the roof (under the supervision of parents, of course!). I expect that will be an experience they will remember all their lives. The thought of taking a ride on the scissor lift scares me and I don't expect to climb up on the roof any time soon either.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"What is the roofing crew doing working on Sunday?....Oh, that's not the roofing crew, those are church members."
Said to El Viejo: "I appreciate all you do to keep the symphony playing....but it's more like herding cats."
El Viejo: "I'm having a hard time keeping up. They work too fast."
At the rate they work, I hope the Breakfast Club will want to make this at least a monthly event. Between their youth and enthusiasm, they can accomplish much in a short time.
NOTE: Betty Hosokowa told me that Marilyn Junkins is the person to contact if you want to work on the Eugene Celebration Parade.
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SATURDAY MAY 14, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 119
BUUB Officially Closed today
3 Volunteers
4 Visitors
1 Architect
A doorway was cut between the pantry and the mechanical room (old boiler room) - the job was much easier now that all the floor to ceiling electrical panels have been torn out.
All the existing lumber was inventoried to determine how much was used during the past five days - - quite impressive when you consider that the framing has slowed somewhat:
30 sheets of plywood
1,000 2x4
800 2x6
100 2x8
200 2x10
250 2x12
Many batts of insulation were ripped open so the Breakfast Cluub volunteers will not be slowed down by having to open them tomorrow. There was sweeping and the scissor lifts were cleaned. The architect dropped off samples of blocks for the front columns. The men's restroom has a lock (Key #2 opens the door, so any woman with a #2 key has access....)
A filing system was set up for building plans. Great idea since there seem to be sheaves of them all over the place.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"I think you are over the hump." - Comment by a visitor.
"We are waiting for the wackiness to settle down...." Overheard at the Coordinating Council meeting this morning.
NEEDED - not for the BUUB, but by the church: A couple of creative people who would like to plan, organize, and coordinate a UUCE entry into the Eugene Celebration Parade on August 27. The theme this year is "Raise the Roof!" - now THERE is fitting theme for us this year... Our involvement in the parade is an excellent way to let Eugene know we exist and are moving to our new church home. If you are interested in helping, contact Betty Hosokowa.
I'm a little late with my report - just got home from a day trip to Portland for the launching celebration of Birdfellow.com, a social network for birders. I was a proud parent as my 51 year old son is a co-founder of this adventure. I introduced him to birding when he was still in a stroller, and he publicly thanked me that. My former husband was there and I learned he chaired a capital campaign to build a new addition for the UU Church he attends and he shared some of his techniques for raising funds. The only un-fun part was driving home in the dark. Judie _______________________________________________
FRIDAY MAY 13, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 120
14 Volunteers
1 Electrical contractor supervisor
1 HVAC contractor supervisor
2 Architects
5 Concrete contractors
1 Bobcat operator
1 Dump truck operator
2 Contract Plumbers
 Concrete was poured and finished for the 75 feet of south sidewalk and the east 13 Avenue entrance apron (photo right). The east entrance under the portico was prepared in anticipation of pouring concrete on Tuesday if passed by the City inspector on Monday. The south entrance was prepared to build the forms for a new floor.
The framers worked on the mechanical chase on the southeast portion of the roof extension which was closed in and temporarily roofed. The guys working on the roof got HOT and were wearing sunscreen and sun hats, but still got sunburned. Cold water was carried up the ladder to help cool them off. More skylights in the Sanctuary were framed -- and there will be a total of 12 smaller skylights in addition to the three large ones.
Because some duct work opened up a new place on the floor of the attic over the kitchen, more flooring was added and rumor has it that the flooring is finished... yes, right, just like the demolition. More sheetrock went up in the attic as well.
Bricks were cleaned and moved. The bricks in the column on the west side of the south entrance were stubborn and some could not be knocked apart, so they found a home in the dumpster.
The hot water heater is working! And it is indeed HOT. Turns out there was air in the gas line, and that's why the pilot was difficult to light. Once the air was blown out, the pilot fired right up. With the arrival of hot water, a volunteer gave the entire kitchen counters and other flat surfaces a thorough cleaning and they looked great. Tonight, there were no dirty dishes to bring home.
