We’ve made a pinky-swear to do a “catch up” post before big milestone events :

• Barring something unforeseen, work starts on the driveway on Monday.  (That would be the “milestone” event driving this update.)  We decided on the Karen route.
• After numerous failed attempts, the town of Freeport has finally issued us “7 Dash Landing” as our new address.
• The long sordid saga of electricity is heating back up.  Fairpoint/Verizon is now “sending an engineer” which we’re sure is the same as “the check is in the mail.”
• We’ve reviewed the 2nd round of plans with potential contractors.  Given how quickly things are coming together, Rob thought it might be helpful to get their perspective early in process.  Let them ask questions, get input, find out where we need more information, etc.
• We brought our friend Mr. Septic System designer onto the site before we purchased it, but now that the house is staked out, he’s in the process of designing the final system.  The new dirt that he’s found is apparently much nicer than the old dirt that he found.  Which is apparently good.
• We’re working with a Land Planner to develop both a short-term and long-term plan for the property. We’ve already received four calls/inquiries about the Cove Road lot and it seemed smart to put it into a bigger context.
• We’re on Round 3 of plans with Rob.  I’ll call this the “finesse” stage — it’s about little changes to make the house more livable.  Are the kitchen cabinets in the right spots?  Where will the dishes and plates go? (Grapefruit spoons too.)  What are the counters made of?  Where will we store the lawnmower?  Where does the workshop go?
• One of the biggest discussions lately has been about the HVAC system.  HRV vs. ERV. Propane vs. wood pellets vs. heating oil.  Radiant vs. forced air vs. baseboard.  Tylenol vs. Advil.  Our goals for the house are to minimize our footprint and limit financial exposure to heating bills in the future, but “simplicity” can’t be overlooked.

Things are definitely moving along.