WONDERCON 2008...AND CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH

Looking for a great shirt, you too can purchase one from our website...www.graphittidesigns.com!!

Gina and I doffed our hard hats over the weekend to "raise funds" to actually pay for all this construction. Though not quite the relaxing weekends we'd like, the show was very successful. We sold tons of shirts, books and toys...oops, I mean action figures, met with many longtime friends and actually accomplished a considerable amount of business. The shows are physically exhausting. After the unloading and setting everything up prior to the start of the show, the shows is then open to the public from 10 am to 7 pm daily. We're on our feet all day (no chairs or sitting are allowed by that mean bastard boss!!). The exhibit is constantly busy and often we're overwhelmed with customers trying to throw their money at us. How can we say no? Normally bathroom breaks and maybe a brief lunch (eaten at the exhibit area), are the only respits to be had. Even with my years of intensive, on-the-job training, it's hard on my time-ravaged body. Though Gina's been heard to whimper and whine every so often, she always comes through with aces. I can't imagine working a show without her.

"If this person would buy two more shirts, we can get those cool antique door knobs we really want!!"







Here's Ryan trapped behind the table negotiating with a local mercenary for his freedom.






The show ended Sunday evening at 5 pm. We then dismantled the display, boxed everything up and loaded up the truck for Ryan to drive back to the warehouse in Anaheim. All this was completed by a little after 7 at which time we hauled our sweat-soaked asses back to the hotel to retrieve our car and bags. Plans were to drive up to Sonoma in time for our 8:00 dinner reservations. Between leaving later than we wanted and getting lost for 5 or 10 minutes on the way, we arrived at the hotel in Sonoma a little after 8:30...not bad considering.

Ever vigilant, Gina becomes aware of some building materials and a shower fixtures that we like. For some reason, she then asks "how much room we have in our bags and if I have a pipe wrench in my pocket?" Is she getting frisky or is looking to do some in-room demolition?

Though it rained in Frisco all weekend, the weather in the Napa Valley was sunny and clear. Guess that's why all the grapes hang out there!!




This is Terry and Robyn who we traversed Sonoma with. Guess which one was the designated driver and didn't drink even a drop? They are also currently building a house from the ground up...in Houston, TX. Terry created STRANGERS IN PARADISE and is now working on his new comic series ECHO. Check out Terry's blog at: http://terrymooreart.com/blog/

Sterling Vineyards is now offering wine in the Family size. Strap it on your back and you can keep a family of four happy for the week.

Terry and Gina having a heated discussion regarding the age requirement posted. It's kinda' like the "you gotta' be taller than Mickey" sign at Disneyland?




"The family resemblance is amazing!!". Being the wine that Wolfgang Puck brings in for all the Oscar bashes has it's benefits. Though never starring in a flick, Sterling Vineyards gets their own award!!


Photo taken from the skyway gondola at the Sterling Vineyards. Nothing better than being suspended in mid-air after a day of wine tasting!!

HIGH STAKES!!

Forget about the house, we're opening up a petting zoo!!

Gina and I will be leaving town on Wednesday to drive to our first show of the year. WonderCon is held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco every year and is a nice way to ease into our year of business travels. A great city with great food while also getting together with people we haven't seen for six months or so. After the show ends on Sunday, Gina and I are meeting friends in Napa to spend a couple of extra days in wine country before returning home. With our current "home" being rooms at the Graphitti Designs suites and with my promise to Gina being to take her away from these surroundings as often as possible, this trip is a long-overdue distraction.

See this little pink-thing? It marks the precise elevation of the land. Hard to believe we're 164.77 feet above sea level. Though still a target for earthquakes, I think this makes us safe from tidal waves and tsunamis!!

Before splitting, we wanted to leave you with a batch of current photos and some sort of progress report. As you can see, the ground has been all tamped-down and graded...and the surveying has begun. The stakes are used to locate the critical corners of the house and those little pink things in the ground identify/confirm elevation of the land above sea level. Once this is complete, they will begin work on the footings. This requires trenching-down 24” or so to create the supports for the the exterior walls and any interior load-bearing walls call for. After the trenching, they will create wood forms so concrete can be poured to create the footings. After the footings the crews will be coming in to do the rough plumbing, underground utilities and other preliminary tasks required, before they proceed with forming and pouring the concrete slab. The slab then dries and then they start framing the house. See, it’s easy!!

"But honey, if we put the pool there, there's no room for your gourmet kitchen!"






Maybe we’ll bring home some pics of our travels to show you. There’s nothing more riveting that watching home movies. It’s either that or listen to more of my pissing and moaning. Your call!!