The BUUB will be closed tomorrow - Saturday - there is a Coordinating Council meeting in the morning and the Memorial Service for Phyllis Peara at 2 PM.
On Sunday, the Breakfast Club has a volunteer work party in the afternoon. Their main project will be installing insulation throughout the building. This is the non-itchy variety and does not require a respirator!
Today, beams were sanded (we found a young, strong person who excelled at this job), wire was stripped, and a team of 3-4 were sweeping at the end of the day. The firewood box was emptied yesterday, filled up this morning, and then emptied again by 2 PM!
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"I remember when El Viejo first set up the BUUB last August - there was a full first aid station, complete with a cot and a quiet area. Now we are down to a few band-aids..." (He was expecting that we would injure ourselves and pass out on the job.)
"After cleaning up the kitchen, I saw a person set a dirty glass on the counter, and I said, 'Don't do that." -- The Volunteer scrubber
"I have a vision of Gretchen bringing in a bag of kelp chips and all the men running like rats for the door." (During a discussion about our love of junk food.)
"The men's restroom will finally have a lock on the door --- not for privacy ---but because they need a place to protect their tools."
"The demolition is done......oh sure.....for the day..."
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THURSDAY MAY 12, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 121
13 Volunteers
5 Contract Framers
5 Concrete Contractors
1 Contract Electrician
1 Landscape Architect
3 HVAC Technicians
1 Bobcat Operator
1 Dump Truck Operator
1 Minister
1 Acoustical Engineer
1 Architect
11 Visitors - Most For a Meeting Related to Acoustics
Driving by the BUUB on 13th Street was a bit of a shock this morning. Pleasantly so, she adds quickly.... Framers were crawling around on the roof, building external chases for the HVAC ducting, a volunteer was cleaning up all the building debris and hauling it to be sorted and stored. The lumber was de-nailed and much of it re-used while it was still hot. The skylights on the north side of the sanctuary were framed in.
 Some of the driveway asphalt was removed to make room for the accessible spaces and drive through that go in that location. Bricks were cleaned. The front entrance was graded and the concrete forms were removed from the new sidewalk on the north and east sides of the new addition (see photo right). The front lobby was filled with gravel, the foundation was dug in preparation for pouring a new entrance. Dishes were brought home once again because there seems to be a difficulty getting the pilot light lit on the new water heater. Break Room Dancers delivered tasty treats. A firewood gatherer came and cleaned out the free box. Trash was rounded up and new toilet paper dispensers were added to the women's restroom. The HVAC technicians worked a short time and then went back to the shop to fabricate the next step of the mechanicals.
In addition to the meetings with the landscape architect and those interested in acoustics, there were also meetings with two different caterers and restaurateurs.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"This building has excellent rental potential because of its location, size, and architectural interest."
"It will be possible to seat 400 people around tables in the sanctuary and social hall. There are not many venues in town with that capacity."
"Caterers will be lusting after this space."
"I was here about a year ago when it was a dark cave and I can't believe how it has been transformed into a beautiful, light, airy space."
"You are doing an incredible job with the remodel."
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WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 122
5 Volunteers
5 Contract Framers
6 Concrete Contractors
1 Bobcat Operator (Concrete Demolisher!)
1 Dump Truck Operator
4 HVAC Technicians
3 Electrical Contractors
4 Mechanical Engineers
1 Architect
2 Visitors (after 4 PM)
Rain, rain, go away and come again another day. With all those cuts in the roof there were some leaks this afternoon, but nothing major.
 The Bobcat was a busy bee demolishing concrete and floor tiles. The south entrance as we have known it no longer exists - no entrance roof, rafters, brick pillars, sidewalk, porch, or lobby floor. Because of the hard rain when I went by, I wasn't able to see how the front was all closed up. The driveway apron and sidewalks along the east and northeast sides of the new addition were poured and lovingly guarded late into the day in case any mischief makers wanted to mess them up.
