Contractor Working - It's a Freakin' Miracle

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

So no word from Ray this morning about date/time for the plumber's arrival.  Bob was beyond stewing all morning.  He wasn't saying anything that I haven't already been thinking.  My problem is that I'm already PO'd at myself for hiring the guy and not giving him the heave-ho months ago so then when Bob starts in on him, I start internalizing it and kicking myself in the behind.  Bottom line is that I don't want to hear it a second time from him as I'm already saying it to myself but probably stronger.

Anyway, Bob left for a store run this morning and while he was gone I decided that I would just go ahead and call the freakin' plumber myself.  Left my phone number for Dean to call and he returned my call almost instantaneously.  Not what I expected based on Ray's comments on how hard he is to get hold of.  I identified myself to the guy and reminded him where I live and what work he was doing and followed up by telling him that Ray had the tile done and we were ready for fixtures.  He said that Ray had talked to him about toilet/sink only.  I reminded him that we also have a corner tub.  He asked me if Ray had the rough in for the tub done and I was able to respond affirmatively.  He then said that he was totally swamped and that he would get to it as soon as he could.  I told him that just wasn't a good answer, that I needed a firm date as far as when plumbing was going to be completed.  He promised me that he would have the job done by Saturday afternoon at the latest but that he hoped to get it done sooner.  He also said that Ray had gotten hold of him Tuesday evening and that was the first he had heard of him.  So much for Dean giving him the run around for 4 days in the last 2 weeks about coming the next day and then the next day.

So, I emailed Ray, that I had gotten hold of Dean, etc.  Maybe 30 minutes later, Ray emails me back that he was "waiting to find out where Dean was so that he could go pick him up this afternoon."  Also said that he was working on his house -- say what???  Bob & I were reallllll unhappy about that little nugget.  About 1 to 1:30, Ray shows up, no plumber, with a new helper and his 3rd grade kid.  They brought the toilet and vanity sink down to the bathroom.  Ray came up and chatted a bit and then said that he was going to install the toilet.  As usual, made 3 different supply runs.  Left to go get a "bit" from Ace (4 blocks away) at 3:30 and said he would be right back and then would get the toilet attached to the floor  Never came back -- I was so shocked - NOT!  Also said that plumber had gotten a DUI and that was why he was going to pick him up but then he decided that it wasn't his problem to chauffeur the dude around.  At that point, Bob jumped into the discussion and told Ray that if the guy doesn't show up this week, he is absolutely fired and that if we have to pay a little more to get a different plumber that is not an issue but this job needs to be finished.

Then we go back to the 50 million dollar question of "where is my bathtub as well as a bunch of smaller dollar items".  Ray says that he and new helper are going to pick it up tomorrow so that they will be ready for the plumber whenever he shows up.  Something about the way that he said "it" sent off a warning bell in my head.  I said to him "This is the 3-piece tub, isn't it?" and he said "No, this is the original 1 piece that we looked at in December.  They've been holding it for me."  I felt really bad because his kid was in the room but it just slipped out.  I said "Dude, you told me that you got a store credit on that and ordered a 3 piece tub.  You know that "f-er" won't go through that narrow doorway."  He kind of stammered and stuttered around and then said that we would "just have to get it through the door but that he would."  WHO HOO!  This is going to be so much fun.

So that was my day with my contractor.   

Oh, and George forwarded to me an email that he received from Ray yesterday.  You may remember that George is getting ready for a costly kitchen reno ($40K) and before Ray revealed his lack of a work ethic, we referred him to George.  He went over to look at George's kitchen in January but never got back to him with drawings, cost, etc.  We let George know early on that he did not want to hire this guy so George has contracted with another person.  Anyway, last night he gets this real chatty email from Ray --- telling him that he's going to finish my job this week (I don't think so), that he'd been screwed out of some money by a couple of the docs from the Indian restaurant and so forth.  Kicker was that he was wondering if George still wanted numbers from him and that "if you have hired somewhere else" that's ok with him.  Just let him know if he can help him out in any way.

Dude is incredible and not in a good way.  Sheesh!

Virginia

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

So yesterday was the day when Ray promised to deliver the tub.  Nope, didn't see the jack wagon all day.  Figure he started drinking early and went down town as there was a huge street party, including an Irish band.  I might have been tempted to see what all the excitement was about if I wasn't using sticks to get around.