Gina would probably make a comment here about the two pieces of shit that can be seen in this pic. She fails to recognize (and appreciate) the fine lines and hi-tech engineering that went into my turquoise chariot!!

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Note Gina on the property. I'm not certain if she's crying or contemplating jumping. I suggested she find higher ground!!

So much has happened since the last entry, I don’t even know how (or where), to begin. As you can see from the pics, the demolition has both begun and has been completed...better yet, grading has begun!! We’ve been told that they will begin marking and staking for the footings and foundation forms next. If I am to understand the process correctly, once the earth has been gouged and ravaged, they slowly put the soil back...layer-by-layer!! Then an inspector is called to “release the lot”, which allows one to obtain the elusive building permit that we’ve been working towards. There are of course, numerous complex elements involved in this seemingly simple scenario Before going any further, let’s relive some of the events that occured prior to this.

We did not reach this point without what seems to be the obligatory additional pain and suffering. Guess what happened February 1st, the day of our last posting? A memo was received throughout the financial community, informing brokers that as of Feb. 1st, IndyMac was no longer funding Construction Loans. Gina was the first to be given this information via phone. Our adviser Tony began his conversation with Gina by asking her if we had torn the house down yet? Having begun this days prior, Gina immediately proceeded to walk into my office having the first of what I assume will be many, near-death anxiety attacks. She literally lost all self-control and between her gasps for life-giving breath, she asked in a tone of voice that required no additional interpretation, “Have we been funded yet?” Though we theoretically were funded on January 30th and the recording of all this was to be the following day, we had heard nothing from IndyMac...zilch!! Because we had heard nothing, anything was possible.

I immediately got on the phone to confirm where we were in the loan process. Thankfully, loan loan squeaked-in and was funded and recorded prior to this IndyMac Black Friday. We were safe, we were secure, we had the funding (and the payments that go along with it), we needed to proceed at full speed.

This brings us up to date and rather than telling you further construction tales, I’ll cut the chatter and show you what you really want to see...more pics!!

This first batch was taken on Saturday Feb. 2, 2008

"Look, I can see some ruby slippers!!"







The stones on the right once led from the driveway towards the front door...now it's the path to the shitter, Oh the irony!!




There once was a garage in this corner. How will we keep the rain and snow off my tractor? Oops I forgot, we live in California!!

More pictures from Wednesday Feb. 6th
This is not just dirt, it's OUR dirt!!


"Looks flat enough to me. OK boys, move in Gina's shiny-new double-wide."







"...maybe we can just toss some of it over the fence?"









...and the most current pics from Saturday Feb. 9th
Gina learning a new trade.


You'd be amazed at what people of Italian descent can put under freshly compacted soil!!






Only the driveway remains...sort of!!







Actual "helmetcam" shot of the carnage as seen through the eyes of the dozer operator.







The calm before the storm. Bring on the inspectors!!







Gina thinking of a way she can "injure" herself in the rubble so she can sue the owners. Oh shit, that's us!!

That's all for now. The site has been released and the forming for the footings and concrete should be what'll be happening next. Enjoy, comment if so inspired and please more than anything else, just send money!!

UNNATURAL DISASTER?

Maybe you missed this on CCN last night, but something's going on in San Clemente. A tornado in California? Some sort of suicide bomber attack alá the streets of Baddad? Is global warming finally doing us in? Hell no, it's something that's become the talk of our San Clemente neighbors. The Chapman's house is comin' down!!

As promised, here's a batch of assorted pics from yesterday (taken by our ace photog Gina), hot off the press. Rather than me boring you with my long-winded rants, I figure we'd let the pics of death and destruction speak for themselves. How lucky can a person be?

This is was once one of the holiest brooms in the house. Hopefully someone salvaged the toilet to use as a planter?

An ocean-view and a dumpster. This is what we paid the big-bucks for. Only in America!!

The remaining back wall to our garage and guest house is not long for the world. If you look real closely, you might catch a glimpse of the fleeing terrorist bastard!!




Our old front door is now at the back of the property? Shit!! Maybe we should take another look at those plans!!



See, some things do run like clockwork. Regardless of the work to be done, there's always time for a break!!

Wow!! We use to live in this dump?

As amazing as this may sound with all of this robust physical progress that's going on, the bank has still been unable to get their act together. Sean from Fidelity Trust called yesterday and ask where the $444,000 check from us was that's needed to close the loan. I told him we gave this to them when we signed the docs on Thursday (last week!!). He then found it.

All of the funding has yet to be recorded. We've been told, maybe later today. We can hardley contain ourselves. Once we get word that everything is in place and had been "recorded", we can begin demolition.

Oops, too late!!