Me sitting in the hot tub in the showroom

Our loyal Project Hillside visitors voted and we've concluded it is going to happen! The hot tub for Project Hillside was ordered. After lots of thought we decided to stick with what we like, a Jacuzzi Spa. Blue Mountain Oasis has a J-345 that I installed for guests in 2003 and 7 years later it is like brand new. For Project Hillside, we are going with a Jacuzzi J-365, a step up, with some delightful features. The kind folks at Valley Pools and Spas were kind enough to help us on our decision and we are happy to give our business to them! Great service. The hot tub should arrive the first week of April. The concrete slab is going in now and the landscape will start when I have some energy left in me! Stay tuned.

Just bare with me here .. I have to rant. North Eastern Pennsylvania has really taught me a few things about work ethic. First, I know by posting this I'll get some heat from a few folks. Yes, I know, I am biased. However, I've spoke to people living in NePa for over 60 years, people that just moved to NePa, and people from Poland that just moved here. I feel as though I have had a good amount of sample and plenty of time to make this assessment.

So here is my word of advice to north eastern PA: You don't get rich off ONE JOB but MANY jobs.

I have NEVER seen people charge so much for basic manual labor in my life. I had quotes in excess of $3,000 to put a fence in (I supply materials), quotes in excess of $1,500 to lay concrete that I SUPPLY, and quotes as high as $550 to run an electrical outlet for a wash machine. I laugh, move on, do much of the work myself, and shake my head in astonishment.

Also, if you want to find a few kids to do some manual labor (haul bricks, clean a basement, etc.) FORGET ABOUT IT! I remember I used to do landscaping with my father in Northern Virginia, would take on side jobs painting wine cellars and getting high from the fumes, and haul debris into piles. After searching for a teenager to make some cash, I realized teenagers that want to make some money DON'T EXIST. Instead, they gather in parking lots with long hair, winter hats, and ride bikes. I guess mommy and daddy pay them to do nothing so why should they so a little labor? Keep reading, click here

I just made an update to the projects/budget section, including the new costs of the fence, land survey, and debris hauling. The backyard is REALLY coming along! Keep an eye for updates.

The single biggest headache I encounter each day with ProjectHillside is where to put all the debris! The latest project has certainly created the most debris and by far the heaviest. This past weekend I ripped out the old addition on the back of the garage. I was about 7 feet high, 12 feet wide, made of cinder block walls and a wooden roof structure. Only 3 tools were required: Axe, sledge hammer, and my chainsaw. The entire demo took a lot longer than I anticipated because I wanted to do it safely, avoid damage of the existing garage (not just have the old roof fall!), and the debris was immense! Read more about the Backyard Garage Addition Demo at Project Hillside by clicking here.

The construction on the backyard starts! First project, ripping out the old outdoor chimney and fireplace. Tons of concrete block. Once done, slight grading on the hill and removal of all debris. Next, installation of the two tier landscape retaining wall.

As the weather warms up the work at Project Hillside will transition to the backyard. With nearly the entire lower level finished, we'll start on the backyard turning it into a retreat for most of the summer and transition back indoors in the fall to work upstairs. It's a nice break that I welcome! The first project is a fence. We aren't sure if we are going to have someone build it on-site or use the pre-fab pieces from Lowes.

This project is OPEN FOR BIDS. Please review the details below and consider placing a bid. If you want to drive by the property, e-mail jason@jamz.net for the address.

Fence Project - please please bid

Type of fence: 6 foot privacy fence
Total length of fence around area: 112 Feet
Project Timeline: Complete by end of April
Payment terms: All materials provide or paid for. Labor payment at completion

Fence material: We will either provide a pre-fab fence but I am interested in quotes for installation of pre-fab and building with lumber we provide.

Below please find a 360' Video of the backyard, as it is today:

Backyard Design:

Backyard Photos:

Type of fence we want

Fence standing up

The kitchen has slowed down a bit, even though we only have a few things to finish. The molding above the sink was put on hold until the cabinet fill strips arrived. All the material is on-site now, however, the installer was MIA. After lots of attempts to get it scheduled, we got it on the books, and I wasted half a day at the house and he was a no show. I guess out luck isn't that bad though .. decent work to date and I hope we simply are to small of a job for him to finish now. As a result I need a professional wood worker with 15+ years of experience in trim/molding/and general woodwork at ProjectHillside. If interested, send your details to jason@jamz.net

With the lower level pretty much complete we can now easily have guests over without me having to warn them about wet paint, lose boards, exposed wiring, and all that fun stuff! Amber hosted a baby shower for a friend and at night we had friends over for a birthday party. And yes, I am the APPLES TO APPLES champion (my new fav board game .. I suck, but it is because of the judges, really!). See the pictures by clicking here.

NePa hasn't had much snow, but it seems to flurry every day and put a dusting on the ground. The first big storm came February 27, 2010, with about a foot of snow.

Icicles are permanently attached to the house I think.

We were a little delayed in getting the dining room progress pictures uploaded (I guess due to the tight deadlines we set!). The photos are in the gallery which can be found by clicking here.