Not all Things Work Out!
My lovely daughter informed me that the intent of these stories was talk about yarn. I am finding that difficult, due to the fact that my daughter and her mother asked me to quit hanging around the store and find a job. Maybe one that I actually knew what I was doing. (You don’t need to guess which daughter, it was Ivy)
I admit I wasn’t much help around the store but I felt really good about myself answering the phone and telling sales people “You are speaking with the owner.” However, all good things come to an end. Just don’t ask me to write about the store if I can’t be there.
It has come down to the point, where I had to suggest she start writing her own stories. Do you know what she told me? She’s too busy. Wasn’t she the one that asked me to leave the store in the first place. Wasn’t I the one saving her from answering the phone? I think she is learning a hard lesson.
That said, I am writing another story. This one will be about construction!
When Ivy (and Elaine) forced me out of the store to revive my construction career, my new employer was just starting a new home. This was in March. The new home owners actually signed the contract and bought their lot last November.
It has taken the best part of eight months for the new owners to decide things like cabinets, floor coverings, paint colors, tile selections, and countertops. Oh heck, I’m exaggerating, they moved walls, changed swinging doors to sliding doors, changed the front door from a steel door with a window to a huge wooden door with a stain glass window in it. They liked the wood flooring so much we need to bring the wood flooring contractor back to add another thousand feet of wood flooring. My employer finally told the new owners they could not make any more changes. If they wanted any more changes my employer would buy back their lot and sell the house to someone else. Yes, it is time to finish the house and move on to the next one.
Typically, I like to allow the homeowners to have access to their homes while construction is ongoing. It has not been a great idea with this homeowner. One morning, he came to me after discovering a “problem” in his house.
Homeowner: Monner, I think we have a problem! (He didn’t really call me, Monner.) Me: What’s up? Homeowner: I have mold in my house! Me: That would be almost impossible, we are just framing your house. Mold, typically needs a source of moisture. It is really dry in Colorado. Show me your concerns. Homeowner: The framers put two moldy two by fours in my house. Me: Oh, we can spray the two by fours and kill the mold. Homeowner: Why would he put moldy two by fours in my house? I have treated him nice, I buy him a pack of cigarettes every morning and beer every weekend. I gave him a $100 bill, so he would do a good job. Me: Look, I seriously don’t think he did anything wrong. Wood comes from the NW and sometimes it has mold on it, not very often but it can happen. It is easily killed and when you eliminate the source of moisture it is not a problem. As for cigarettes and beer, stop that! You are paying us to pay him. You should not be conversing with him at all.
My employer and I now insist these homeowners be escorted on the job, now. I’m not sure that is working any better.
Our new homeowner had a question for me about why the carpenters chose to install wood trim in a particular place near his stairs.
Homeowner: Monner, why does the wood trim look like this? Me: That is simply the way we try to make it look. It is exactly like our model home and we try to keep things consistent. Is there a problem? Homeowner: Well, back in the day, when I was working at the funeral home; I was in charge of quality control of the coffins. I always wonder why things look the way they look.
Right about then I was wondering if I could get my old job at the yarn store. I’m not sure I’m going to make it in construction,
Our crazy lives!
Monner