MinnieMom Campground

Indeed. GC inclusion of ~ $40,000 bill for this sub is what sent me through the roof. Nope. Work first, then pay.

Caveat: I could always be mistaken and mad for something that has a good explanation.

gifs.com/gif/lucy-you-got-some-splainin-to-do-qYjGWR

Aw.....that's both cute/funny and also makes me realize today's young'uns are missing out on some classic goodness!  


AI has been a fantastic resource for this project.  This evening, I spent a couple of hours getting an email to GC documenting our discussions, laying out the problems and spelling out in detail the path forward just right.   Having an objective resource respond instantly is worth the work of sorting through the feedback, some of which is good, some of which is bad and some of which is irrelevant because of lack of context.  

I also used AI to create a comprehensive timeline of the issues with project management.  Actually two different ones.  The first is a narrative reference for me.  The second is specific to this one sub contractor issue.  Both are detailed and backed up by other contemporaneous documentation (email/text).   Now, getting into a fight over these issues is a loss.  No doubt that's a bad approach, because the win-win is always my preferred path.  But if we get in a fight despite all my efforts to take the high road, I will win the documentation side. 

I am somewhat discouraged tonight.  I'll try to get back to my typical optimistic frame of mind for tomorrow morning.  But now I'm going to go grab dinner and veg.   Maybe the subconscious will come up with something brilliant if I give it time and space.  

I was driving the school bus one time and this girl comes up, "Have you ever seen the show 'Gilligan's Island'?" she says, with the biggest eyes. Turns out there was a Gilligan's Island box set of dvd's or something and they were watching them all, that's all they would talk about for a while.

When my sister and I were little, sometime in the '80s, we were glued to the tv when black and white "Addams Family" was on. I couldn't get enough Gomez.

I'm using AI more and more for the park. This morning, I realized that we needed a project plan for building the mini golf course. So I created a new project in Claude AI, fed in my key files and created a reasonable project summary (backed by much more detailed action plans) in about an hour. Not too shabby.

Standing Pines Mini Golf Project Summary

Standing Pines RV Resort & Campground is developing a 9-hole mini golf course as part of its family-friendly amenities. The course will be themed around the "Rascal Takes Responsibility" story from the Forest Friends concept, providing a unique, branded experience for guests.

Key Details:
- Location: Near the Welcome Center and pool in the main recreation area
- Theme: "Rascal Takes Responsibility" story
- Budget: $17,000 total (all-inclusive), with $16,754 remaining
- Timeline: Must be completed before the soft opening on October 15, 2024
- Target Audience: Families, couples, groups of friends, all age ranges

Course Design and Construction
The course layout consists of 9 holes, each representing a step in the "Rascal Takes Responsibility" story. The total area of the course is 741.75 sq ft, with individual hole sizes ranging from 71.25 sq ft to 91.5 sq ft.

Construction Materials:
- Concrete mix: 11 cubic yards
- Welded Wire Mesh (6x6 W2.9/W2.9): 9 sheets
- 1/2 inch rebar: 750 ft
- 1/2 inch expansion joint material: 60 ft
- Aircrete materials for edging:
- Portland Cement: 1600 lbs
- Foaming Agent: 4 gallons
- Foam Generator: 1 unit

Obstacle Materials:
- PVC pipes for tunnels: 13 ft total
- Ramps: 3-4 units
- Bumpers or rails: approx. 100 linear feet
- Loop-de-loop obstacle: 1 unit
- Windmill obstacle: 1 unit
- Sand trap areas: approx. 50 sq ft of fine sand
- Water hazard material: approx. 20 sq ft

Theming and Branding
Each hole will feature two pages from the illustrated storybook "Rascal Takes Responsibility," printed on weather-resistant material and mounted on plywood sheets. The course will align with the Standing Pines brand by incorporating the resort's color palette (green #5C8D80 and blue #1D2D3A) and pine tree motifs.

Theming Materials:
- Plywood sheets (4' x 4' x 1/2"): 9 units
- Printed outdoor signs with storybook pages (4' x 4'): 18 units
- Weather-resistant frames: 9 units
- Weather-resistant number decals: 9 sets

Landscaping and Lighting
The course will feature native plants and pine straw mulch for a natural look, with solar-powered lighting for evening play.

