Another day of work at the property. It was raining. A little part of my mind, the one some people refer to as "common sense" said to me: "you should wait for good weather, and have a relaxing Sunday". I immediately suppressed that crap and got to work.

I remembered to add the sewer pipe before I put the concrete in... Yay! I used foam pipe insulation to cushion it where it will be cast in with the concrete, so I don't get a broken sewer pipe if the foundation settles a bit.

We've been Perminated! I'm finding that the difference between mediocre materials and top-of-the-line is actually pretty inconsequential; the real savings come from sweat and boldness. Getting cheap materials is false economy; getting the awesome stuff is... awesome. For example: using 6-mil Visqueen under a slab as a vapor barrier will save about $100 for a slab this size. Then there's the Perminator, a 15-mil indestructible monster of a vapor barrier. Is there really a choice here? Peace of mind... check.

I really got after it today, and completed all of the rebar work for the slab and footings. The tie-wire tool I bought from Amazon (link) was amazing; after about 20 minutes of practice, I was tying rebar like a pro. Using pliers and a roll of wire would have been hellish. Easily a finalist candidate for the Best Twelve Dollars I've Ever Spent award. Now I just have to bend and tie the retaining wall steel, and I'm ready to pour concrete!

End-of-the-day shot from up the hill. It's starting to look like there might be a building lurking in there somewhere.