The work on the roof, skylights and roof overhangs continue. The mechanical engineers were on hand to further tweak the routing for ducting and determine how it will actually work. Extending the overhang on the south side will allow additional space to hide ducting for the mechanicals.
 Much effort went into moving debris (see photo right) -- concrete and lumber from the front entrance. It got sorted - some saved and de-nailed and some carted off to the dumpster. Sheetrock was added in the attic over the kitchen (a daily occurrence), nails were pulled and the gas line to the hot water heater was installed. No hot water yet, but only because the switch was not flipped. The hot water heater and plumbed coffee system will be operational tomorrow. Dirty dishes were brought home. There was yard work until it began to rain.
I discovered what the extra jets on the kitchen sink are all about - it is an eye washing system required by code. We could have used this early in the demolition when every once in a while someone got grit in their eyes. If you were creative, you could use it as a dual water fountain.
Additional statistics:
As of the end of April, 2718 volunteers devoted 21,404 volunteer hours (I bet it's closer to 25,000 because many people forget to sign in.) It's important for everyone to sign in and sign out because we are keeping track of how many volunteers and how many volunteer hours. The 2718 volunteer number is what we get when we add up all the names of volunteers who signed in since August 7. We have had 190 individuals sign in.
There will be no Chinese dinner at Fortune Inn this Friday.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"Tom Ferrel is a genius!" (Related to hiding mechanicals...)
"Oh, I know why there's a restriction on 'visiting hours!' -- You think we shouldn't pay for overtime?" -- Break Room Dancer
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TUESDAY MAY 10, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 123
11 Volunteers
6 Contract Framers
4 HVAC Technicians
2 HVAC Supervisors
5 Concrete Contractors
1 Dump Truck Operator
4 Contract Electricians
1 Acoustical Engineer
2 Contract Plumbers
1 Structural Engineer
1 Architect
Statistically speaking, I am happy to report we have had 190 individual volunteers -- in addition to the Breakfast Club and the volunteers from the Salem UU congregation! Thanks to everyone who has participated --- oh, and don't forget those Break Room Dancers who have fed both volunteers and professionals.
The best news of the day is the arrival of a new WATER HEATER! It is waiting for a gas pipe tomorrow morning to get it up and running, but just knowing that it is "in the building" is music to our ears. And while I wasn't looking, a new faucet head was installed in the kitchen - I forgot to ask El Viejo what the two extra little openings are. Probably some new code requirement for a commercial faucet. I will let you know when I find out.
Destruction with the Bobcat claw continued. This time it was all of the driveway under the portico at the east side. Forms were built and things are ready for new concrete on the North and East side of the new addition and for the driveway apron, which means the 13th Avenue entrance will be usable soon. The Bobcat must have gotten a workout because I saw a guy with an open toolbox working on it this afternoon. Happily that pile of gravel in the north parking lot is gone. I forgot about it last night and tried to run over it. What a clatter! Moved my front license plate out of kilter.
It's always handy to have a forklift sitting around - it was used to move the dumpster out of the way. I also saw a third scissor lift outside - don't know for sure who it belonged to, but perhaps the crew working on the new addition. The new addition is completely covered in Tyvek (white plastic vapor barrier) and ready for the blue siding to go back up so the new addition will blend right in.
The three major skylights in the Sanctuary were framed and preparations were made for to reconfigure the number of small skylights, to see how many will be appropriate for the space without us being blinded *grin*.....
Sheetrocking continues in the kitchen attic, bricks were cleaned, the donated carpeting was moved to storage, the area where concrete was broken up got raked, and about half of the electric panels in the old boiler room were dismantled. On a morning visit the east hallway was full of ladders and by afternoon everything was cleaned up and put away. One thing that was pretty funny was the boot scraping grate that used to be outside the east door was moved inside after all the concrete supporting it had been hauled away in a dump truck.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
From our local US Postal Service mailman: "Where is the mailbox?" (I took a photo of it two days ago when it was in about 8 pieces. It probably is resting in the dumpster.)
