Stairway to Heaven?

We have stairs to the top porch.  (AKA Observatory)  From there, there's a great view down into our pond to see the inhabitants.  There's also a wonderful view of the Gulf.

This means the electrician and plumber can now come back and finish whatever rough work needs to be done.  (e.g. faucet up  on the porch, rough lighting for the stairs.

So the exterior siding is almost done.  Roofing shingles have arrived in Port A, and there's a final interior inspection scheduled today before they begin insulation next week.  Siding needs to be finished for the insulation and some of the painting will begin.  Roofing probably next week too, so things can be closed up and the interior work of sheet rock etc started in a couple of weeks.

Nick is away next week, as his daughter is the pitcher for her softball team and they are in the World Series in Santa Fe.

One of the City Councilors connected me with someone at TWC, who is working on it.  Nothing new to report there yet however.

Rough Plumbing and Deck work

 Plumbing.  Yesterday the plumber was working and said he expected his work to be completed today (July 25).  Of course that's just the rough plumbing.  One of the nice things is that the exterior faucets are in place.  Rough plumbing inspection should be today according to the plumber.

In addition, the decks have another layer of material.  More roofing shingle-like.  There is still at least one more layer of material to go.

And, as you can see from the final photo, our stairway to the Observatory still hasn't been built.

Rough Plumbing, and More Siding.

There is a good deal of white plastic tubing in the walls now.  The white tubing are the drain pipes. Coils of red and blue plastic tubing have been delivered.  The red and blue are for the water lines -- blue for cold, red for hot.  Once some of the color tubing is in place it will make for an interesting photo.

The lumber for the stairs to the Observatory were delivered. (You can almost make it out on the ground in the photo.) It will be made into the stringers so treads can be put on and I can get up to the top level to check out the view.  Both Alese and Nick said they'll wait until the railing is up.

This photo shows that both the peak and the porches have their planking, and looking carefully, that the underside of the porches, or ceilings, depending on your orientation, are in place.

The stairs to the Observatory go along the wall, on the outside.  Of course I'll have photos once they are in there.

Things are moving a little slowly right now.  In the next two weeks there will be a set of inspections:  plumbing, electrical, and engineering (windstorm).  Once those are passed, the walls get insulated with foam, then we can start closing up the walls.

Time Warner Update and More....

Since writing the last entry we spent almost a week in Massachusetts at the wedding of David Creme to Kourtney Hachey.  It was a grand and glorious affair.  You've probably seen some of the photos on Facebook.  Here's one that I don't think was posted.


Time Warner Update

While gone, I didn't think much about Time Warner.  But before we'd left we heard from the developer.  He told us when he'd put utilities in, he'd specified capacity for cable.  I'd also contacted our City Counselor representative for Mustang Island, to ask who within the City government would help.  She was leaving town at about the same time, so told her to wait until she returned.

Last evening at the Island Strategic Action Committee meeting I spoke with the one representative with interests in Mustang Island (the others are focused on Padre Island).  He told us Time Warner has fiber running the length of the Island Road, meaning there's fiber a stone's throw from the property.

So, there's TWC fiber running down the road, and our street was designed with capacity for cable to each of the lots.

I found the phone number for a Customer Advocate in San Antonio whom I spoke with on another issue about a year ago.  Called her today. She's going to check on the situation.  Stay tuned for more on TWC.

House Update.

While we were gone, the A/C contractor put in more duct work.

The electrical contractor is waiting for the carpenters to return and finish their work, then he can complete the rough wiring.

The plumbing contractor has started putting in the rough plumbing, so while things are continuing to move along, from the outside there's nothing new.

Problems Getting a Real Response from Time Warner Cable!

I need your help!

We've been Time Warner Cable customers since we were in Massachusetts (over 20 years).  We wanted to have Time Warner provide all services at the new house.  I don't want a dish on the house -- one more penetration -- one more object to be carried by the wind.

Alese contacted retail sales about new service.  It was passed on to the Construction Dept. who said, they couldn't find the address, then that we were not in the franchise area, and then call them because they'd tried unsuccessfully to reach me.

They didn't ever really try to contact me -- no evidence anywhere of that.  I called and left messages twice.  Now two weeks and no return calls.  I've been trying to get a response through Facebook but get the run-around there.  They take a look at something and have said they don't provide service in Port A (a lie), and no one seems to be able to get Construction to respond.  Nice to work in that department and be able to make your own rules.

Over a year ago we'd met up with a TWC employee at the end of the cul-de-sac.  He said he was putting TWC cable in the area.  Didn't say it was on our street, but we told him we were going to be building and he said he'd let his supervisor know so they could be sure it was in.  Seems we were in the franchise then.

The resort next door, has said they have TWC.  There's a website CableMover that says TWC services Port A, again conflicting with the many responses that TWC doesn't provide service to Port A.

It's completely possible that TWC isn't on Mustang Island Estates Drive.  But, we know that Google Maps didn't have the street labeled until about a month ago after Alese submitted a correction.  So, when the response is that they can't find the street, hey, call us and we'll point to the exact location.  Don't say you don't provide service in the area.

I need your help.  If you know anyone in TWC management anywhere please connect me. Of course top level would be ideal, but anywhere along the chain of command could be helpful.  I talked with a supervisor in retail sales in the San Antonio office (that serves Corpus) and she did escalate it -- which got the email response that said they couldn't locate the address and to call them...  which hasn't yet resulted in a call back.  That supervisor said she'd call me back to confirm there was action...  never heard from her!

I tried to connect with the executives through Linked In but haven't had an acceptance.

Please, if you have a contact with Time Warner Cable management send them the link to this post.

Work Continues Between the Studs.

Looking at the house from the outside, it looks as if all progress has stopped, but not once you step inside the front door.  There are lots of wires for electrical, and the boxes for switches, outlets, and fixtures, as well as the cans are appearing.  Simultaneously the duct work is snaking it's octopus arms through spaces.  


 There's still a bit of work to be done with siding at the peak above the Observatory.  (That's our name for the top deck, and the 3rd floor landing to the stairway to the Observatory has been named the Launch Pad by Alese.  

The porches all have work to be done.  The waterproof seal is in place, but the next levels haven't been added yet,  nor has the stairway to the Observatory.

This week we had a great meeting with the cabinet builder, electrical contractor, and tile lady.  The cabinet guys laid out the cabinets and island with chalk lines on the floor.  They also worked with the electrician to get the bunk bed lights in the best location. (We still haven't settled on a name for that room yet, suggestions, especially from those of you planning on visiting are welcome.)

We confirmed the electrical was coming up in the right location, and made changes to the location of the pendant lights.  

We also had the first meeting with the tile lady, who will do all the backsplash in the kitchen and the tile work in the bathrooms.  It was a really busy, full, and productive morning.