SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR: THE WINDOWS, THE WEDDING and THE WINNER?

It's unbelievable how much crap a person gets when they don't update their blog on a near-daily basis. Do people think putting a blog together is easy? Do people think my lot in life is to entertain them with an endless flow of words and pictures? Because it's been more than five weeks since the last entry, I do feel kinda' bad and fully recognize that I do have some sort of responsibility to provide you with the most comprehensive updates possible. Lots of stuff has been going on. Now get off my case, sit back and enjoy!!
As you can see, there's lots going on...and our house now has "braces"!! Note that we now have windows...and just the other day, the three-part radius sliding doors were installed on the second floor. It's all coming together and construction is moving at an incredibly fast pace.

The look from the inside is even more dramatic. This is a shot from what will one day be the living room, looking towards the dining area/kitchen. The pipes to the left in the middle of the floor is a future kitchen island. You thought islands were created via volcanic activity? You thought wrong. Find me a plumber, some pvc pipes and a little time...and we'll give you Hawaii!!

Here's an interior and exterior shot of the Master Bedroom. We are very please with the windows and how they're pulling the construction together visually. Now as long they don't leak, we'll be as happy as clams!!

...not only do we have windows and sliding doors, but we also have copper scuppers!! That outlet in the center (called a scupper), will allow water from the third floor deck, to depart with grace and style. Our rain gutters will also be made from copper. Though more expensive, when copper ages it takes on the turquoise-colored patinae that's incredible. The other option is we can purchase Brasso by the gallon and have Gina clean and polish them weekly. OK, that ain't gonna' happen, now is it?

Check out our stains!! The left are the windows in our stairwell with the right pic, a detail of our dining room windows. They stained the pine sills mahogany. This will match the kitchen cabinets and wood floors in the bedrooms. Ain't they purdy?

So much is going on over the next few weeks and months, that hopefully someone will get off his sorry ass and keep you better abreast of the progress. They're currently wrapping-up all of the plumbing, the electrical and anything else that they need to put into the walls. You'd be amaze how much shit needs to be hidden behind the framed walls before they can insulate and drywall them. Gina and I have been locating electrical fixtures, deciding where to place cable for the phone, the internet, satellite TV and permanently-mounted speakers. The tile for the roof should also be coming-in soon as should the front door, the skylight, the interior doors and the garage door. Lots going on and decisions need to be made on a daily basis. These are the details that will make or break the overall look of the house. Here's your chance to play backseat quarterback. Let us know how we're doing. We know you're watching!!

May I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Forrester...Yes, on August 24th, Anthony & Francesca were married in Redondo Beach in front of family and friends. If you weren't there, you missed a great party. A good time was had by all!!

Here's the obligatory family shot. Aside from Anthony and I, this is four generations of Gozzi's that all flew-in from the east coast. Grandparents, aunts, cousins and who knows what, were present and accounted for.

We start on the left with the Rev. Maryann (Gina's sister and Francesca's aunt), presiding over the ceremony. Actually she only did a reading during the ceremony and ended with an off-color joke that brought the house down!! Here we have Anthony sucking a piece of blue cheese off of Francesca's face. Notice his technique and the smile on his face. "Did you get it all Ant?" We end with the season-opener of "Dancing With the Stars". Men were optional but Sean (in the blue shirt), was see cutting-the-rug with the reverend throughout the evening!!

For those of you that don't know, my day job (and how we're financing the new home) is producing shirts and licensed products for the world at large. Alex Ross, a friend and artist that I've worked with for more than a decade now, asked me if I'd be interested in producing an Obama T-shirt with him. We unveiled our OBAMA: TIME FOR A CHANGE T-shirts at the Wizard World Chicago show in July. It was an immediate hit!!

The picture on the left captured Barack mumbling "Can I get this in a size small to better accent by rippling abs?" The next pic shows him at a local frat party. Now when he does the beer bongs later in the evening, he won't ruin his nice dress shirt!!

We really got a kick out of seeing this photos. Graphitti Designs has now expanded it's reach. Not only do we dress the comic fans, we also dress Presidential candidates. Our next goal is to get Sarah Palin wearing one of these puppies!!

(unpaid advertisement)
If you or anyone you know wants to purchase one of these shirts, they can do so by going to: www.graphittidesigns.com.

That's all for now. I promise I will do my best to better address the needs of the community and provide content on a more regular basis. Come soon, construction will be moving at a very rapid pace. Check in and see what's new and exciting.