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MONDAY MAY 9, 2011
DAYS LEFT 124
11 Volunteers
4 HVAC Technicians
5 Concrete Contractors
1 Dump Truck Driver
6 Contract Framers
2 Harvey & Price sprinkler technicians
2 Visitors
1 Architect
It was quite a sight walking into the BUUB about 1 PM and watching a contract framer with a heavy instrument overhead punching holes in the ceiling. By the end of the day three large skylight openings were created and were sealed up against the weather. I thought the natural light in the social hall was pretty amazing, but seeing that multiplied by three made a statement to be sure. The small skylights in the sanctuary were laid out in preparation for tomorrow.
 Up on the roof, workers were walking around tearing off layers of roof where the holes were cut and tossing them over the side where volunteers loaded the roofing into wheelbarrows and carted them off to the dumpster. Also tossed over the side were old exhaust fans and housings. Made interesting photos to have people on the roof.
 Outside one concrete crew was fabricating the forms for pouring a new sidewalk while the other concrete crew had the "bobcat" with a scoop bucket breaking up the front sidewalk and porch floor. All this activity made for an extremely noisy environment. Tomorrow the rest of the driveway will be dug up.
Framers were installing the soffits on the new addition. A volunteer continued applying paint remover on the west wall bricks, but failed to make much headway. There was sweeping, brick cleaning, nail picking up, yard work, and installation of the fire extinguishers that just got their annual charging.
The fire suppression crew worked on moving pipes for what we call "sexy tweaking". Because of the minor design changes in the number of small skylights, etc., some of the pipes installed in January had to be moved or shortened or made longer. Don't tell that volunteer who had to step over or work under a long stretch of pipe in the attic over the kitchen while putting in the floor.......today, that pipe was taken out! (Too bad it wasn't gone during all the work up there.) Today sheetrock was added to the area.
The HVAC technicians were installing the "boots" for the heating system while the rest of the crew was fabricating equipment in the shop.
I HOPE YOU ARE STILL READING because we have news:
Beginning Saturday, May 21 the BUUB will be closed for volunteer work on Saturday and Sunday. This is necessary because the project manager and lead architect have been working seven days a week and in excess of 12 hour days. In order for them to be still standing, they need time to regroup just like the rest of us.
If you have a key and work of your own go for it, but otherwise the BUUB will be locked. Special work days, like those arranged by the Breakfast Club, can be scheduled and it will not affect the Open House on June 11.
Also - We ask that there be no visitors between the hours of 7 AM and 4 PM unless you are dropping off food or are there to work. This is for your own safety. If you have read all about the events of today and the number of workers in and outside the building, you will see it is a zoo. Not having to stop to give tours or answer questions allows everyone to stay on the job. Most of all, it is a matter of safety. We do love having you stop by to check on our progress - but only between 4 and 6 PM on week days. In addition to being on the job most of the day, El Viejo makes runs to the hardware store, is on the phone ordering materials, paying bills, in meetings, or securing permits. Our goal of being in the building in September is now 123 days away. The more time the professionals and volunteers have working, the closer we are to that goal.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
When seeing a young framer toss a sheet of plywood over his head like he was carrying a file folder: "Oh to be young!"
Upon seeing the dollar figure of how much money had been spent on the project so far: " You got a #%!%%&&# of work done for very little money."
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SUNDAY MAY 8, 2011
DAYS LEFT 125
6 Volunteers
13 Visitors
1 Architect
All of the effort of patching the roof yesterday paid off - no leaks today. When it rains the pitter patter on the plastic covering the skylight opening in the social hall sounds lovely and the natural light is wonderful even on a gloomy day.
A wire stripping station was set up in the social hall, with the anchor being the leg of some scaffolding loaded with new lumber. Much more hospitable than the kitchen! A good bit of wire got stripped.
A volunteer came in to see about setting up internet service in the new office. I searched around to find the telephone, but so far it has escaped me. Perhaps I should call it from my cell phone and see if it rings!
