MALDEB Diary 2001

2002 pictures

2003 pictures

May 25^th, 2001 -- we are in Tucson .. our engineering guy (Phil) breaks the news to us that the County permit folks say our grading plan is not in compliance with the current county building standards. And, "Oh, by the way, your lot is too small and too steep to build on anyway".

We have to file for a special design review by bureaucrats and plead for a "waiver" so we can build in the same area that everyone else has. And we are informed that our case for developing our lot at all, which was platted for development about 10 years ago, must also be pleaded, separately, before the County Board of Supervisors. And the fees to do all this are $270 plus our engineers time. This all has to do with preservation of the desert or something.

June 10^th, 2001 -- The county wants $6.00 more because their form that said how much the fees are was wrong.

June 13^th, 2001 -- We are told by the VCCA that their lawyer has all documents ready except for some drawings he needs. These cover the transfer of some land from the VCCA homeowners association to us, and an easement from us to the VCCA.

June 24^th, 2001 -- the lawyer calls to say the bank that holds the mortgage to our land needs to subordinate their title to the easement. He tells me to take care of it. I tell him "I don't have a clue how to do this - this is what we are paying you to do!"

June 25^th, 2001 -- the lawyer calls to say the bank says they will sign whatever he puts in front of them, but he still needs a legal description of the easement.

June 26^th, 2001 -- We are informed by the VCCA that the concept of the transfer/easement has been approved in "open session" and as soon as the lawyer gets the papers ready, they will be signed.

July 2^nd, 2001 -- The lawyer says: "Just got a call from Terry Klipp and Jerry Hawkins about the proposed deed and easement transactions. After getting both of our sides calibrated, we all agreed on what needs to be done. Specifically, they will get OPW (engineers) to get to me (by the end of this week, they think) legal descriptions and drawings for the easement areas over Lots 41 and 40. They said that the aggregate square footage of those easement areas will be the same as the square footage of the property to be deeded by the HOA to Lots 41 and 42. "

July 4^th, 2001 -- we visit Tucson for the fireworks that they light off at the resort in front of where our house will be. It was SPECTACULAR - just like our own personal show. We ooooh'ed and aaaah'd so much, we forgot to take pictures ... next year.

July 6^th, 2001 -- We sign the papers needed for the transfer of some land from the VCCA homeowners association to us, and from us to them. We show him maps and drawings and discuss exactly what is to be deeded/transferred. He says he understands.
We again ask our builder to be sure to get some cost data together so we can get going on loan processing. He promises "real soon now".

July 13^th, 2001 -- The lawyer is confused again. He seems to have lost track of what the deed/easement purpose is.

July 18^th, 2001 -- The lawyer says he's got it all figured out again. He faxes copies of everything to the VCCA for review before preparing the final copies. VCCA responds that they don't look like what was intended.....they will call the land dev company and try to clarify......

July 19^th, 2001 -- The VCCA says, whoops, it looks like the lawyer got it exactly backwards. They are stepping back and reviewing everything again with all involved parties.

Phil, our engineering guy reports in:

"The hearing [at the county] was yesterday afternoon. I had two similar cases. Another project similar to yours and, of course, yours. I got beat up on the first one and continued. Yours passed 'as designed'. No changes required. Damn, I am good !

It will take a couple of weeks to get all of the approval letters and plans.

And away we go . . . .Phil"

Late August - 2001 -- Another month gone by ... still screwing around with the lawyer and county ... the county is messing with our engineer about a sewage pump of some sort. The lawyer is still billing for doing the same stuff over and over.

August/September - 2001 -- We meet with a banker who agrees to give us a loan. He must think we can actually pay it back! Guess we fooled him pretty good.

This is Phil (the engineering guy), Candace, and Bryan, (our builder). Bryan took us to another construction site where another house he is finishing up is underway.

If Bryan's shorts appear to be glowing sort of "white-hot like", that's just because he's standing near Candace.

This is a photo Mike took from the plane on the way back to Seattle.

The Casa de la Deuda site is just above that little white dash in the top left quadrant of the yellow circle.

September 20^th, 2001 - The movers show up at our Seattle house to pack everything in the big truck and drive it to Tucson.

September 22^nd, 2001 - We pack up and leave Seattle for good. Had to buy round trip tickets but we won't use the return portion!

September 25^th, 2001 - The load from Seattle arrives. We move boxes from one pile to another for the next few weeks ... looking for this, looking for that.

Oct 11^th, 2001 - Our permit is issued by the county this morning. Our builder was supposed to meet with the architect...after lunch. But he forgets what time the meeting is by 30 about minutes. The architect gets pissed and leaves before the builder shows up....delayed for another week.

Oct 18^th, 2001 - Our builder and the reviewing architect finally connect and walk the lot to finalize approval to begin work!

October 19^th, 2001

THE BIG DAY FINALLY ARRIVES

Excavation begins! (good!)

We sign the loan papers (bad!)

These are the results of the first day of digging!

October 27^th, 2001

More destruction of the natural environment underway

November 3^rd, 2000

Chipping at the granite mountain continues.

November 10^th, 2001

Great Progress!

Deeper into the hillside we go.

Looks like another five feet closer to hell.

November 17^th, 2001

Still Digging

Thanksgiving Day

Candace and the Poodle Queen of Paris.
(Candace's sister, Susie, visited us for a week over the Thanksgiving Holiday)

December 1^st, 2001

That big flat area behind Candace is going to be our entry way, (we think). Compare to earlier shots, and you can see more progress....

December 8^th, 2001

ROCKS ROCKS ROCKS !!!

Is there no end? What was all smoothed out last week is now another big pile of rocks! We brought a small one home to the temporary digs to serve as a stand for a small plant. Mike just about had a coronary carrying it up the hill to the car. By the way, the flat area in the picture from last week is not the entryway after all, it's where the master bedroom closet will be! Our builder explained this to Mike earlier in the week.

FREE OFFER: Anyone want some rocks for Christmas? We have all sizes, in seemingly unlimited quantities. Please let us know. The rocks are FREE(!!!) .... but you pay the shipping. Contact mike@rocks_r_us.com

December 8^th, 2001

It may not show very well on the internet but there is a little pink circle there on the ground next to C's feet. That represents the "final grade" level for the lower level of Casa de la Deuda.

December 9^th, 2001

Rather than work today we decided to decorate the DHGC (Dead Head Golf Cart) for Christmas. They haven't kicked us out of this country club yet, but we're working on it.