Working on the Railroad
Okay, I’m not really working on a railroad, but as the hammers pound all around me, that’s the song that keeps playing over and over in my mind.
Guess what we’re doing this week when I have a novella due on Monday?
HOME IMPROVEMENT!
First, I have to explain that the work being done in my house is a long time coming. Seven years, to be exact. You see, seven years ago, my husband and I hired a highly recommended contractor to remodel our two bathrooms, our hallway (adding a closet to what used to be an air conditioning return) and various and sundry assorted things. All started off well…but well, little by little, the skilled laborers working on our house disappeared, replaced by two non-English speaking (and you all KNOW this isn’t a problem for me, ethnically speaking) tile guys who were mysteriously working on our plumbing. When one of these guys left a LIT blowtorch about seven feet away from my then two-year old daughter, they were fired.
The work wasn’t done. We didn’t care. It was just little stuff left…or so we thought. We were gunshy about having people in our house again and now that the work was small (baseboards, window framing, crown molding, etc.) none of the big boys we’d interviewed before were interested. We even tried to entice them with the promise of being able to remodel our kitchen.
No dice.
About a year ago, we found the perfect guy to work on our house. He was a friend of a neighbor and he’d worked on their house and did high quality work. He came over, gave us an estimate. We were good to go. Then…he never called. We called him. Called and called and called.
This is the curse of the Florida contractor. People in other states are shocked when they move to Florida and the contractors you hire simply don’t show up. Maybe they’re on the beach. Maybe they skipped town to Puerto Rico or somewhere else more tropical than the northern climes from which most of them migrate. I’ve never met a contractor who was actually born and raised in Florida. Weird.
Anyway, a few months ago, a very good friend had her house entirely remodeled. She liked the guy who did her bathrooms, so she recommended him to me. Now he’s pounding out the marble ledges in my windows to replace them with the wood frame. I’m trying to work, even though I jump and hit the ceiling every time the generator that runs his air nail gun powers on. I’m breathing in paint. I’m not happy.
I keep telling myself I’ll love it all when it’s done…I’ll finally have baseboards! My daughter’s bathroom now has a mirror (Janelle! Now when you visit you can actually see yourself!) The unpainted doors that have been hanging in my house for seven years (there are seven doors…if we’d simply done one a year ourselves, life would be much easier…there’s a lesson in that!) now are a glossy white.
Little by little…
And I am writing. It’s a miracle. But sometimes, things just have to get done.
When it’s all finished, I’ll post a few pictures. Right now, I have to write!
And then, there’s still the kitchen. Have I told you about the blank drywall I’ve been staring at for NINE years? No lie…
Oh my heart bleeds for you. Contractors, house repairs and remodeling are just the pits.
I think some of them (most of them) love irritating the woman of the house. :wallbash:Somehow it so becomes our fault too. Bah humbug.
I will live with the bathroom I have until the day I die. Getting it done was a nightmare and I swore never to put myself thru that ever again. The worst thing was when they were done it was worse than before they started.:cry:
Have a cup of cocoa
or maybe this calles for a :cocktail: stay clear of whoever is working
and pray for a fairy tale ending.
Comment by jeannie — January 9, 2007 @ 6:39 pm
Contractor huh? Is he cute? Gotta be a plus in there somewhere??
Comment by Dayle — January 9, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
Where are those ear plugs or that big bottle of liquor you keep around the house just in case…hmmm. Might have to resort to some drastic tactics as the work progresses. We remodeled our kitchen two years ago and it was very interesting around our house for a while. I won’t even go into where all our things were stacked and how we made meals…but every once in a while I have nightmares about those many, many weeks. Of course, once it was finished it was gorgeous and I love my kitchen now.
Comment by Shari C — January 10, 2007 @ 8:38 am
Dayle…I wish. Alas, it is not the case. I mean, one of them is nice looking and very sweet… the other, while sweet, is young enough to be my son (if I’d had a son at 18, which I did not!) Addendum story–on Sunday, we also had guys over to redo our screen on our lanai. I made a comment to my husband about it not really being hot enough to require one of the guys to take off his shirt. My husband said, “Does that bother you?” and I said, “Well, it wouldn’t have if he was better looking.”
Jeannie! I remember well what we went through to get most of the work done in those bathrooms seven years ago…which is why we waited seven years to finish!
