Monday, September 15, 2014
Hi!
I have no new photos.  I do not even have any rants.  (Scraping does that ~ good for the soul!)  Last night and tonight I am thankful for the beautiful clear night skies which inspire me not to take pictures.  "Just enjoy....stare at that beautiful oversized-looking moon, dangling in the stars....breathe in those incredible cold white sparkly stars on a sky of darkest blue velvet.  All of those views with the backdrop of proud red brick.  It is simply grand.
I did fix the door handle.  Or at least, I attempted to do so.  I will brag tomorrow if it works even just a little bit.  (A hint:  One step away from duct taping it!).
We will see.  

Even some of the bits, the remnants lying around, seem to whisper part of the story of this building...

I am closing in on the last Main Street main level set of windows.  I think I will need to backtrack to scrape them better.  (Lesson learned).  Then I start cleaning the grout between the glass block with TSP.  (When referred to the product, I pretended I knew what it was...had to ask... another lesson learned:  Don't pretend.  Don't let pride get in the way.  Ask questions.  Ask more questions.  Get answers.  Do the work.)

For tonight....this is all she wrote.

Thank you.  I am forever grateful.  And always, Blessings.

~ stephanie

ps.  There are moments I feel are 'humblers'.  For example, when trying to fix the door handle - of course, at night - dropped the screws...In the dark.  Did find it.  Unbelievably though, it turned out to be a good mishap as I got down on the pavement, finding pieces of glass and old nails...  So it goes...

Sunday.

Sunday, September 14, 2014.
Hi! I know, technically it is Monday... Sundays speed by... An eventful day at the building!  Visitors - many of them students of mine - drawn to investigate and.... with the promise of participating and watching my version of the "Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS."  It was our first, I hope of many, charitable events at 419 West Main!

Fun!  I know:  Comments here, please (and no one could be as critical as me of myself....such as "what's going on with the hair, Steph?" or "Can you talk any more with your hands than you already do?"  I just want to scream "Stop it!"  But I am not the focus - the disease and the research efforts of prevention and treatment are the focal points of the 'Ice Bucket Challenge'.  Please give generously!

http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html

By the way, I have never seen such preparation for ice and ice water as I did today - it was a blast (thanks everyone!!).  Plus, it was the first 'event' at the building.  These students also had much advice for the next event!!  

So it goes with the building!

But life got real.  Real fast.  Weeding.  Digging them up neatly at first, just as planned;  by nightfall I was yanking with abandon and slicing and chopping with the shovel.  Moments of tears and moments of bliss as I cleared the adjoining lot.  Again I looked at the wall.  I looked up to watch clouds, wondering at this journey with my building.

Then I thought of my path to date....oh! and the second point I had from yesterday!  And I think it needs mention, but only once.  As I progress with renovations, I will let you know if it changes because it would be part of the story.  "It" is the topic of money.  Someone asked me on Saturday at a community event, why I would be spending their tax dollars on this building.

At first I was stunned speechless. No, tax dollars are not funding this project.  My ultimate dream would be never using TIF or other tax-type funding. I cannot make that promise.  But to date and for the first phase I have used no tax dollars for the project.  And, no the building was not sold to me for one dollar.  I caution anyone about believing such things.  Yes, a sale price might be one dollar, but usually then such properties are 'as is.'  'As is' is code for asbestos, ground contamination, underground storage tanks, or some other known but not determined problem that must be addressed before developing the land or building or property site.  In my building's case it was asbestos.  The previous owner contracted a company from Eau Claire for the abatement.  Healthier?  Yes.  But sometimes with buildings it would be like someone ripping your skin off, then removing the underlayers of dermis.  Not the case here either.  Most of the asbestos here sealed plumbing.

Gone.  Adios.  Bye-bye.  (Thank goodness.  I am not sure why, but asbestos was one issue I did not want to handle.  Abatement has to be done professionally anyway, but I think had it been present, I am not sure I would have wanted to deal with any of it.  Again, fate or hand of God.  Whichever a person would like to believe.  Even when the plan was the demolition of the building, the asbestos needed to be removed first.  It was good fortune, really, that I began inquiring about the building when I did:  Between asbestos removal and slated demolition date.

I did have another visitor - but that is a story for another day....

My day ended with scraping windows.  I learned the Joy of.....Sandpaper!  That's a positive.  A negative?  My door handle broke...on the door with my brand new lock.  I am back to crawling under the garage door.  Could be worse.  Could always be worse.

Another joy?  A new broom.  (Make obvious jokes here....)

I think I had one more for the 'negative' side of progress for the day, but I cannot remember (other than a general feeling of unsatisfactory scraping on the windows I have already done.

