Kevin Berger

Owner of Easterday Construction Co., Inc. in Culver, IN.

Strange Days Indeed

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Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed

John Lennon from Nobody Told Me

The above lyrics are a bit of an understatement lately. Everyone’s anxiety is showing. Stress levels are high.

Personally, I’m not stressed about getting sick; I’m stressed about all of the other craziness surrounding Covid-19. The disease itself currently has a surreal feel to me. It has not touched me personally closer than a friend of a friend’s friend. I am cognizant of the threat because my parents are in their eighties. Dad has had heart problems. Both of my siblings have had lung issues. There are health issues with Becky’s family as well. The threat to them is real… but still surreal…

Apt Blds 100 & 200 at The Paddocks are weathered in

The current top stress for me though is taking care of employees. Construction is considered an essential service and three of our current projects are for businesses that are essential services. Fortunately most of our work is open air at this time, which minimizes the risk. On The Paddocks project, we have multiple buildings under construction. We’re striving to separate the subcontractor crews into different buildings and are providing separate temporary toilet facilities for each building to help with separation. Everyone wants to work, but there is starting to become an issue obtaining materials. Aside from that, the biggest drag on the projects is discussing the virus. That’s probably cut productivity by 10%-15%! Despite being considered essential today, there’s no guarantee that we’ll be considered essential tomorrow. The changes have come fast and the rumors preceding them have varied. Everyone that is still working, is concerned that the next day could be their last.

The other stress right now revolves around what is being imposed by various politicians, government agencies and bureaucracies. (I wonder how many of them understand the thinking behind “Chesterton’s Fence”…) I am averaging one webinar or call per day discussing what has changed since the day before, i.e. what is being done to us. I’ve navigated the SBA morass to try and figure out PPP, both here and for Berger Audiology. I’ve sat in on conference calls with businesses that have been shutdown. I’m buying lunch once a week for employees to try and support local businesses. Some of the stories are heartbreaking and some of those businesses may not survive this.

I’m also very concerned with the three to four trillion dollars in debt that the Federal government assumed with the various virus bills over the last few weeks. It always helps me visualize that when I write it out, so $3,000,000,000,000 That’s a lot of zeros. And that’s on top of a $1,000,000,000,000 deficit already projected for this year. (An interesting/depressing article here.) That debt is real and may well affect me personally in retirement as well as the livelihoods of future generations.

The Constitution of the United States of America

And then there’s the more existential stress. What are we allowing to be done to us out of fear? Businesses are being told to close. Churches can’t hold services… even with social distancing. We’re not allowed to gather in groups greater than 10? The Bill of Rights, Article I, states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Is the loophole here that the State Governors and City Mayors are ordering and enforcing a prohibition on assembly, not Congress? That’s not the way that usually works.

Stress is high all around. We can’t succumb to the fear though. Things CAN be worse…

The Paddocks Apartments Update April 3rd, 2020

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Block accents in place on Apt 100

A lot has gone on at The Paddocks apartments in Culver since our last post here. Things have been busy in the field so that’s cut into writing time. The latest thing to get underway is some of the masonry. All of the buildings have masonry accents. For the apartments, those accents are split face block on the sides between the balconies/patios. The picture above shows progress on the masonry accents on the first (west – Apt bld 100) apartment building.


Townhome Building 505 has just had rough-in inspections.

The first townhome building on the south side of Cavalier Drive is up and weathered in with shingles on the roof and windows & doors in place. It had inspections on plumbing, electrical and HVAC ductwork rough-ins completed yesterday by the Marshall County Building Inspector. These buildings will be well inspected since we not only have the local inspector looking at them, but they are being visited by an inspector from IHCDA (Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority) and from an engineering firm working for the lender. We are also going for NGBS (National Green Building Standard) Silver status which means there will be another inspector coming out to inspect the HVAC system and the building envelope to meet those standards.

Apt Blds 100 & 200 are weathered in

The first two apartment buildings (100 & 200) are up and weathered in with shingles on the roof and windows & doors in place. Most of the HVAC system rough-in is done in both of these buildings. Plumbing rough-in is nearly complete in the building 100 and underway in building 200. Electrical rough-in is underway in building 100. The balcony decks are in place on both buildings. We have ordered the stairs and railings. They will be aluminum in a similar style to what was used at Sand Hill Farm apartments. The masonry accents are now in place on building 100 and are underway on building 200.



