Important To Note

The post from /Monday was spurred by a flyer-to-email communication with someone who was advertising free consultations for “outdoor room” projects.  I saw her flyer at El Chilito on Day 2 of Junk-a-Thon, and felt immediately drawn to both the photograph, which was of human and plant people enjoying an outdoor shower, and to the text: someone offering design + build services “for people who like to live outside”. Yes!  Outdoor rooms!  That’s so it!  I went home and started looking at “my yard”, thinking thinking.

It took a little while to actually contact her due to a problem with my email account, but that was probably good to have the time to percolate my ideas, leading to writing the outline I posted to this blog.  The person on the other end of the flyer, Patrice Mallard, came by on Thursday/Jupiter Day.   Getting a professional’s perspective on what I’ve been plotting and pondering is an immense help.

So, she came today, and off the bat offered some important information: 1st,  “greywater systems” are NOT legal according to CODE (unless, unless, unless, and she would not want to get officially involved in anything like that).  Oh yeah.  Well, she pointed out some important reasons: Detergent is the #1 pollutant in our water, which as city water systems go, is apparently ranked #10 in the country.  Now that could be coming from car washes,,, (where did THEY get through that loophole?), or who knows what else, but also: some people are washing their clothes outside and putting the sudsy H2O on the ground.  Now you could say, “But I only use biodegradable soap!” and that is true, but is your neighbor going to use biodegradable?  Are they going to try and “go eco” after your example, but without going to all the same precautious ends to make sure it IS actually “green”?

Hmm.   Okay.  Well, and the rainwater I could collect off the roof is going to be no better or worse for plants than what currently is feeding my garden of eden, but I better not water any edible plants with it.  (Yech! Asphalt shingles.)

So then we walked around back:

hot as hell

Yes, it is blazin hot out here.  There is no attractive shade, no refuge.  The tents are just covering STUFF.
So then I talked more about my basic studio needs and she started verbally sketching a vision.

And I filled in my handy cork-map with her proposal, which I think is very reasonable and probably the most practical solution I should shoot for.

I know you can’t really read what it says on there, but the important thing to know is that I am going to be calling upon my friends’ help soon, especially those who can help me acquire some POSTS (I need 16 – 8′ or taller) and who have experience with framing / porch-building. (You know who you are!)  AND, I’ll need a few people who have some old, repressed anger to get out to wield pick-axes on a bit of old parking lot.  And, we’re going to MOVE the old shed! (And magically transform it into a PLAYHOUSE.)

In return for your assistance and moral support, I will assure our on-the-job comfort with frosty towels and vats of lemon-honey-water, followed by hose-downs and a super meal that will fill you to your boots.

Oh yeah, I’m also going to need various truck-rides at different points.  Picking up palettes, posts, tin, concrete, salvage 2x4s, and CACTI. Taxi truckers, I will pay the gas $.

Alright, that’s the update!  Course set, steer straight!

🙂

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