Learning.  Always learning...

That's today's story.  A lot of activity - some fun and some work.  A lot of dreaming and pondering life...that is always a good thing...

Happy Trails....

Thank you....And Blessings upon your week.

~ stephanie

A great view of ending the day....

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Hi!

Welcome to more of the story!  Today has nothing to do with window scraping ~ in fact, no scraping at all.  But a lot of thinking.  And weeding.  Seemed like two activities perfectly designed for each other.

A couple thoughts occurred to me that I believe pertain to the story and of course I must write about them;  if for no other reason than compensation for my horrible writing.  I feel as though I have not done justice to this grand building.

I have written in prior posts, either directly or indirectly, that the building has taught me many lessons already.  I know how crazy that sounds, but it is part of this unbelievable journey.  I have been tap-dancing around certain issues, like that, because it sounds, to put it bluntly, "fruity".  But if I do not write honestly about the building, then what's the point?  It does not mean I need to "spill my guts," but it does mean.....well, as I was opening windows, I wondered why I am blogging.  Of course, part of the business plan is this blog.  But if that is the only reason, then does that not change the story?  Is that what the story of this building is about?

Partially.  I mean I have to be realistic.  But if I blog about the building, if I tell its story only for that purpose, well, that misses the whole point, does it not?  The building has never been about economics even though that may be both the downfall of my plan and is the truth behind survival in business. I do not know.

But that is not my dream.

My dream is my life ~ a life I envisioned with this grand building.  I cannot write to sell.  I have to tell the story.  (I promise to keep the ranting to myself....and, I promise to be courteous!)  But the building has taught me this (and I have to say it in such a manner - think of me as you wish) ~ standing proud, standing all these years....the building was the building.  It was.  It stood.  It stands.

(Augh! That one hit me hard!)

Continuing....

The building stands...It was an armory, then a school, for goodness sake.  Then it stood.  All these years.  How could I possibly write about it only for monetary gain?  Please.  Do not think I am snooty about it all.  No, the business end of things is important.  And, all of this could be my undoing.  But those types of thoughts are fading.  Every person who has lasted with their own business says the same thing:  There is no maybe;  you have to make it.  Have to.  I, for some reason, am lucky enough to have a chance to make something work with the building.  It is a dream and I have a chance.  Not only that, I have a chance at "the dream."  "The dream" means doing it my way!

That is why I weed.  You see, either I weed or mow or weed-whip or chemically eliminate overgrown and unwanted / scruffy foliage.  It had to be done.  I chose weeding.  The interesting thing about such a process is the time.  It takes time.  Perhaps now you can see why I love the building and its lessons. (I have to insert here that I have my doofus moments - it is not all bricks / architecture / art / philosophy.  For example, last night as I am dancing around the building, I did step on a nailed board...I pondered how up-to-date I was on my tetanus shot!  Today? I took off gloves to weed for a bit - it was then I discovered some itch-weed or whatever it is called...Ok, plus I came pretty close a few times to flipping a shovel end up in my face...visions of prolonged dentistry visits danced through my brain!)

Anyway, back to it:  I looked at the wall by the empty lot.  I am ashamed to admit I had made fun of it, calling it the turkey wall in reference to the cause of the fire in the neighboring building years ago (a deep-fried turkey device....I will leave it at that).  Today I looked at it.  I had been avoiding it. It. It. It. It.  Today I saw the wall.  "Make me beautiful..."  I, personally, am too old for challenges.  Usually.  But today, as I was weeding, I looked at this wall and this space, the extra lot.  Nope, this space is precious.  It's mine.  And it's going to be beautiful....

I have so much more to write... I even have a second point, but I think I should wait for a window scraping day!!

To conclude for today, I just want to say thank you.  And, please, please accept my apology.  This building deserves so much more than lip-service. So much more than the 'usual / usual.'  I am sorry I sunk to that.  I mean there will be plenty of notes about the facts because there are tons of facts - its 21,000 square feet of facts!

But to me......this building.... It was the first time I followed my heart.  It taught me to follow my heart.  (yep, tears right now...).  And what faith means...

Thank you.  ....Blessings!

~stephanie

...make it beautiful...

..it's handsome!

happiness....dustpan...

 

Windows ~ historical / industrial..

..seeing the "trees and the forest"

419 West Main Street ~ Merrill

Hi! 

Happy Weekend!

I scraped more windows, enthused by the progress of the lock, I began as usual.  Midstream tonight

I scraped, then day dreamed.  Needless to state openly that this method is not a preferable one.  Day dreaming and scraping paint and old putty only go in tandem when the scraping part far exceeds the day dreaming!

