Feeling Stupid

I arrived at the house site this morning ready to use my new power from Bangor Hydro. Noise free electricity. I plugged into the outlet wired at the meter post, and nothing happened when I pulled the trigger. The breakers were on. I pushed the reset buttons on the outlet. Nothing. So, without investigating further, I called Bangor Hydro. A truck showed up a couple hours later. Did you press the reset buttons. Yes, I said. The guy took my circular saw and plugged it in. Then he pressed the reset button and pulled the trigger. It worked, of course. I hadn't pressed the button far enough. He handed me the saw and walked back to the truck. I followed, embarrassed, and apologized for my stupidity. Happens all the time, the guy said, keeps us employed. So, he should be thanking me for providing that little bit of job security.

Yesterday's power hook up went without a hitch. The guys who showed up to do the job needed a little convincing that I could stand in for a licensed electrician. I had a hard hat, though, and safety glasses. They were stuck with me. The guy explained that sometimes they show up to find the homeowner trying to save money by not hiring an electrician and thoroughly unprepared for the task at hand. I gave him my understanding of what was about to happen and my role in it. He seemed skeptical but satisfied enough. I measured and sawsalled like I was supposed to, and that was it. It saved me a couple hundred bucks.

With the rest of my day today, I nailed together the wall segments for the south and north walls of the second floor, a total of 76' of framing. The walls are on the deck waiting for a second pair of hands to put them up. Michelle is on duty tomorrow around noon.