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Friday, October 29, 2010

Today?

Is today the day the permit for my shed-studio will finally be issued? Oh, I hope so!
It's been ten weeks or so since I got moving on this project, spurred on by the need to provide a home for a friend's daughter. As it turns out, she's likely to be able to stay with those she knows and loves best; but my longer term plans for foster-parenting are still alive.

As far as permit applications go, I gather mine has been relatively straightforward. Even so, it's been a stop-start process with no certainty about the real timeframe. I must admit, it's been difficult to stay on track with my other projects and routines, with this major change tantalisingly just on the horizon. I've been told to expect the permit today. My plans have been checked and approved; the letters to my neighbours have gone out, with no objections being received in the two-week time-frame allowed . . . it should be just a case of the administrative team doing its thing now.
As luck would have it, next week is one of the worst weeks in the year for getting things finalised in Melbourne. Tuesday is a public holiday--for a horse race, no less! And Monday becomes a de facto holiday in a lot of workplaces. After a four day weekend, the next few days don't tend to be all that productive, with lots of dressing up and partying still on the agenda. So I'll be waiting at least until the following week before I can expect anyone to actually turn up with tools and equipment. Then something like this should appear in the blank spot at the back of my yard: . . . oh drat, today's one of those days when blogger insists on turning my pic on it's side! You're going to have to twist your head to the right to get the idea . . .
To get the full extent of my anticipation, enlarge the picture in your mind until it's nearly as big as my kitchen-living space. 4.8 by 3.8 metres to be precise. Now transpose the two windows onto the side wall and substitute a panelled glass door in the front of the building. You can edit out the wheelbarrow and gumboots too. My one surviving silver princess gum tree will continue to grow just to the right of the glass door. I'm going to stop my imaginings now--adding the shelving and other furniture inside and transposing all my textile equipment is next . . . and that's going to be some task! Before that there will be painting and flooring to deal with. But that's all in the future. Maybe today I'll have a permit to go ahead.

2 comments:

Dee said...

It looks CUTE! I had mentally pictured a big tin shed with lining and insulation, not a cute timber one. The one in my mind has an awning/ verandah out the front too. Is that on the plans or just in my mind?
Does that mean that Silver Princess from the front yard has died? Or is this a survivor of a different batch in the back yard?
My fingers are crossed for you.

Chiara Z said...

The awning/verandah idea got shelved once I saw how much (little!) space I would have left. The front silver princess is alive and well. This one is the survivor from a batch of four planted out the back before the last big heatwave. Thanks for the crossed fingers--at least now it's just a matter of time.