Happy Day! Local locksmith came to take a look at the alleyway door.  I now am the owner of the smoothest locking mechanism....

Progress.  

But I got to thinking about this 'progress.'  Exciting that I no longer need to crawl under the building's garage door, but sad as well because it reminds me all those times when I did just that.

(It is times like these I wonder where I learned to write!!)

What I mean is that part of the charm of the building, to me, was crawling under the garage door to get inside. That part of the journey is now over.  A new lock!

Perhaps the pictures should do the talking!

(And hey!!!! I just thought of this:  Since this is my journey ~ even though I have a locking door now, there is not a rule anywhere saying I cannot crawl under the garage door if I should choose?!)

Saturday's list:  Research how to fix double hung windows, a dust pan, scraping, clearing the neighboring lot and....well, maybe daydreams about a charming building...)

Oh - one more thing:  It might be a Friday-type building as well as a Sunday building.  With the rain and the ending of the workweek, I spent time at the building just dreaming.  Actually that is not true:  I put my feet up on the second floor window sill, then shut my eyes.  

What would the use be, to work there, but never enjoy it.  Friday afternoons are perfect!

Mmmm.  Ecstatically exhausted!

Thank you....And Blessings!

~stephanie

The open door. Welcome!

Tonight, main floor.  I look at these windowsills) the time 

Main floor - A handsome building

 

419 West Main Street ~ Merrill

 

Hi.. 

Windows.  Continuing work to prepare the windows.  And research!  It cannot be very exciting to read more about scratching paint and old caulk, but that is the reality.  Seems like I have had a hundred ideas and topics ala building upon which to write during the course of the day.  But now, I am at a loss.

Amazing how much it dries out in a day and how warm it is inside despite the chilly evening (frost warnings - first one of the coming autumn.

Research?  How to preserve the steel framed industrial windows.  Parts of a standard window.  How to construct "faux muntins"....Fakery to be sure, but the second floor windows are not original and I am guessing I will not have time to replace them before January.  I only need to weather tight them ~ along with my need to vainly make sure they look respectable.

He needs to look nice for the holidays!!!

Moment of returning hardware goddess-hood as I have upgraded my ladder to six-feet of fiberglass.  Nice!

 

Next research topic:  What to do with grout / caulking around glass block.  Such is my life.  I am loving it!

 

Photos?  The Main Street main level windows from the inside at night.... Have I mentioned the coziness of the street lights as it shines in these windows?  And the toasty warmth despite the approaching frosty night?

 

Oh!  The best news (aka reality check) - hopefully by the weekend my alley door will be functional with a lock!!!  Secondary best news - I might experiment with stripping the paint and corrosion on the metal window frames!  Exciting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mmmmm.  A great finish to the day....

 

It floors me, but not in an overwhelming sense.  I am floored as I stand in there, thinking "Here I am.". It is a good spot to be in.

 

 

Thank you.... And Blessings.  (Maybe I should try to 'soup up' the story a bit?  Nah. It would not be right.  The story is about scraping.  Every step of the way.  It is most excellent.  I realize over and over that the dream of the building is not the vision I have of 'what it will be someday'.  But the dream is really now - the scraping and dreaming.  The dream is the dreaming.  You know?)

 

Fabulous.

 

~stephanie





419 West Main Street ~ Merrill

Hello!

Definitely not grumpy this evening.. The roof:  Survived.  Water is everywhere on the inside, having leaked from the roof, then following any open spot between the floors to drip down to the main street level.  The rained water outlines any cracks and any gaps between pipes and concrete, resulting in a map or almost ready-made to-do list in the concrete.

Oddly enough - the rain, while once it depressed me as I would walk around the building, taking note where water flowed off the roof, dribbling down the sides of that beautiful dark reddish brick - I now see that it actually helps in my efforts to scrape windows.  It could be the water-logged wood framing popping up the paint or.....I am not sure!  Whatever the case may be, as I have beefed-up my arsenal of paint removal devices and chemicals;  perhaps the simple, straightforward rain is the most effective. (A person has to take those wins when they come!!)

I am rethinking the Main Street door.  Even a rough refinishing of it for this winter - just to see what could be done.  I would like to see if I could restore it myself.  (Actually making it functional might be another story, but for this winter - who knows?)

 

I have to say:  I love the work.  The more I scrape, the more familiar I get with the construction and the details of the building.  Its characteristics.  I still have thoughts of knowing every brick.  I mean, as ridiculous as it sounds, why would I not make that one of my goals?  I could draw out the metaphor further, but I know when I am nearing "borderline.".

Or perhaps I have crossed that border eons ago?

