I have a framer and his assistant working with me today. We spend the morning making a list of materials needed to finish framing out the entire building ($2,000 worth) and they finish the last bit of the beams and joists that are under the roof. They also discover that, while the back ends of all the containers line up nicely, the fronts do not. The difference is about 3 inches. I think my building can visually absorb this, but I’m irritated with myself for not noticing and fixing it. I’d be really mad if I needed a nice smooth front. I’m wondering if, even though they’re all built to ISO specs, all containers might not be exactly the same length.

The deck framing is next, but that can’t proceed until there are posts set in concrete out in the grass beyond the slab. I’d like to apologize now to anyone who is doing the work themselves, and who needs to dig holes for footings or posts. I’ve been bitching and moaning about having to move blocks around on our slab — that’s nothing compared to post hole digging with a shovel. (I check into renting something to make it easier. The hand-held post hole diggers don’t have the power for the diameter we need. A Bobcat does, but costs about $600 for the day. That’s just shy of $70 per hole, so I balk — even though I think it would be fun to drive a Bobcat.) We need 9 holes, 18″ in diameter and 32″ deep. The ground is loam for the first inch or two, then sand, then clay. The holes that have lots of clay take an hour to dig out. The holes that are all sand take half an hour. Most are somewhere in between.

I’m going to be feeling this tomorrow.