The Countdown BEGINS!! March 25, 2008 (Day 207)

We are on the home stretch! There should be a lot going on at the house in the next few days, so I’ll be sure to keep you all up to date with a daily post moving forward.

Yesterday, the electrician and plumber were at the house finishing everything up. They should be done by the end of the week. Today, the appliances were delivered, and of course, we ran into issues. These crazy peeps wanted to deliver thousands of dollars worth of appliances and leave them in the front yard at 7:30 this morning. WHAT? I don’t know about you, but that just doesn’t seem right. And, being the smart guys that they are, they sent one delivery man over to the house to deliver a 2,000 lb range. And he was OLD. Yeah, that’s not going to work.

My big issue right now is the tile, and I am F.U.R.I.O.U.S. I was basically forced to use Austin Fine Floors because they are a “preferred vendor” of Franks. Well Frank, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Your preferred vendor list SUCKS. These guys are ripping people off. They charge so much because they think that they have 3 crews on the job, and that they are doing SUCH a good job and are so detailed, that it takes twice as long as it should. Guess what Roger at Austin Fine Floors….there’s been one kid at my house the entire time!!! The poor kid gets dropped off around noon and is picked up around 4pm. And his baby’s mama brings over lunch every day at 1 oclock. So really, he’s working 3 hours a day. THREE. And, to top it all off, he cuts himself and bleeds all over my white tile. What’s up with that? And Roger, did you know that there hasn’t been anyone at my house in 3 days? Apparently you ran out of supplies. Well, when I was at Home Depot yesterday, I saw grout for sale. GO BUY SOME.

But, I can’t complain about the poor kid that you pay $3 per hour but charge me $150, because he does good work. He’s making a killing and sending it back home to his family, because you think he’s working 8 hours a day. The kid has a pretty good gig and doesn’t have to speak a lick of English all day. Here’s some advice to you about future orders. Set better expectations. Let the homeowner know that if they are redoing a tiny bathroom, it will take about 2 months. Tell them that there’s a possibility that you might run out of supplies in the middle of the project. And give every customer a new bottle of bleach with every order, so that when the kid bleeds all over the floor, they can clean it up. Just a few suggestions. But what do I know? You are the expert.