More Photos Of House Demolition,. Music provided by?

Last week Wednesday Nov. 14th the "walls came tumblin down" J. Melloncamp

                                  "Is there anybody in there?"  The Wall

"Our house is a very very very nice house, with two cats in the yard ... "  CSN&Y                                                         

                                   " Oh no there goes Toyko, Godzilla!

                                    Reminded me of Blue Oyster Cult

House Un-House

Here is the beginning of making the un-house. I'll add more tomorrow.

PARIS WAS BURNING; TODAY IT'S FALLING!

video 1: Paris is coming down!

What a great way to spend your personal day...watching demolition! Whoever "thunk-it" that it would be so much fun! Van Handel Excavating did a marvelous job. So hats off to them....the whole process was worth taking a day off for..I did a lot of video today to capture the moments, but unfortunately they are taking forever to download so check out my FB page. This company has been around, since 1947 and is family run...true professionals and kind to the core. They told some interesting stories: found locked safes with stocks and bonds, super rich that buy beautiful homes just to tear them down "because they can" or the "trash parties" of a rich doctor couple that had a beautiful home and invited friends over to wreck everything in their house....strange ways I say.
The guy doing the demo said I understand why you bought this lot...(as he points to the water!).

 Van Handel (no not Van Halen) Rocks...or as their motto is..."THEY DIG DIRT!"

 The monster crane doing what it does best...

 Just look at the teeth on this thing! The guy said they run 300,000 bucks..and $500 in gas to fill!

 Paulie in action!

 Two funny photos...no that guy is not being squished.....he's holding a pipe....and as from the looks of it...(see below)

 ..he's either holding on for dear life or looks like he is flying.

Things are coming to an end!

WARNING...TEASER...MORE TO COME!

IT'S COMING DOWN!

We got confirmation from Van Handel! Finally, that "D"construction is under way this WEEK! Comes down the bad mo-jo. I know the neighbors will be very happy to have this wreck come tumbling down....so this is yet confirmation that this happening. I have to take baby steps, but big girl steps knowing that we will have to sell our lovely brick home, but knowing that this new place will be a better fit. So, hats off to Van Handel....wait for video to come soon. Demo should happen Wednesday or Thursday. I'm sure this new house project will provide great imagery for new work to come! While, the price is crazy for knocking down the house it has to happen....

Here's a plug for company that has been around for a very long time: http://www.vanhandels.com/

STUDIO SPACE(S)...SOMEDAY... WITH a little sweet Ella to make you smile!

I've included a closer view of our house plans, but someday it will be a reality (I still don't believe it). What you are looking at to the upper right is my art studio...with a 12-12 pitch...what does that mean? It means really high ceiling height...no artist I know would complain about that.  I will have mostly southern exposure..with eastern light in the morning. I don't mind I'm not a plein air painter, so this will suffice, just fine. I will be able to walk out in the evening from my french doors onto our back patio (not shown, but in the new plans) to take a breather and look at the water (and sailboats..there is a private boat dock and park across the channel). We have to talk materials yet for my studio..but, I need paper/art storage and maybe a partial wall to pin work up in progress...Paul's studio is directly behind mine. We are thinking of making his a little bit larger, since I will have the tall ceiling height, and his will be lower due to the loft running the length of his studio. I said he can display his "dead fish" or as he likes to call it "taxidermy" to his hearts delight. The easy access to our studios will call for us to be in their more than less of the time.

I end with Sweet Ella Lauden! A smile that melts your heart. 

DEMO Gods we NEED you!

While, we wait...progress was made tied in with a visit from my bro, Kurt and his wife Sarah, and my lovely niece, Ella. It was great weekend. They came over to see my show and then today our land we purchased to build, hopefullly, as planned summer 2013! Made some progress on the garage today that was purchased it was looking pretty sad, so Paul and I hauled some (you know what) and threw what was left in the house. Made quick progress in 45 minutes, and then went home to clean off the grime, and back again to meet Kurt, Sarah, and Ella for a quick tour. After they left I did a final sweep through and it was a nice relief to have it looking somewhat "respectable". 

 Before...there was more than you realize...and AFTER...see below

Kurt and Paul talking about something...probably fishing from the dock. (There is a public access fishing dock 55 steps from our house...someday Kurt will have beer in hand (not Paul) and they will be outdoing each other on how many walleyes they can catch..can hardly wait!)