Apt Bld 300 has second floor framing underway

The last apartment building (300) has the foundation and slab in place and framing is currently underway. Roof trusses were delivered today. It should be weathered in within a few weeks, weather permitting

Along with the building construction a lot of the site work is in place. The drive for the first townhome building has the base stone in place. The pad for the next townhome building is prep’d and ready for footing excavation. The sites for the last two buildings, another townhome and a community building, are close to grade now. The site water, sewer and storm infrastructure are complete in some areas. We’ll be preparing the main parking lot for its stone base soon.

8 Simple Decor Rules That Make a Small Bedroom Look Awesome

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Guest post by Larson Simmons (larsonsimmons@gmail.com)

Everyone wants their house to be the most beautiful of all, but nowadays, buying a big, luxurious house is not an easy task, but you can decorate even the smallest house with intelligence and understanding. Bedrooms are very important and the happiest place in the house. It’s the place where you feel pleasant because it is a place to rest. You can also call it a special room because by coming here, you forget about the outside world and spend fun time with your partner and family.

Many people call it a romantic place in a house. But if the bedroom is small, then there are some problems in keeping furniture there. Big bedrooms are suitable for all types of decoration, but decorating a small bedroom is very difficult. You have to make choices for decoration keeping in mind the available space. Here we will explain some easy tips, which if adopted in your small bedroom, will make it the palace of your dreams. They will not only make your room look bigger in size, but also more comfortable.

Paint the Walls With the Colors of Love, Joy, & Happiness

Choosing colors for your bedroom is as important as decorating. Colors work to connect you with emotions. Use only those colors that you like or are liked by your partner and family. The correct color choices for the walls of your bedroom can make it gorgeous. Choose colors that give peace at night and a feeling of freshness during the day. White, cream and beige colors bloom in small bedrooms. Dark colors should be avoided.

Make Use of Candles For Decoration

Some people also use beautiful candles to decorate their rooms. Beautiful and colorful candles make your bedroom soothing. Candle lighting creates a different kind of romantic atmosphere. There is nothing better than scented candles of different colors to create a romantic atmosphere for you and your partner. There are a variety of such beautiful and decorative candles available in the market.

Choose the Right Size for the Bed

Instead of being locked into a king-size bed in your bedroom, it’s a good idea to consider a simple double bed to save some space. You can also choose a folding bed which will create a lot of space in your bedroom. Also, consider beds that have storage beneath the mattress. This way, you can keep all the unnecessary belongings like old clothes, alternative curtains, etc. there. It creates space in your room and wardrobe.

Keep the Idiot Box Out of the Bedroom

Spending time in front of the TV diverts your attention from the people around you. Consider not having a TV in your room at all. The limited time you can spend with each other will no longer be wasted watching TV.

Cover the Curtains

To make the rooms look bigger, choose curtains of light color and keep the color of the curtains and walls paired with each other. The curtains should be of the same color, not too colorful and there should not be large patterns on them. Net curtains may be an option for your room.

Make it Green & Fresh

You may have noticed in many homes that the window itself is used as storage to keep small essentials and show-pieces. This can be a place to keep plants like Neem, Tulsi, Aloe Vera, etc, which makes the bedroom look larger. This saves space and makes your room green and fresh. You can enjoy the fresh, positive vibes every morning and your day will be great!

Keep Your Old Bedroom Belongings in an Outside Quonset Huts

As you all know, when we give old bedrooms a new look. You change all the things that are in your bedroom. Don’t throw away the old items that come out of it. They can be used in future remodels or swapped out occasionally to freshen the space. One suggestion would be to store your old articles in a Quonset hut installed in your backyard. A building made of steel will protect your items from deterioration.

Integrated Wall Shelf

Install built-in wall shelving attached to the wall around the bed head. This organizes all your small items and and looks good while reducing clutter. Just put the books in a line, the photo frames, the show-pieces, and other things in a row. Keep it neat and systematically arranged.

Place the Lights at the Right Place

Lamps have been instrumental in bedroom decor for years. You should also apply them to your bedroom. At night, the light from lamps not only better than from overhead fixtures, but the light patterns on the walls can make the room look bigger. Instead of putting lights randomly, put lights where necessary. Choose places near the study table, near the mirror, on the wall above the bed and in front of the cupboard.

With judicious use of these tips, you can improve the quality of your bedroom life and make your small bedroom inviting. Make the most of the space you have and your bedroom will become a space where you want to spend more time.