life is what happens while you're making other plans

This last two months we have had endless small setbacks and a few larger ones. All this means we are at least six weeks adrift of our intended timescales. It is very difficult to keep motivated. As I started a new job a month ago and spent over 4 days last week on my two other part time jobs it has been even harder to stay focussed and stay on track. Self building does not run to conventional build timetables when you have to juggle various paid jobs, family and friends, daily life and the weather as well as suppliers, site problems and arthritis. So you get to the point where you just try to integrate the whole build process into your life and do not view it as a separate entity - as you can more easily compartmentalise paid work. So we will not get moved in till next summer - but maybe we will enjoy the whole process of building more rather than it becoming a chore. It is a marathon not a sprint and we are not on any penalty clause if we don't get it done by Friday (nor a sanity clause 'cos there isn't one!) Thankfully, with the help of GTL, who run the quarry on Gigha, we now have over 30 tonnes of concreting stone onsite and more to come this week. The 17 tonner did get in but made a real mess of the driveway, though nothing that can't be sorted - just extra work again. The digger has had new seals put in the dipper ram so is no longer losing oil. The big shed has an underlying waterproof membrane on, glass ready to go in to finish the windows, cladding to finish the doors and we do have site water. The Cabstar is going well, and the recent rain has meant that our wee shed roof is very green. Tim from SIPIT thinks we can get the kit up before November so all we have to do is crack on with the founds and try to get the back broken on this job by the end of September. The levels will be hard as we will have to step the footings but we do have the main levels done now too. Jayne is very good at getting levels to within 2mm or so. Yes, we will be weather dependent. Today it has really rained very hard but the forecast is better for a few days. The ground needed it anyway. We'll do some extra excavations and get the shuttering done during the week and concrete laid by the end of the week. The glass is half full.