This Old House

Apparently, This Old House is distributed geographically, because everyone in Lancaster has the new issue, but nobody in LA does. Even our building code inspector saw the article before me, and that's how he found out we had started work without a permit! (I guess he doesn't read this journal.) So he came by today and issued a citation, and then issued the permit. (This is the third time I thought we had a building permit, only to be told that I don't, so I'm taking this one with a large grain of salt.)

While the inspector was there, Dawn walked him through the house to find out exactly what we needed. There are two doors in the foyer -- front and back -- but we only need one exit sign, which prompted an argument between Dawn and me. If we put it by the back door, I said, it will be the first thing people see when they walk in; if it is by the front door, it will be above them and out of sight. Dawn said if we put it by the front door, people will see it every time they come down the stairs, which will be a lot more often than they come in the front door. We both have valid points, but I think I may win this one, because of what happened earlier today:

As I mentioned last week, we need to make a swale around the house for drainage, but there are some trees in the way. I wanted to cut down the trees and terrace the area; Dawn wanted to build a retaining wall right next to the house and save the trees. David Christian, our engineer and future landscape architect, came out today and sided with Dawn. As Dawn taunted me with "nyah nyah nyah," I said, "Okay, you win this one, but I get the next one." I didn't realize how soon I would be calling in that marker.

Addendum: Dawn agreed with me about putting the exit sign by the front door, and then she read this entry! So I didn't actually have to call the marker, but I just lost it anyway...

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