Our first

but definitely not last setback was delivered to us about 2 weeks ago. Our house, that was set to be delivered the week of August 12th, has been pushed back to September 3rd. Not the worst thing that could happen to us since our contractor needed more time to work on the foundation anyway, but it definitely makes me nervous to think that the attached garage might not be finished in time. If we get pushed back any farther we run the risk of having to build it in the snow or wait until the Spring - neither of which we want to do.

We have also had some issues in working with National Grid. Dealing with them has been more stressful than the fact that our home delivery was pushed back almost a month...

Some background: we had the foundation dug and put in a few weeks ago...

Here are a few shots of the foundation being dug:

Here are some shots of the walls after they were poured:

This is a picture from the front right corner of the house, with my back to the road. The section that juts out of the basement will be a set of stairs leading to the outside.

So the foundation is done and curing - that's good. We also had to install a sub pump - also a good thing, to ensure that our basement won't flood.
We've been waiting on National Grid to install power at the site for FOUR (4) WEEKS. That's an entiiiiiiiiire month!! And because we don't have power to the site yet our sub pump can't work on it's own so that leaves Darrell going to the site on a nightly basis - sometimes a twice a day, turning a generator on that we are using to run the pump and waiting for any water that might be there, to drain...

It's been fantastic...

Here's how it all played out-

We contacted NG about installing power - they had an inspector come out to determine where we would tap into the power line across the road and where our pole would go. They wanted to put it on the edge of our parcel so that it would be between 2 lots - ours and the one next to us that we don't own - in case anyone should ever buy it (if it's ever up for sale) and want power as well. This plan would save them from having to run power to another pole - instead they would be able to run a line from the pole that we would share with them.
In order to do this we would have to get permission from our neighbor directly across the road from us as well as permission from the neighbor diagonally across the road from us. The neighbor directly across the road had no issue with signing an easement for the power line. The neighbor diagonally across the road would have to lose a tall tree on their property in order for the line to be put in and they refused.

We weren't upset with their decision at all - we didn't like the initial plan NG had come up with anyway.

So we contacted NG and let them know that only one of the neighbors would be willing to sign the easement and therefore the plan had to be rethought. New Plan! We are now running the power to a pole directly on our lot that would not be as easily accessible to someone should they move in next to us (which will not be happening and probably never will happen...). You think that a change like this wouldn't be so complicated.. now instead of getting easements from 3 people- the 2 neighbors as well as ourselves, they only need 2 easements - from the neighbor directly across from us who's already agreed to sign, and us...

This is where the stress comes in. NG was supposed to mail us the easement forms to be signed. They gave us a date.. that date came and went so Darrell called them. They claimed they were mailed out the day before he had called and were already on their way to us and should be there within the week. We wait... and wait... no papers... Darrell calls again... the woman he's been in contact with there blows him off. He calls again and speaks with her superior who informs us she had never gotten around to mailing the paperwork but that it is in the mail now and we should have it within the week... we wait.. and wait... no papers. Darrell calls again and leaves a message. No response. He calls again and leaves another message... It's apparent she's started screening her calls. He calls a third time and someone else answers the phone as the woman is at lunch. He looks into the status of our account and mentions that the paperwork had just been sent over to another office for some sort of approval and needs to come back from that office before they can mail it out... (are you annoyed yet, because I sure as hell was!!!!!!!!!!)
Meanwhile Darrell is going to the lot on a daily basis to hook the pump up to the generator, buying gas for the generator, waiting for the pump to empty, etc.

Anyway, we finally got the paperwork, had ours signed and notarized and are just waiting on our neighbor to get hers signed and notarized (which will hopefully happen Monday) so we can mail them back to NG and hopefully get someone out here to install some power within the next 20 years. We have had the panel box ready and waiting since the inspector first came out... about a million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

So thankfully our NG ordeal is almost over(I hope) and I'm sure this won't be the last hick-up we encounter on this joyous journey. Honestly it really is. No sarcasm intended. The light at the end of the tunnel- our marvelous new house - is in sight and only a few months off!

In closing, Thank You woman at NG who couldn't be bothered to do the job you're paid to do. I wish my profession was that forgiving!