Note to self:

When expecting an electrician, it is probably a good idea to be dressed, even if you aren't called the night before to confirm the visit.

Oops...

Tags: house, house work
Current Mood: rushed

It has only been a month since my last update. :P

Why haven't I updated? Busy. Duh.

First, work. Learning a new system and doing my damndest not to fuck it up. Means lots of time studying and researching at work. Plus, lots of support issues...requests...normal stuff, but lots of it.

Plus, Odyssey of the Mind stuff. The regional tournament was March 1 and I was a problem judge for the balsa wood structure competition. (If anyone doesn't know what this is, teams of 5-7 kids in grades 2 through 12 make a structure out of balsa wood and glue to support weights. The structure needs to be X inches tall and cannot weigh more than Y grams. There's a twist every year. Last year, the structure had to fit in a box and the kids needed to assemble it prior to placing the weights on it. This year, the weights rested on golf balls that had to be supported by the structure and they got bonus points for how many balls touched the weights.

It's fun. I like it. :)

I like it so much, in fact, that I've also volunteered to be a judge at the State competition in Binghamton on March 29. Looking forward to seeing the best creative solutions the minds of NY schools have to offer.

Because of last year's concussion, I've officially retired from playing rugby. Can't take the risk of another head injury. I still have problems with my short term memory, and I still don't remember a lot of the weeks during said concussion. But, I'm still involved with the team in an administrative capacity.

I've also snaked a drain in the house and fixed the snowblower... well... kinda. The snake couldn't reach the drain blockage so we'll need to get a pro out to the house, and the auger cable on the snowblower kept coming loose so that the auger belt kept slipping off so I called the repair center for another visit. Still... I was able to take apart the P-trap and snowblower on my own AND put them back together so there were no leaks and the auger worked (until the cable loosed again). I feel like a real homeowner. Go me. :)

Also starting to plan house stuff. After the snow and ice storm this weekend, I'm itching for spring. The major project this year will be working on front yard landscaping and getting that ugly-ass scraggly crab apple tree pruned. O and I were discussing possibilities for lower-scale indoor updates, like getting rid of that disgusting "country" style wallpaper in the hallway and the kitschy wood paneling in the entry way along with the very "country" curtains and light fixtures. Our style is decidedly NOT country, and it's easy to tell which rooms we haven't done anything with. Our style is much more bold, natural contemporary, which is reflected in our color choices and decor in the rooms we've worked on.

Yeah...busy is the word of 2008. :)

Tags: house work, sports, volunteerism, work
Current Mood: busy

The windows were picked up last night...along with most of the broken glass. There are still a few small shards here and there, but the pieces as big as me? Gone.

I'm still dumbstruck.

Tags: house, house work, windows

With apologies to Annie Lennox, ..."broken glass."

The window saga takes yet another turn.

Last week, after the wrong windows were placed into the house while we await manufacture, delivery, and installation of the new, correct windows, the old windows and sliding glass door were piled at the end of the driveway. The contract we had stated that all debris, including old windows, would be removed from the job site at the completion of the job.

The job is not yet done, and won't be for more than a month, and no way am I waiting a month for those to be removed.

Now, the guys who did the installation never worked with Patriot before, so I don't fault them one bit for leaving them there if they weren't told they were to remove the old windows. Yet another communication breakdown, I suspect.

(I would have said something, but they were gone before I realized the old windows were still on site. I also would have called Patriot the following day to follow up, but it got busy at work, and I wasn't feeling well (and subsequently spent 20 hours on Friday and most of the weekend in bed due to illness) and didn't get to call them until today.)

So, O gets home on Friday and tells me we have broken glass at the end of the driveway. What she said didn't set in until later on Saturday. I took a look outside at some point and realized the broken glass was due to the fact the sliding glass doors were missing. Yup. Someone was dumpster diving and decided to take the glass doors, but leave the glass. Super.

I called Patriot about a half hour ago and asked if they would be picked up. The woman who answered (not Candy...I can't remember her name as I'm fuzzy from a coughing fit...maybe Nancy?) said she'd have to check and call me back.

Less than 10 minutes later, she calls me back and says they'll be gone by the end of the day.

Me: "Broken glass, too?"
Her: "Should be."

Oy.

I want it to end...
I want it to end...
I want it to end...

On a positive note, as I'm trying to be as positive as I can about all these headaches, it was lovely to have soft, summer breezes throughout the house this weekend.

Tags: house, house work, windows
Current Mood: indifferent

SURPRISE!

Patriot didn't call on Tuesday to confirm if the windows were going to be done today. Ok...that's not really a surprise at this point.

The surprise? A little before 8 this morning, *ding dong* the doorbell rang. (A side surprise, because sometimes it ding dongs, sometimes it doesn't. But I digress...) I open the door, and there's two guys...

( We're here to do your windows )

Tags: house, house work, windows
Current Mood: aggravated

Yeah...the window ordeal. Not over yet.

I talked with them on Friday morning. Spoke to Candy. I gave her the rundown of what happened, and when I told her I was hung up on, she said "Well, that's not acceptable." Yeah. No shit. That's why you guys aren't getting ANY of my business from here on out.

But anyway...

She had to go chat with people and figure out when I was going to be taken care of. The day is now this Wednesday, the 29th. They are supposed to call me tomorrow to confirm whether or not they are coming out to do the work. When they come out to do the work, whether it be this wednesday or we have to reschedule due to weather (not sure of the forecast as I'm writing this...), the sales guy I initially worked with is going to be coming out with the installation guy.

So...yeah. We'll see what happens as of Wednesday.

Tags: house, house work, windows
Current Mood: skeptical

I hate general contractors.

*seethe*

OK. Not all of them. But the one who is supposed to be replacing our windows and patio door? Not escaping my wrath.

The contractor in question is Patriot Construction. The job? Replacing our windows and patio doors.

The problems?

( Backstory )

( What finally sent me over the edge )
OK...so let's recap. You have a displeased customer on the phone, and you hang up on them? The bloody hell, I say!

We have a lot of work we want to do on the house in the coming years. Kitchen remodel. Two bathroom remodels. An addition. Not small jobs. Guess who's NOT getting that work? Thaaaaaat's right, folks! Patriot.

I want them in the house, get the job done, take the rest of the money I owe them, and out. Gone. Not to be seen on my property again.

Tags: house, house work, rant, windows
Current Mood: irate

( puppy stuff )( house stuff )
So many plans, and a limited budget in which to do it. I have a feeling there's going to be a LOT of sweat equity earned this Spring.

Tags: house, house work, puppy

Long time, no write. Heh...It's only been 8 days!

And what a busy week...lots of working, and lots of house stuff.

( First the work )

( Now the house )

So, um...yeah... That's why I haven't written in 8 days. :)

Tags: house work