El Viejo said he was sent to the kitchen attic for bad behavior where he and another volunteer were re-routing old conduit. And speaking of the other volunteer - he used to have an "office" in the middle of the sanctuary with all his tools, but the cart with all his goodies has been squeezed into a tight space, and in order to access his tools today he had to sit on the floor. Not too handy.
A home was found for the donated carpeting. It needs to be moved temporarily.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Popeye has spinach . . . I have peanuts." One of the perks of being a BUUB volunteer is access to a huge bag of peanuts in the shell that were left over from a birthday party, and then dropped off in the kitchen. The stripper had a pants pocket full of peanuts.
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SATURDAY MAY 7, 2011
DAYS LEFT 126
15 Volunteers
3 Visitors
1 Landscape Architect
1 Architect
1 Green Sanctuary Member
The major project of the day was installing "shear" panes on the west wall of the social hall. The plywood panes serve as a stabilizer for the wide expanse until sheetrock is added. There was roof patching, brick cleaning, sweeping, nail pulling, wood cutting, and sorting and stacking wood. There was also some beam sanding, trash hauled to the dumpster, and with no hot water.....dirty dishes carted home. Any water that leaked in overnight, was dry by this afternoon.
A meeting was held with the landscape architect to discuss plans for the playground and fence placement. If you drive by you will see pink, blue and red flagging. Pink for the fence line for the playground and blue for the building overhang. I can't remember what red is for.
I looked at the chunks of concrete piled near the tractor and understand why it was so difficult to cut. It is very thick and dense.
Fresh fruit and cornbread muffins arrived.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Upon seeing the skylight opening in the social hall: "Wow, wow, wow!"
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FRIDAY MAY 6, 2011
DAYS LEFT 127
12 Volunteers
5 Contract Framers
6 Visitors
4 Concrete Choppers
4 HVAC contractors
1 Acoustical Engineer
1 Architect
11 For Chinese Dinner
A new volunteer became a wire stripper - and guess where the wire stripping station is now? The kitchen! A new work bench for cleaning bricks was constructed. There was brick cleaning, attic stuff, yard work, grass mowing, nail pulling, moving the project office to a new location, and sweeping. Yes, there is sweeping every day.
There is:
no hot water
no entrance or exit driveway on 13th avenue
no office
no south door
no east door
no mailbox
There are two doors with locks opening with a #2 key. Locking up requires 2x4s, plywood panels and a lot of screws.
Tyvek has been added to most of the new addition. Additional skylight framing was done for RE Office, Minister's Office, and the Library. El Viejo was evicted from the project office and he wasn't even moved out when volunteers were in there tearing it apart. The work being done by the HVAC folks was the transitions from round ducting to the rectangular or square units.
 The concrete in the driveway was so dense and heavy that it is almost impossible to cut. Even with a 24 inch blade, it took and hour and a half for one long cut. This means we won't be able to use concrete slabs for walking step stones in the swale.
Because we are so good about paying contractors without delay, we get all kinds of special favors - in the case of the concrete cutting we were able to get the loan of the heavy duty cutter that would normally cost $500 a day. If you drive by you will see the addition of a tractor in the front yard. And in that same vein, the fork lift was moved from the warehouse to the east corridor at the BUUB. Handy for moving sheetrock!
Below: skylights in the sanctuary
When you visit and see how things are shaping up inside, you will find it different than the plans posted on the bulletin board at church, etc. The new design team has gone beyond "sexy tweaking" as they are doing necessary, appropriate, practical, and aesthetic changes that were not done in the earlier design. For instance, rather than having one large and 12 smaller skylights in the social hall, there will be the one large and then four proportionately appropriate skylights. Same is true for all of the entrances and how they relate to the scale and shape of the roofline, etc. There will be no confusion about where to enter. Each person who sees the new opening in the roof in the social hall automatically says, "wow!......WOW!.....that is amazing....wow!"
There were a few places where the rain decided to sneak into the building - but not in the social hall. An inventive plastic trough was cobbled together so water would drain into a large plastic barrel in the front lobby.
