Fresh wood.

The fact that I'm getting all excited about a few new floor joists might be evidence that I've got some sort of house rebuilding (can't really call it remodeling at this point) psychosis. But seriously, up until this point it's been all about things going in the dumpster(s we are up to 6 at this point), everyday less and less house.

And now things are being put into the house, it's like we're saying "we have faith in you little house." Isn't that pretty? I mean there are still big gaping holes in the walls, and the whole thing is supported on some spindly two by fours since we can't put in the real supports until we level the basement floor...but for now I'll take what I can get. It's so odd to see sunlight in my house, it's always been sort of cavernous and gloomy (I tried to have house plants, ha!). I guess taking off the roof is a guaranteed way to increase your natural light.

Meanwhile we have run into our first set of design challenges. The basement stairs are going to be a problem, because it has these odd concrete ledges.

This is pretty typical of Michigan basements, but it makes it impossible to run a stairway along the outside wall, since at about two feet from the ground you hit a concrete shelf. So instead we have to have a U shaped stairway into the basement, which will mean that we have to create headroom on the first floor for the turn....can we do?

Well we all know what Bob would say, and Eli's got some ideas, so stick with us and we'll see what happens.