I emailed him this morning that the tub has to get here today since Dean promised "NLT Saturday for installation".  I really don't expect him to show up at all.  But whether or not I see the tub today or tomorrow, our regular plumber will be called for installation should Dean not show up and frankly at this point, I'll tell Ray to cram it.  The bits and pieces in the new room, I can find a handy man to do for not an arm and a leg.  Same as for what is left in the laundry room repurpose.  Would be nice to get the vinyl storage system I had picked out as well as the alteration pedistal but I can buy a pedistal for not much over $100.00.  At any rate, I'm done screwing around with that a*hole.  Will take matters into our hands and get stuff done, a bit here and a bit there.  I'm grateful that the painting was completed and the tile put down.  Really want that tub but my daddy had a saying about wanting in one hand and you know what in the other hand and see which one fills up first.  I'm sure you've heard the saying before.

Bob and I are off for breakfast and then I'll sit in the car while he runs into the store for a couple of items.  Not brave enough on crutches to blast through a store yet and don't intend to be that confident on them.  See ortho 2 weeks from today and hope on hope that he'll let me start putting weight on it again, even with the brace on that would be fabulous!

Have a great day all!

Virginia

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

No word at all today from my wonderful contractor - no phone calls, emails and my tub was not delivered here by him.  So Bob & I talked after supper and decided that we would just call our plumber Mon or Tues and pay them to install the toilet and vanity sink.  Give it some time to see if we ever see Ray again and if so, we are going to jump in the truck with him and have him pick up the tub while we are in the truck with him.

So, just a few moments ago our phone rang and it was the plumber.  Said he just wanted to let me know that Ray was going to pick him up around 9 and so they expected to arrive around 9:30.  He had brought all the tools home he needed to do the installation tomorrow.  I asked him if Ray had said anything about my corner tub.  He said that Ray told him that he would drop him (plumber) off at our house and then go pick up the tub from there.  Not sure I believe that all of this is going to happen but certainly encouraged about the possibility of this all happening.  At least this information came from the plumber, not my very unreliable contractor.

Virginia

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I should have known better.  Just set me up was all.  Got up early so that I would be cleaned up, dressed and give the dogs a chance to run amuck outside before the idiots showed up.  They were supposed to arrive at 9:30 or thereabouts and my bride and gentleman from the wedding party at 10:30 for her last fitting for a bridesmaid dress for a mid-April wedding (I altered the bride's bridesmaid dress for the mid-April wedding and then altered her bridesmaid dress for the bride's Memorial Day weekend wedding).  I need to do a second fitting on her bride dress and we've been holding off on that fitting for: A) Ray to get out of my hair; and B) me to get healed so that I can get all the construction gunk out of Sew & Sew.  While Danielle was trying on her bridesmaid dress, mother and I chatted and she asked would I be ok with doing the fittings in their basement.  I chuckled and told her that I was going to ask her if we could do that since my idiot contractor can't seem to get it together.

She loved what I did to the bridesmaid dress.  Ugliest dress I've ever seen.  Lace on the upper bodice, but not delicate, looks like the first time I tried to tat: thick and clumsy looking.  Color is just a funny hue, not pleasing to me, my bride or her mother but the wedding bride apparently liked it.  Bodice had darts at the bosom and built in bra and Danielle hated both of those things.  Also had a bunch of inverted pleats in the skirt which I absolutely loved.  So, I took out the built in bra and the darts and then made a series of inverted pleats in the bodice that matched up with the inverted pleats in the skirt.  She loved it!  Yaeh!!  Need to tack one down more securely and that dress is done.  Mom paid me for both dresses today and she'll run by first of the week and pick up the dress after I get a chance to tack that pleat down again.  Was nice to actually earn some money!  Who hoo!  Also, got all the guys measured so that they can order their tuxes.  Worked on taxes down stairs for a while, still no contractor or plumber so finally gave up and came upstairs to rest my leg.  It gets swollen pretty easily.  Will stretch another chair later this afternoon.

Anyway back to idiot contractor and plumber.  Tried to call plumber and got his "do you want to page me" message.  I left my number for him to page me but never heard back from him.  I was actually holding my breath as I just wasn't convinced that Ray would actually pick up Dean.  Evidently, he got popped for DUI recently and lost his license.  Anyway, I believe the only option left is to officially "fire" both Ray and the plumber. 

Just got an email from Ray and he alleges that he drove over to pick up Dean (he doesn't live in Grand Island) and that the dude either wasn't there or didn't answer the door.  He promises that he will be there on Monday with a new plumber, we'll get everything set and the rest of the stuff he has at his house set up, blah blah blah.  So, I'll sit tight and see what Monday brings.  What a goat rope.

Virginia