Plenty of fun in store for Saturday and Sunday - since it is raining and you can't do yard work, come on down to the BUUB for some gummy bears and peanuts in the shell. And we have coffee again!
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
The new wire stripper was running water to wash her hands and I said I was surprised there was water in the north sink. She said there wasn't much on the hot water side - that it "must have been from the residue in the tank." Hit me funny, since the tank has been disconnected and hauled away for five days.
"We are going to give lie detector tests to find out who took the radio cord."
"The driest part of the building is the outside front porch."
"Take a seat, sit back, buckle up, and hold on, cause the ride is beginning."
Volunteer - "How long can we keep up this pace?
Architect - "Until we are done."
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THURSDAY MAY 5, 2011
DAYS LEFT 128
13 Volunteers
15 Visitors
4 Framers
4 HVAC contractors
1 Architect
2 NW Natural Gas Installers
Sweeping, work on getting lights into the future project office, yard work, attic insulation, janitorial, mowing grass, and pulling nails. Still no hot water, so two tubs of dirty dishes were hauled home by volunteers to help keep everyone healthy. Break Room Dancers refurbished the larder. A new handle and logo for the recently donated refrigerator arrived.
Ducting was installed in rooms 6 and 7. Framing for the main skylight began in the sanctuary. All the visitors who came by gasped in surprise when they first saw the new opening in the roof of the social hall. I went back to the BUUB to drop off an auxiliary coffee maker about 7 PM and was amazed to see how much light there was in the social hall without any lights turned on. Bright enough that you could sit in the room and read a newspaper. There was also framing done for the lobby skylights. I don't include photos with this blog, but some are posted on the church website. If you want me to send you a photo of the social hall roof opening, let me know.
All of the south entry framing was torn apart today, and a big surprise was to discover that the amber glass panels in the Scottish Rite entrance windows is very close in color and the same style of amber glass in our historical window from the original UU Church that is being restored. We have been wondering how we would find that style of glass in amber, so it is ironic that the Scottish Rite panels and our old church panels are the same! Many, many nails were pulled from the the old siding. We no longer have a mailbox. The entry door with out address and the building permit tacked to it, is leaning against the building.
During the day, the east and south entrances have openings for going in and out, but at night they are boarded up with plywood, and the only way to get in with a key is through the two original north doors or the old boiler room door. There has definitely been a shift in where people park.
Northwest Natural Gas installed concrete bollards to protect the gas meter from errant vehicles. It is located on the north side and they were about to remove the beautiful purple rhododendron at the corner, but el viejo convinced them otherwise.
40 sheets of sheetrock were delivered and moved inside.
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"It was a great day - just admiring all the work done."
"WOW - when I heard there was a 10 by 14 foot hole in the ceiling of the social hall I had no idea how big that was and how much light would come into the room"
"As soon as we run out of the old style toilet paper in the ladies restroom, we will install new dispensers. I'm keeping an eye on it." (It was a man "keeping an eye on it.....)
"My workshop got moved!"
As the crew was taking down sheetrock there was a thick fog of sheetrock dust in the building, and as the sun came through the new roof hole and the building warmed up, one person looking through the haze reported, "there was snow falling up!" Years from now the legend of "the snow falling up" will be repeated over and over.
Tomorrow - Chinese dinner at The Fortune Inn, 1775 West 6th AVenue - 5:30PM
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WEDNESDAY MAY 4, 2011DAYS LEFT 129
9 Volunteers
3 Visitors
3 HVAC contractors
1 City Inspector
Harvey & Price Backflushers
4 Framers
1 Architect
After today's destructo team got done, there were only three doors into the BUUB. NO EAST DOOR, NO SOUTH DOOR -- might be a west door that someone forgot about .... Before the end of the week, the front entrance, including the glass panels, will be gone. The mailbox will be history. The south and east entrance doors have been removed and the holes covered in plywood. They do not open or close. The ceiling joists for the lobby were cut out.