Landscaping Materials:
- Pine straw mulch: 100 bales
- Landscape fabric: 500 sq ft

Lighting:
- Solar-powered path lights: 36 units (4 per hole)
- Solar-powered spotlights: 9 units (1 per hole)
- Solar light stakes: 18 units (2 per hole)

Equipment and Accessories
- Putters:
- Adult size (34"-36"): 12 units
- Junior size (30"-32"): 8 units
- Golf balls: 40 units
- QR code signs: 9 units (incorporate into the themed storybook pages signs with hole #s)
- Trash receptacles: 3 units

Budget Breakdown

Based on the detailed materials list and cost estimates, the project budget breaks down as follows:
Category Estimated Cost*
Construction (Concrete and Reinforcement) $1,800
Construction (Aircrete and Related Materials) $1,100
Obstacles and Theming $5,500
Landscaping and Equipment $2,600
Materials/Equipment Estimated Cost $11,000
5% Materials Contingency $550
Total Materials/Equipment Construction Cost $11,550
Estimated Labor Cost (local contractor) $5,000
Total Estimated Construction Cost $16,550
Total Allocated Budget $16,754
*Cost estimates by perplexity AI. See details in files:
AI Bill of Materials and Costs for Standing Pines Mini Golf July 2024
Materials List Standing Pines Mini Golf Course


 
Project Timeline
Key tasks in the project timeline include:

1. Finalizing course design and theming
2. Procurement of materials
3. Site preparation and course construction
4. Installation of obstacles and theming elements
5. Landscaping and lighting installation
6. Equipment procurement and setup
7. Staff training for mini golf operations
8. Marketing and promotion planning
9. Safety assessment and compliance checks
10. Final testing and adjustments


Next Steps and Recommendations
1. Develop a detailed construction timeline with specific start and end dates for each task.
2. Create a comprehensive operational manual for daily management and maintenance.
3. Design a marketing plan to promote the mini golf course to resort guests and potential day visitors.
4. Develop a pricing strategy based on local market rates and target audience.
5. Create a detailed theming guide with specific designs for each hole.
6. Plan for potential future expansions or modifications to the course.

By following this plan and staying within the budget constraints, Standing Pines RV Resort can create a unique, themed mini golf experience that enhances the overall guest experience and aligns with the resort's family-friendly brand.

Let's start with a good news update, shall we? Good news is the sewer sub was on site yesterday. They understand just how much the timing issues have threatened the project now. So I'm getting some extra effort from subs to try to get things right. That is an improvement. I think at least in part because sub wants to deal with GC and not me. So he's going to do just enough to not get my direct attention. He knows I will follow up on the details, catch the discrepancies and call him on them. He does not want that. At all.

Dear Lord, please bless my GC's heart. I kid you not, he called me yesterday morning all happy. He wanted to share the sub had a good idea for changing something in the septic system and was working that with DHEC. I listened, then asked a clarifying question. Then I repeated the same question in different words. And a third time. All four times, GC was pleased to share the sub was in fact discussed something related to a permit with a government agency without me knowing anything or even being aware a conversation was happening.

Friends, you can imagine the next thing that happened. I kept it professional. "(GC name), I heard you tell me that a sub is talking to a government agency about a permit issue. This can NEVER happen. You will NOT let it occur. I cannot have a sub contractor talking to a regulatory agency independently. They do not represent me or my company; they cannot speak to what we have planned or how their small part of the project works with the entire plan." GC response: "Oh, I said that wrong. He didn't talk to government agency. He talked to engineer."

So then we had to have another conversation about clear communication.



DH had a heat incident yesterday afternoon. We were able to get him into AC and ice him down before he lost consciousness, but it was a near thing. That was scary. I did the same level of stupid at Epcot years ago one August, so I get how it happens. I am going to have to sit on him to keep him out of the heat the next couple of days. The sun is going to hit him much harder than usual while his body finishes recovering.


Yeah, overall yesterday was not a good day. Here's hoping today goes better.