It's lovely.  Just the whole thing.  The building. The process. The worry. The dream.  Never in a million years would I have even dreamed or dared to think of such a journey.  And here it is.  Here it is.

I am incredibly fortunate.

*I am not sure why, really.... but as I scraped, I had a funny feeling.  I mean, here it is the first blast of chilly air, we just had tons of rain, water is everywhere in the building.  Logically I should have been down in the dumps..... and yet... "Building? I think we are going to make it.."

 

This part is the juicy stuff - the handiwork.  But just as usual, the building keeps my efforts in check, balancing the dreamy work of scraping and cleaning with the necessary work of paper.  "Tomorrow," I tell myself.  "Tomorrow is time to begin more phone calls, paperwork, and plans."

 

If I follow the building's nudging to accomplish the dull stuff....I might get a bit of time for the "dream work."

 

May your day be so Blessed.

 

Thank you.... And Blessings!

 

~ stephanie

*(I remembered where I had these photos - taken earlier in the summer, of the interior second floor.  I hope you can get the feel of the building from these shots!)

 

Second floor / Main Street & Genesee Street

Second floor / Main Street & Genesee Street

Second floor / Genesee Street & alley

Second floor / alley, looking to the south, southeast. (Personally, I picture a kitchen / dining area, if residential.)

Second floor / alley, looking south, southwest.  This is where I started "setting up shop" on the second floor! I love this room!

The stairwell / south side of building.

Second floor / Main Street.  It looks rough, but it is actually in decent shape.  I always pictured work area or drafting table in the far, small space created in this room by the north stairwell behind the wall.



The hallway upstairs, looking north.
 

419 West Main Street ~ Merrill

hi.

grumpy and worried. it's night and we are due to get rain. lots. loads. tons.  

The roof... It is so close to the time to get the roof repaired and resurfaced.  And there is nothing a person can do, except pray, hope, try to remain positive and reason that whatever will be, will be.  I will figure it out then.  Although I must admit during the downpour a few minutes ago I started inventing in my head.  Could I have created a huge funnel or ramp from sheet metal to direct the water off the roof? (And, similar such inventions have crossed my mind!)

Realistically speaking and according to the roofer, it actually has been an effective roof.  There are roof drains and spigots directing the rainfall.  And it does have pitch - it is not flat.  Check on the positive side of the situation.  Every rainstorm is worrisome...

Ok, thinking positive about the roof reminds me of climbing up there on July 4th with the roofer to check the condition and to see if he wished to do the job. (He had agreed to do it!).  July 4 holiday there we are atop this roof!  (It was excellent!)  Summer breeze and morning summer sunshine.  It was one of the few days of our summer which the morning promised a day of heat.

Getting to the roof was actually like climbing up to a treefort.  A metal ladder mounted to the bricks leads from the second floor to the rafters.  From the rafters there is a crawl space defined by a twenty foot long wood planked path to a short wooden ladder to the trap door on the roof.  It's an adventure in itself.

But once you are up there - the view!  Ok, I am less grumpy than when I began writing.  Thanks!  And so it goes....

The aforementioned ladder....

Coming up onto the roof...

Looking north, the roof peeled back as a result of the fire in the adjoining building years ago.

More of my learning...that's a roof drain...required - by building code.

Looking north west, the other area of damage.

On the roof, looking toward the Genessee Street side, behind the brick facing.  Too cool!

 

I'm actually sitting by the chimney, leaning on the ledge, taking this photo...  It would be a perfect spot at night to sneak up to and watch stars!  (Perhaps a little deck is in order?!  It is good to dream....then reality snaps back - roof, Steph...fix the damage that is looking at you eighty feet away!)

*

Earlier grumpiness was compounded by limited progress on the windows this evening due to the storm.  That fact and the reality that I was atop a metal ladder as the thunderstorm approached.  Not my brainiest moment!  But, I keep thinking "how am I eating this elephant?  one bite at a time."  Every bit of progress gets me and the building closer to preparedness for winter.

And really, despite my carrying on and whining....what a beautiful bunch of problems to have!  I just keep picturing him....like in my dream.... spruced up and proud as he should be.

He was built as an armory for goodness sake!   Please?! Just one more photo!

Uh!!!!!! Looking up at the alley side, second story windows....Imagining... (Plus, I always admire the masonry - just LOOK AT THOSE BRICKS - NO BUCKLING - STRAIGHT, STRAIGHT, STRAIGHT....)
*sigh, Love*

I believe I have most likely carried on far too much!  Oh - another great thing today - another friend touring through the building... afterwards - many ideas of the possibilities!  It is a strange sort of magic, this building!  (Just makes a person....giggle...)

Thank you... And, Blessings.

~ stephanie