But that isn't even the major event of the day. The Social Hall has a ten by fourteen foot opening through the roof where a skylight will be! Talk about a light filled room! It is awesome. And before we are all done there will be three more large skylights and 28 small ones.. What a difference all that light makes. For now it is covered with chicken coop reinforced plastic in anticipation of Friday's rain. It has to be seen to be appreciated.
Speaking of major events --- about 3,000 bricks came down from the east side and folks were kept busy stacking bricks on pallets in preparation for cleaning. Quick work rounded up more pallets.
The "new" palatial project office is all closed in - it is a little tacky since some of the "imported" paneling is vertical and some is horizontal, giving it a patchwork quilt look. The office has a heater with a thermostat and lights! What a concept.
The New Addition passed inspection with flying colors. This means tyvek can cover the exterior and the old siding can be put back up. Harvey & Price performed our annual backflushing of the controls for the fire suppression system. The notice that came a month ago listed three systems that had to be backflushed - but since the Howitzer A/C system is gone and the boiler has been removed only the fire system was left.
The sheetrock arrives tomorrow and there will be plenty of work.
Preliminary ducting was done in Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Nice shiny and for stout. We will have a hybrid system - traditional systems for sanctuary and social hall and heat pumps in all the other rooms, with thermostats for each.
Still no hot water heater! Determination will be decided soon whether we are required to install a commercial grade water heater or a residential model. Commercial is much more expensive and if that turns out to be the case one will have to be found locally. In the meantime, dishes will have to be washed off site. None hauled home tonight. The coffee maker is still not plumbed, so an air pot of coffee arrived about 1 PM - think camping out. Much sweeping and some time spent fixing things. The whole place is once again full of dust and dirt. Much cleaning needed.
Volunteers Needed - skilled and unskilled - come on down!
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
By someone who arrived late in the day and just happened to look up at the ceiling in the Social Hall: "Oh my god! WOW! How cool is that!"
"You just have to come to the BUUB and see what happened this morning." I don't have enough exclamation points to do this report.......
BPOC is planning an June open house - watch for details......
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TUESDAY MAY 3, 2011
DAYS LEFT 130
12 Volunteers
3 HVAC Contractors
1 HVAC Supervisor
2 Electricians
3 Visitors
1 Architect
1 Concrete Contractor
6 Attend BPOC Meeting
The ducting has begun and ducting parts are stored in Room 3 -- shiny! More social hall skylight framing done. Bricks were cleaned. All of the remaining lumber is stored in the chapel and there is only a pitiful pile of the old/used lumber left. There is temporary wiring in the space that will soon be the project office.
In just three days of work (last Thursday, Friday, and Monday) the following lumber was used:
5 sheets of 3/4" plywood
10 sheets of 5/8" plywood
4 sheets of 1/2" plywood
150 feet of 2x12s
600 feet of 2x4s
220 feet of 2x6s
280 feet of 2x8s
220 feet of 2x10s
This does not include any of the old lumber that was used and only about half of the framers were working. While we are throwing out statistics --- there are 3500 bricks to clean! The building was abuzz this afternoon about the outstanding feat performed earlier in the day. Our Viking architect suspended a heavy I-Beam to a cable and used it as a battering ram to knock a new hole in the east brick wall where a door will go in the NE corner of the Sanctuary. It took somewhere between 25 and 30 swings to bring down the wall...all recorded on an iPhone video. Very impressive and much more fun than smashing toilets. The concrete specialist made neat cuts with a quickie saw and all day bricks were knocked out of the east side wall. Sheetrock work will NOT begin tomorrow, but if you were planning to volunteer, come on down, there is lots to do. El Viejo says we will be installing 3,000 sheets of 4x12 foot sheetrock and 500 batts of R-23 insulation (about a boxcar full - the non scratchy-itchy kind). The next big challenge will be where to store all that material. It is estimated we can save between $40,000 and $60,000 if our own volunteers install the insulation and sheetrock. See, you are all priceless and we need you! Sheetrock work begins on Thursday.  Still no hot water and NO COFFEE because the plumbers didn't come and the water supply to the automatic coffee maker was shut off. All the dishes, etc., came home with me for a bath in the automatic dishwasher. I hope the water supply is reconnected tomorrow or the work crew may go on strike. QUOTES OF THE DAY: "So, we need brick cleaners?"
