Porchblogging: Regulatory Limbo Edition

These pictures are a little behind, but they show the parging of the foundation wall before it was covered with plastic sheeting and backfilled with dirt, and the full height of the retaining wall that will surround the underporch storage area.

They have since poured another retaining wall that runs alongside the future concrete steps to grade.

I am in regulatory limbo. After two visits to the DCRA, they told me to come back Friday. On Friday, they told me they hadn't gotten to my permit application, have a nice day. And they gave me a number to call so I wouldn't have to waste my time in person. The following Friday, I called the number, which was a message stating that the number was no longer active and that I should call another number. Which was a voice mail leaving another number for immediate response. Which was the voicemail of the receptionist. (A receptionist has voicemail?) I tried another few numbers -- including at least one wild guess -- and I talked to exactly no human beings.

This is just one of the many reasons why it didn't automatically occur to me to obtain permits.