Shari…I know, I know…the idea of having my kitchen torn to shreds gives my nightmares. I cook a LOT. I don’t think my husband, who could live off cereal (my daughter and I canNOT) will be able to wrap his mind around eating out every night. I have visions of me setting up my microwave (blech) in the laundry room! (My mother has an “extra kitchen” in her laundry room that came out of her remodel! She has a big laundry room, clearly.)
Comment by Julie Leto — January 10, 2007 @ 9:28 am
Good luck with the remodel!!! I’ve only been through one(my dad had to add on a room several years ago), but still remember the noise, the waiting, and more waiting for the completed project.
Comment by Liza — January 10, 2007 @ 9:38 am
Just keep saying I’m going to love it when it’s done.
and of course there could be a story line in here somewhere…okay…better looking workers and all that but you’re good at that 
See you saturday.
Comment by Vicki — January 10, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Eeek! I don’t know how you do it. It’s hard enough dealing with the house under construction, but in the middle of all that your writing! Wow
you’ve earned it!
But here’s the silver lining…Plot Monkeys Retreat…
Comment by Tina Martinesi — January 10, 2007 @ 9:59 am
I can only imagine what a kitchen redo would be like. When we had our kitchen and diningroom retiled a couple of years ago, I spent 3 days going out the front door to the back door for something from the refrigerator and back again. I have to have the bathroom ceiling downstairs redone- I just hope that there isn’t damage to the one above it too.
I hate this house. Everytime I turn around something has to be done.
Fortunately, I have a handy man who not only shows up when he promises and gets the work done, but his sons all work with him, and although too young for me, they are all decent eye candy. Including dad. Who is single. And I am not.
Comment by ev — January 10, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Good luck Julie:doggie:
We built our house 8 years ago. Me, finding the subs and my husband and myself doing the painting I I was the main painter and stainer)
the baseboards he even built all the cabinets and custom closets. I know I have a great guy.
But it is true, the subcontractors go hard and heavy at the job until a better larger job comes along. Word of advice never pay in full until the job is completed. I found that out the hard way, but I took that guy to small claims court won and got my money back.:doggie:
Maybe something will inspire you through this ordeal for another story.:doggie:
Comment by Gigi — January 10, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Thanks, Gigi! I wish I had the talent, patience, time to do the work myself…I really do. I don’t mind doing it when I have the time…but when is that??? My husband is not handy (you are SO lucky!!) but he is a good painter. Very meticulous. But he works 60-80 hour weeks and simply can’t fit it in.
We haven’t paid a penny so far…just some materials. We, too, learned that the last time!!
Comment by Julie Leto — January 10, 2007 @ 10:54 am
Oh…I can sympathize with you too. We built our house 12 years ago. And since then my hisband has done projects that consisted of ripping things up and replacing them. I can’t stand it either, I hate having things in disarray. It is too stressful for me. Here’s hoping your remodeling goes smoothly and quickly.
Comment by Kelly — January 10, 2007 @ 10:55 am
I feel your pain…..makes me not getting outdoor lights for four months (I lived with bits and pieces which looked UGLY) seem like small potatoes. My husband knew he couldn’t deal with remodels so we buy new houses. I don’t think I could deal with it, either. I had enough trouble with a house painter last summer…we fired him (why do they think they don’t get to tell you when they are going to show up…a month is not a good estimate?? I don’t understand….it’s called a calendar and a schedule, get to know it).
Today, is my baby’s 2nd birthday….okay, he’s not a baby anymore. He’s sick, though
.
Comment by katie — January 10, 2007 @ 10:59 am
Sympathies. I’m living in a construction zone too. Unfortunately, my husband is the contractor. Yeah, I don’t recommend that.
Comment by Jill — January 10, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
Wow! You poor thing. I totally sympathize with you. I hope you have a better week.
Comment by Debbie — January 10, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Oh Dayle you made me chuckle!
Handsome and well built is definitely a plus.
Katie, Happy Birthday to your son. Sorry he’s still sick. He’s still your baby and I hope you both have a nice day.
Comment by jeannie — January 10, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
Hang in there Julie, the end results will be worth it! One of my friends redid her kitchen, dinning room 2 or 3 years ago. The refrig was on the patio & the microwave was hooked up somewhere but the end results are fantastic! In fact so good her contractor used a picture of her kitchen in an ad he ran in a business magazine that is local. My landlord had my bathroom remodeled about 4 years ago. I had one day notice it was being done before I was leaving on a 10 day trip to spend Christmas with my daughter in Colorado. Besides laundry & packing I had to move everything out of the bathroom! Who knew there was that much stuff in there!!