"One could say that."
"I'm in a clean profession"
"The electrician who arrived to scope out the project was looking for walls that no longer exist. He was working off an old set of plans."
Tomorrow I will relay some of the discussion from the BPOC meeting. My brain is too fried and I have to get this sent before the strike of Midnight.
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MONDAY MAY 2, 2011
DAYS LEFT 131
12 Volunteers
4 Contract Framers
1 Architect
1 HVAC Contractor
1 Acoustical Engineer
1 Masonry Contractor
2 Plumbers
The kitchen window got a frame after the plumbing pipe was moved that would have been in front of the window. The window opening was all buttoned up against the weather. The North entrance (next to the kitchen) and new window framing were completed.
Upstairs in the kitchen attic, headers were installed for ducting. And speaking of the attic, beginning Wednesday, we need a crew to begin putting up sheetrock in that area. Training will be provided for those wanting to learn. It will be hung in all of the mechanical areas and does not require any taping.
Out in the old boiler room, now Mechanical Room, the mezzanine was finished. The old hot water heater is history and tomorrow a new hot water heater will be installed up on the second level. This mean no dishes washed at the BUUB this afternoon, so they came home with me and went through the dishwasher.
A new access was cut in the wall between the mechanical room and the new addition. The skylight chutes in the lobby are framed. Skylight framing has begun in the Social Hall where there will be 12 small skylights referred to as "washes" and then central "bays". Old insulation was pulled out in preparation for the new framing.
Bricks were cleaned, pipes moved, floors were swept and if you check out the east entrance you can see a large section of bricks missing. Tomorrow a masonry contractor will create a nice clean edge for the demolition.
The Project Office has been "established" in the new addition. I use that term loosely because it is pretty crude, despite the assorted imported paneling and plywood walls in the 12x17 foot space. No lights, electricity or phone yet, but after all Rome was not built in a day. I think El Viejo just wants to keep on the move so we can't find him!
We owe a big thank you to the two women volunteers who arrive every week day after 5 PM after working all day. They come to help clean up tools and sweep the floors. They trade off on Monday, then one comes every Tuesday and Thursday, and the other comes every Wednesday and Friday. Have them committed to a specific schedule and knowing they will be there is extremely helpful.
There was talk of needing stuff moved again tomorrow to clear the way in the social hall and sanctuary for scissor lift work -- only the corners are available to store equipment - this project is more and more like a game of checkers. Where do we move stuff next?????
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"I really like that mechanical space. It's going to work out really well."
"Judie - don't worry about washing the dishes today. I am going to do them for you. " --This was before I learned there was no hot water and nobody was going to be doing the dishes at the BUUB. I thought the offer was a little too generous.
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011
DAYS LEFT: 132
5 Volunteers
Bricks are falling - this time from the east side outside wall. This is necessary to accommodate the new east entrance and a wider hall. Plenty of opportunity for cleaning bricks.
There was de-nailing and sweeping, and I am told that the final nail in the flooring over the kitchen attic has now been pounded. Good news for sure.
More bats were put in to hold the insulation in the crawlway of the new addition.
Tomorrow the HVAC contractors will arrive with mounds of mechanical equipment and in addition to brick work outside, there will be major material moving necessary to give them plenty of room to work. Be prepared for a high level of activity.
For those of you not at church this morning, you missed seeing a beautiful new BUUB-sized bronze sculpture chalice which was donated by Anonymous (that famous person). It features a double circle with a chalice which uses oil for a flame rather than candles. It will be used between now and when we move. Thank you to the generous gifter for this beautiful piece of art. If you would like to see a photo, let me know and I will send it to you.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Chuck Wagar is out on parole from working on the kitchen attic flooring and will get readjusted to the outside world."
I had to collect my report earlier than normal because of family commitments, so it is possible there were visitors or additional volunteers.
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