Stage 1 Complete!

30 days into the project and we've successfully framed and sheeted our entire home! It's been a lot of work, but still much more work to come as we need to continue working hard to have the exterior weatherproof before it starts raining a lot. Our goal is to get this next step (Stage 2) completed in another month. Go go go!!

Not too shabby for another week of vacation. We have the whole structure up, including the rafters. Now just need to sheet and wrap this baby before any bad weather comes through!

Dad's are the best!

Dad's are great. This week, my dad helped me change the starter in my pickup, and build a house. A perfect bonding opportunity and a wonderful way to spend some of our mutual vacation time together. Thanks dad!

Week One of Building

After taking 1 week of vacation and having a work party with several EXTREMELY talented people, we made quite a bit of progress. Main level is framed and sheathed! Next week we're going to tackle the loft...

On this "foundation" I will build my home

Probably the most expensive thing we've spent money on, but all the most important since this is the foundation for our home.

We got this awesome trailer from Seattle Tiny Homes - the trailer is designed specifically for building a tiny house. It has insulation and subflooring already installed into the bed of the trailer, so we're ready to build right on top of it.

Seattle Tiny Homes is a GREAT resource if you're pursuing a tiny house. Their services range from just a design, just a trailer, or the fully built home for you. Lead Designer, Sharon, and Master Carpenter, Ben, are wonderful people. Patient, kind, and very generous with their time and wisdom.

Check out their website, and pics of our trailer below.

www.SeattleTinyHomes.com

I'm so sick of my computer

I've been working on these building/design plans for the past few months. They are still not done, but it's time to stop thinking and start building! Regardless of how "imperfect" these plans are, I'm still pretty dang proud of them.

Shout out to SketchUp, the free software program I used to create these!

Feel free to use them if you're building your own home :)

Our first pickup

We've been proud owners of a Ford Ranger for 1 month now and it is AWESOME! We love our Honda Fit, but this pickup has already been used to haul several loads of windows, flooring, and lumber (most of which was free/cheap). Too bad Ford discontinued this model...

We're building a tiny house! Here's a start at our building plans. Stay tuned for more progress as time goes on ;)

Industrial Masculinity

I was researching an industrial company at work the other day and stumbled across this photo:

Perhaps it was the dreadful monotony and tediousness of my work that made me giggle. Or perhaps I'm still just too immature. Either way, I found it humorous that the phrase "mine is bigger than yours" applies to so many things other than bodily organs.


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Byron Yee 余柏仁
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Guangzhou Subway - The Best??

CNN recently listed Guangzhou, China as the #1 subway system in the world. The first line was opened in 1992, just 20 years ago, and now has eight lines, 144 stations, 236 kilometers of track and well over 1.2 billion passengers.

http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/life/10-best-metro-systems-746919

I agree, the metro system itself is wonderful, clean, fast, and very convenient. However, what CNN failed to take into account in their ratings is the 1.2+ billion passengers themselves.

The subway system makes frequent PSAs about offering your seat to elders - old people are notoriously the pushiest and now feel entitled to get that seat, even leading to fighting and Mike Tyson style bloody ear bites.
http://www.chinasmack.com/2012/videos/bloody-fight-between-chinese-men-for-guangzhou-subway-seat.html

But let's not wholly blame old people for poor "uncivilized" metro behavior. Just last month, a boy was just not mature or old enough to hold it. So he went potty on the subway - Number 2.
http://www.chinasmack.com/2012/pictures/chinese-boy-defecates-in-guangzhou-subway-netizens-shocked.html

All grumpy old people and feces aside, the Guangzhou subway is just an uncomfortable ride due to the sheer number of people who need to commute everyday. It takes a bit of vigilance, agility, and flexibility to maneuver yourself in between and among the flow and push and shove of people.

So, I'm not arguing CNN's ratings of the Guangzhou subway, I'm just suggesting it should also be posted as #1 on the list of "Top Ten Places to experience the subway for people who love unintentional gropage, fighting and biting, and occasional fecal matter" as well.


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Byron Yee 余柏仁
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China