I did not have to be here when all the work was being done which was nice. My neighbor had the key, let the guy in everyday & locked up at night. The mess I came home to was unbelievable after a day of traveling, there were short delays & I got home in the dark the place was cold & all I wanted was a hot bath & my bed! Well!! Stuff from the bathroom was all over my bedroom & you would not believe what my bathtub looked like!! Guess what?! I did not get a bath! The bathroom looked great once I got it cleaned up & got everything put away but it was not fun coming home to that!!
Whew! I got a little long winded!
Comment by Donna M — January 10, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
It will all be worth it in the end, Julie - but in the meantime it will be really frustrating for you. Hope that it all comes together soon…………I hate having to have any kind of renovations done, for the noise factor alone. Then all the cleaning up…….
Comment by Cryna — January 10, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
I can’t wait to see what it all looks like, Julie! And LOL on the bathroom mirror! Seriously, people, Julie had NO vanity mirror in her daughter’s bathroom, and I had to blow dry my hair BLINDLY and put my make-up on with a hand mirror. It was quite a challenge :mrgreen:
Comment by Janelle — January 10, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Jeannie…thanks so much….poor little guy got a shot today. Oh well. We’re having a small celebration tonight
Comment by katie — January 10, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
Carly how’s the puppy?
Katie small birthdays are less overwhelming for little ones.
It’s all about the smiles!
Comment by jeannie — January 10, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
PS.
Went to Subway in wally world for lunch. They have your new covered
:love2:simply books :love2:
side by side across a row.:love2: Very attractive display.:love2:
Last night I read the inbetween the Plum book, released yesterday.
(Plum Lovin) Very short, quick, fun read. about 175 pages.
Walmart for under $10 hard cover only. Back to work here.:love2:
Comment by jeannie — January 10, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
Donna M- I love my guy- it’s always cleaner when he leaves then when he got here. I consider him a cross between a handy man and a maid!!!
Carly- got the copy of Simply Sexy today!!!! Told the kid she can’t read it!! IT’S MINE!!!
Comment by ev — January 10, 2007 @ 4:49 pm
BUDDY CHECK IN - he’s doing well. His stitches look clean. He’s just miserable with his cone. Thanks for asking, everyone!
Comment by Carly — January 10, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
Jeannie…yeah, we had the big family (rellies) thing on Saturday. Now, I just have to keep my two older boys busy until my hubby gets home (he’s getting home a little late…hopefully, missing the snow!).
Comment by katie — January 10, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
Carly….glad to hear that Buddy is good :thumbsup2:
Comment by katie — January 10, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
I hope everything works out for you Julie
Comment by Cherylann — January 10, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
Jeannie do you like in Connecticut? because we have a town called Wallingford Connecticut and we call it Wally World.
Comment by Cherylann — January 10, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
Carly glad to :doggie: Buddy is feeling better
Comment by Cherylann — January 10, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
i just noticed the time it is reading wrong on my posts. It is really 7:39 here on the East Coast
Comment by Cherylann — January 10, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
Katie, hugs to your baby on his birthday! I’m sorry he’s sick. Give him a big hug from me!!
Comment by Julie Leto — January 10, 2007 @ 11:01 pm
Cherylann, you’re right…the time stamp is off by an hour and four minutes. I’ll contact the webmistress. Thanks for the heads up!
Comment by Julie Leto — January 10, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Julie,
on Friday) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 months after we started the house. So I was learning how to care for her at the same timea as the house was going up.
I can say that I’m lucky we built when we did. My husband used to have more time, but now he usually works 6 days a week 10 hours a day.
So I rarely see him.:cry:
I don’t ever want to build another house again. If this one burns I don’t know what I’d do. The stress of building a house. :wallbash: Plus, my youngest daughter who was 7 at the time (the one that turns 16
We started in January and moved in the 2nd week of November.
One good thing about living in the south is that you can work on construction projects all year long.:doggie:
Comment by Gigi — January 10, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
Carly, so glad to hear buddy is doing better.:doggie:
I don’t blame him about not liking the cone. I don’t think I would either:doggie:
You give him a hug for me.:doggie:
Comment by Gigi — January 10, 2007 @ 11:12 pm