Fancyisms
by Bonnie Fancy
Ernie’s Dream Garage
This past spring, Ernie decided it was finally time to build his dream garage. The foundation had been poured when the one for the house was done, so that was all set. He called Bill, who had framed and enclosed the house; Bill said he’d start on the garage in June. However, the weather this past spring and early summer included rain and thunderstorms almost every afternoon, which delayed that start. No one in the construction industry wants to be working on a roof or using electric tools during a thunderstorm. I imagine it could be a shocking experience.
After a major heat wave broke in late July, Bill and his sidekick Joe finally got started. It didn’t seem to take any time at all for them to do the job. One of my neighbors who also dabbles in construction was impressed by the speed at which the two men worked. All I had to do was supply coffee and goodies. Well, I didn’t have to; they were working so hard, I was concerned about dehydration and other maladies of that nature – bottles of cold water were welcomed.
While Bill and Joe worked on the garage, Ernie spent time lining up an electrician, a plumber, and getting ready for the floor to be poured. There is a jog in the back of the garage where Ernie originally planned to put the air compressor. He changed his mind on that and decided to put in a half-bath and still have room for a washing machine. This caused a lot of comment.
“Geez, all you need is a kitchen and a bed and you could live out here,” one person said.
“She’s never going to get you out of the garage,” was another comment.
One woman I talked with asked her husband why he hadn’t thought of putting a washing machine in his garage. After all, she didn’t need the greasy rags in the one used for clothes.
Others who saw the construction progress as they passed by were quick to offer Ernie cars he could store or work on.
“A four-car garage, on top of the two-car (garage) attached to the house … how many cars do you need?” was a familiar comment.
What these people don’t know is that there is a garage door on the back of the house that leads to the cellar under the bedroom end of the house. There is actually enough space there for six cars. I thought it prudent not to enlighten them. It doesn’t matter really; according to most gearheads, one can never have enough cars. There’s always another model that looks interesting, or needs work, or has sentimental appeal. I’m sure there will come a time when Ernie will wish he had more space for more cars.
Ernie's Garage is starting to look real.
Once Bill and Joe were finished and Ernie had painted the garage, he had the ground under the garage floor graded. He and George the plumber figured out how best to install the radiant heat in the floor, which will keep Ernie warm while he is under a car. Of course, he is also looking into a lift. This is why the ceiling is so high. Not high enough to accommodate son Mark’s camper for storage, though. While they were at it, Ernie and George planned the plumbing for the half-bath and washing machine. They’ll start to lay the insulation and wire mesh soon. After that, the tubing that carries the hot water that heats the place will go in, followed by the final layer of cement.
During our yard sale, a retired vocational school teacher stopped by to say he was looking for some work as an electrician and knows a friend of ours. He has a good reputation, so we officially have our wiring man.
After the plumbing and electricity are done, it will be time to install the doors. The windows and man-door are already in place – it’s the ones for cars that need to go up. I don’t see that as a do-it-yourself project; two of the doors are 8 feet wide and the other two are 10 feet wide. And I’m sure there will be electric garage-door-opening gadgets and gismos involved. Much better for Ernie’s back.
Only then will it be time to move all the tools and such from various places in the garage and cellar into the new garage. Ernie’s biggest concern is how he is going to move the air compressor from one garage to another. Conrad, the garage-ground grader, said he would come over with a front-end loader to help. I’m not sure I want to be here when they do that.
Most of the other stuff can be loaded in the pick-up truck and driven to the new garage. It’s not the distance; it’s the number of trips it will take to move it all. Maybe once all that stuff is out of the cellar, we will find the exercise bike again.
Ernie says the garage will be finished by late fall. Sure it will. It’s already September and the plumbing work is just starting. Still, I could be pleasantly surprised. Meanwhile, Ernie is already drooling over ads in The Star and other publications, looking for a project car.
After careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided on a garage-warming gift for Ernie – a toilet brush, cleanser, and a jug of laundry detergent. Otherwise, the supplies in the house will develop feet and find their way to the new garage.