House update: Monday

[electricland]

My aunt reports:

Hello,

Today John skipped a real lunch because he had to work here in the morning and wanted to get going. (I had a smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber sandwich.)

Sorry for not sending regular reports, but I have been working and at the cottage.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . ..

Stuart and Gill have cleaned extensively and organized tools.

Stuart has painted the front door and John has trimmed the hedge and cut the lawn. (Sorry, guys, the old car seats will no longer look so suitable in the front yard. Keep the beer bottles in the back.)

Stuart has also caulked Rob's third floor bathroom, sorted out lumber in the back yard, and is looking with an edgewise eye at leftover wood moulding.

John has been plumbing Jen's bathroom--a frustrating exercise in that the supplier, Ginger's, is so arty that they can't measure.* (You know the old joke about the guy that turned up at the express counter--marked for limited items--in a food store in Boston. The cashier said, "What's the matter, you from Harvard and you can't count or you from MIT and you can't read.")

William has been working on the top of the stairs in Robin's third floor and doing very fine work on detail work. He also got bit by a spider today and had a swelling as large as a small egg and John took him into the emergency walk-in clinic and they said it was nothing much and he refused to have antibiotics and went back to work.

Jen and Robin need to scrape paint on old window frames and pick a style for the ten air ducts that need to be filled in.**

Cheers, Helen

*Let me explain. Jen bought widespread (8" centre) faucets. The sink they sent has 4" centre holes. You see the problem. The other problem is that we bought these almost a year ago, but hey, if Ikea could sort it out... Jen has sent them an indignant email that ends "How can this problem be resolved?" so we will await developments.
**Jen and I resist this notion. William's priorities are not our priorities.

I went over to the house yesterday evening but William was in possession, so I just took the garbage and yard waste to the curb and went to meet Jen for dinner. monkeycommando stopped by and drank some of my beer. Resisted ice cream, helped crankygrrl with her living room -- not much, but every little helps. (First, though, I managed to let the cat out into the hall, where he resisted all my efforts to catch him. Not that they were very strenuous efforts.)

Really need to get done enough to move in to the house. This not-living-there is making me a little nuts. (Shut up, you in the back.)

Comments

[mrs-cake.livejournal.com]

It all sounds like it's coming together nicely! Chin up hon. Can't be long now?

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Hope not! Rah, rah, rah!

I am actually much more optimistic now than I was a few months ago. Livability actually IS in sight!

... and thank you!

[mrs-cake.livejournal.com]

Huzza! Life will be good, hon. Always remember that :)

[bryghtboy.livejournal.com]

I don't mean to be sending negative waves Williams way... but WTF is wrong with that wanna be flower child? He is making you feel unwelcome in your own house?!? I hope it isn't much longer until you can turf him and feel like the house is rightfully yours. I know he does excellent detail work and I would guess he isn't all that expensive but it sounds like its getting worse every time I hear something about the guy. If there is one place you should always feel welcome it is in your own damn home.

Did I mention, How dare he?!? *Hrumph!*

[raithen.livejournal.com]

*points up* What the smrtboy said ;).

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *points down to other reply*

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I hate to diss William, because he does do an excellent job and he actually is a nice person, but he is so temperamental and high-maintenance that a lot of the time it's just easier not to bother. *sigh* And he tends to spread out all over the house and tell you exactly what you're doing wrong, which is irksome to all of us -- which is why we've started preferring to leave him in sole possession.

I think the problem is that he has good intentions but very limited social skills. Also he is probably not working in his preferred environment (with other people who know what they're doing, and minions to clean up after him). And you're right, he's not terribly expensive (although as my mother said last night, you'd think that given how often he mentions that he's giving us a good price, he'd be keen to finish up and find higher-paying work elsewhere). That sounds awful, doesn't it? I have a very hard time expressing William.

Sigh.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

seriously, social skills or no, the next time he tries to tell those of you who are PAYING HIS WAGES (good price or no, you are PAYING HIM!) that you are doing stuff wrong etc etc, just politely say "thanks, that's good to know. But from now on, unless it is something that will cause a safety issue in the future, we'd appreciate it if you focused on your tasks, and we'll do our own. We just need to get stuff DONE at this point, not perfect."

And if he is really making it hard for you guys to work because he takes up so much space, give him parameters - "William, you have floor two, bathroom. (or whatever). If you can please restrict your tools etc to that space, it would help us. Because we are really working hard to get Robin and Jen a livable space." Basically, be polite, but don't let him bully yoou!

Remember the cabbies in PV? Remember how you handled the asshole who drove us to the airport? You CAN do this with grace and aplomb. I KNOW this ;).