Busy Busy!

Has it really been almost a month since my last posting? Wow! A lot has been going on....those water retention crates are in the ground and filled in with the rocks with drains being put in....concrete is being poured....busy busy!

The saddest development for me is the erection of a giant wooden fence that goes from the edge of the old parking lot all the way around the corner, up to the playground. I no longer can sneak in through that gap in the chain link fence. Boo hoo! I now have to walk around to the old parking lot entrance. Oh well.

Enjoy some before and now pics, along with some videos of the crazy concrete machine.

Before...the old parking lot that had the chain link fence, through which I could inconspicuously sneak in to the site to get my pictures.

Now, access denied!!


Before, the old Mind Masters room and the original building.

Now, access denied!!


Picture 1: This is the view from back in August 2009. Watch the trash can and light pole for perspective.

Picture 2: January

Picture 3: Now, February!

Here are the water retention crates being laid down a month ago....

Now, they're covered up and filled in with rocks.


Before, a month ago...

Now, all filled up with crates and rocks!



Is that a drain I see? Is this the beginning of the end of Lake Herod every time there's barely a drizzle of rain?

Before, in August 2009...

And now!


Before, in November 2009...

The same view now!

Picture 1: back in May 2009...

Picture 2: in January, a month ago.


Picture 3: And now!

They have cut some holes in the fence over by the playground so the kids (and teachers!) can see!

This is the view from the playground blacktop back in September, right when they moved the big kid's playground.

This is what it looks like now, looking through one of the holes in the fence!

This is the view from the top of the rock wall on the playground. The red contraption pours cement!

Here are a couple of videos of the crazy cement machine pouring the cement. I was joined on top of the rock wall by a bunch of kids!

Miscellaneous Stuff

For your viewing pleasure...2 new videos! One of a mini excavator digging a hole, and another of me and Lisa trying to harass some construction workers. Enjoy!

This is a before view of the breezeway looking down past the Mind Masters room and towards the parking lot and East Field. The following is a video from the exact same vantage point. What a difference a few months makes!

Let me preface this video by saying that Lisa and I were NOT drinking on the job when we did this!

Continued Progress

I grabbed my hard hat yesterday and made my way to the construction zone yesterday. It had been a while. Lucky for me, Wayne was not too busy and was nice enough to walk me around and show me what was going on. Here are some of my new pictures, along with a few before shots to put it into perspective.

Here is our trusty parking lot before, the East Field in the background.

The parking lot now. The East Field (or what used to be the East Field) is behind the big pile of dirt.

I used to park my car here!



This has now become....

...this!

And this!

Remember all these crates?

The hole is being lined and the crates put in for the underwater retention system.


The East Field before.

And now.

Temp buildings and playground before...

And now.


The breezeway going by the Mind Masters room before...

And now!

And now here are 2 videos for your viewing pleasure...

Word on the playground was that the best view was from the top of the rock climbing wall. I had to check it out for myself! Here is a view of the site from the top, where all the temps and the big kid's playground used to be. (Sorry it's a little pixelated...I was using my iPhone)

Thanks to Lisa for giving me the following word: AUGER! That is what is drilling the holes in which the piers will go.

Crane vs. Aluminum Sidewalk Cover

...and no surprise here! The cover loses!!




Thanks to Marla for sending me the following picture of one of the temps getting hauled away under the cover of night!

Do You Know This Woman??

Mary Rose Cahill...do you know her? If so, please tell her that the wallet she lost 15 years ago has been located! It was found buried under one of the temp buildings. My new friend Wayne gave me the contents of it!

All Gone!!

All the temps have now officially been removed and are on their way to some other unlucky schools. Today I met one of the supervisors named Wayne. He gave me my own hard hat to wear for when I go back to take my pictures. I love it! :)

The science lab...ready to be hauled away. This is probably the last time I will ever lay eyes on that building!

Before, back in May 2009

After, no more temp buildings!


Before.....

...and after!



Before...

...and after!



Sad, sad, sad!

I was informed that this big beautiful tree in the northwest corner of the East Field will be going the way of the willow tree. I had many an outside picnic with kids under this tree. Sad, sad, sad.

Now scroll down for a couple of videos! :)

This bulldozer was carrying a big bag of this ashy lime.

...which it then cast out over the mud, in an effort to help it dry out after all the weeks of rain we have had.