...SOOOOOO, we wait. Hopefully, our first, excavator will pull through and the house will come "tumbling down" this or next week. It was fun today mapping out how LARGE the house would be (note sarcasm on the word large, since it will be a modest 1500 sq. ft by todays standards)...envisioning my art studio with very tall ceilings (I benefit from our 12 -12 pitch) with a skylight and patio doors that lead to the water. I use my studio now (must be I still make work regularly), but it will be a nice extension to come home from work hang out and walk right into my studio on the main floor. When this all comes together I know I'll cry like one grateful baby....we then put markers for the future open concept kitchen/dining area, Paul's studio....I can hardly wait!

So stay tuned, and keep those fingers crossed that the demo people come through this week!

I told Sarah and Kurt today that I envision one big slumber party upstairs in our loft....it will come with a ships ladder.

Later gators off to feed the masses,

Karla 

FRUSTRATION WITH A CAPITAL F!

Frustrating! 

I guess, Paul and I, better start getting use to this....home construction and home selling will be wrought with frustration.
Well, first we contacted a company this summer about demo on our lot we bought and it seemed right...but they never called back until weeks later saying they could do the job. In the meantime we thought it would be a good idea to give business to one of Paul's childhood friends' brother....well....weeks later of false promises it fell through, yesterday. I knew it! I saw many red flags, but Paul, at time, is more trusting than I. I guess intuition is right!

So, here we are back to contacting demo companies. We got an estimate today 3 grand above the first estimate. So, we wait. I have faith it will work out, but in the meantime we hope there are no tsunamis in the area, because we have many holes in the roof, because of the fire practice.

It's kind of funny...this new adventure makes you look at how you think about things. I came from a family where my Dad and Mom built TWO new homes, and Paul never had a stable home his entire life, until now, and he's the one who has the faith this will all work out.

I guess it's time to reevaluate. 

Gotta have faith! House on Paris is real, just have to believe it to be so. 

Until next time...keep those fingers and toes crossed we find the RIGHT demo company!

Firemen Training On The House

                            Here are some photos the fire dept. gave to me.

The Dumpster

The Dumpster which belongs to the truck that backed over the sidewalk.

A Large Truck And human Error

                         The sidewalk before being backed over by a truck

The sidewalk after being backed over by the truck. We all make mistakes, but I can't understand this one. The truck that brought the dumpster backed in using the double apron of the driveway and had no problem. The truck that picked up the dumpster either backed in this way or drove out this way. Most likely backed in this way, noticed the mistake and drove out the other way utilizing the apron because there is only one set of tire prints over the sidewalk.

Demo time!...and what $60.00 bucks will get you!

Well, I can hardly believe it....two things: My bro continues to do well..YAHOO! #2...Demo is upon us! I still find this to be a "dream" coming true.....

Paris Street is turning out to be a good thing. At first you never know if you made the right decision and now we know we did......hands down. As Paul previously reported the Neenah/Menasha Police and Fire Dpt. have been using our place to practice, so goodwill or as they say Pay It Forward. Paul said that he's amazed how appreciate Fire and Police are for being able to practice on a real home (I guess it rarely happens). So, enclosed you'll find many pics of the place where the Fire Dpt. is practicing a few burns (and it continues this week) , and the very reason we bought the house/lot...THE VIEW:only 55 steps to water (without having to pay the price of lakefront!), and small public access fishing dock! 

Also, this weekend for a whopping 60 BUCKS a guy tore down our garage and hauled it away for his land up north. Yahoo -one building down and house is next. The demo is scheduled for the end of this week. 


Image 1-3 Fire Dpt. getting ready for a small burn.

Image 4-5...what is now left our garage we sold for 60 BUCKS!

Image 5...why we bought the place...WATER! Our house will face the water...with southern exposure we can see water, sailboats, and an overall amazing view. Our living/kitchen area and my studio will face this...all I can say is I'm very grateful! 

So, Home on Paris is becoming more of reality! 

Welcome Visitors

 What did I do this time you ask? No, not like in the past. I/m being a good citizen.

 The Neenah/Menasha Police dept. used the house for training officers in different kinds of scenarios: Officer shot by gunman on second floor. Domestic fighting, man with knife etc.

 Fri. Nov. second the fire dept. will train for three days. I have heard that there will be fires inside and the fire men and ladies will have to put them out. The closest the fire and police departments get to the real thing. Simulations at the departments come close, but this is an unknown interior when they go in.

If you ever get the chance to destroy your house please invite your local police and fire departments to use it for training first. They are very appreciative for the rare oppourtunity to train in a real environment.