Irritations abound

With today the last day of decent weather and promises by James that he would be back today -- well, no, it didn't happen - at least not till after 1:00 p.m, maybe 2:00. Emails this morning consisted of "I'll be there" and "What jobs will we do next?"

Well, I had already sent him an overview of what was next - siding, patio, porch. We've talked about it. I told him before it was up to his discretion to expedite as he saw fit -- but it's like he wants me to take him by the hand and say, "Do this. Then do this." But with him not showing up for the roof, and saying in his email that he will be not working right up to Christmas - oh, I went in orbit over that one!
"I'll have to wait now till after Christmas for you to finish!! We won't discuss any other jobs till the roof is done!"

"Oh, no," he writes back. He didn't make himself clear. The roof was to be done ASAP. Well, then why was he still writing emails at 10:30 in the morning! Time's a wasting!

I had to leave to pick up my mom, go look at flooring, get my paint, and see about the siding pieces I needed. So, still in a pretty foul mood, we headed out to ABC Building Materials where American Siding told me I could get a match to my siding. It's in Nederland. The address said Beauxart Gardens. So, I went out Twin City Highway till I saw it, went in. "You're in the wrong place. Go to the caution light. Turn right, keep going till you get to Hwy 69."

So, I did that. The place was busy as the proverbial bees with cars and trucks and people. I asked some dude in the parking lot where to go, and he told me. I went in. "I need to know if you still have Adobe Pebble Stone Clay. I only need a couple of pieces."

"We have that color. Are you a contractor?"

"No." Do I look like a contractor?

"Then we can't sell it to you. You have to be a contractor to buy here."

"I only need two pieces. Can't one of these contractors standing around get it for me?" I asked the man standing closest to me. "Are you a contractor?"

"Yes."

"Will you ask for these two pieces so I can get it?"

"No, I can't do that. It would have to go to my jobsite."

Now talking to the employee, I said, maybe not real sweetly -- "You mean to tell me I have to hire a contractor to do this measley job for me and to come back out here to get the pieces?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying. This is how we make our living. You have to have a contractor!"

Well, I stayed a lady, but my tongue was almost bleeding from biting it!

So, we left, went to Sutherland's, but first circled to see if James had showed up - no. I picked up a piece of my siding for a color match - probably about 5 feet long - and hauled it into Sutherlands and found the siding and found one piece that was close enough in color. That was the last piece they had that color! The closest to it was about a shade or two lighter, but after looking through several pieces, I was convinced there were no more of the darker. So, fine! This will do! There was a man there who was very nice and helped me - not a clerk, but a customer who was just a nice man. Then I got my paint, looked at the laminated flooring for my hall and bedroom, saw a style I liked, Vitality Standard Classic Maple; made mental note, and we checked out. The vinyl pieces are 12 feet long, so I had to drive home with the hatch fully up, but it's not far.

Still no James. I put the pieces beside the house and we went back to Sutherland's to get the flooring. That link is not a good illustration of the floor. It's too white to show up in a photograph. But because I have very busy wood paneling walls, I wanted the flooring very simple and light. Anyway, this time a clerk helped me -- yeah! He loaded it up on the carrier for me and pulled it up to the check-out stand. The cashier announced she gave me the over 55 discount of 10%. I said, "Good! I'm glad my gray hair is working!" The young man laughed, even carried it out to the van and put it in for me. Again, circled the house -- still no James.

We rode out to Casa Ole and ate lunch, then were going to stop at Walmart, but the parking lot was so full. We were tired, not in the mood for a huge ordeal; so we went back to HEB. Again, en route, circled the house -- well, what do you know, James was here! Must have gotten here around 2:00. I asked him about the hot water heater vent and a couple of other things, told him I still had to go get groceries and take mom home - which I did; and he was still here when I got back. I unloaded groceries and began unloading the flooring. There were nine boxes, and they're quite heavy - at least for me. So, I was taking them one at a time to the porch, with the plan of then getting them in the house. He was finishing up what he was doing and helped me finish that process; then I helped him pick some of the shingle pieces laying around and also to put back the hot water heater door on the side of the house that was down. He said he would not be back tomorrow and we'll go from there, depending on weather. I told him about the way they acted at ABC, and he was apalled at the racquet they've got going!

Tomorrow San Jacinto Glass is supposed to be here to install two glass panes and bring my table glass for my desk I made. It dawned on me that James' trailer that he is throwing all the old shingles into is right in front of the window that needs to be replaced and there is a pile of shingles directly under the window. Any bets San Jacinto will say, "Sorry. We can't do your window with all that junk there. We'll come back when you have this out of the way!" And I'll say, "Well, it wasn't here when you said you would come last week and didn't show up!" We shall see what happens with that.

Of course during all the in and out of getting the flooring in the house and stacked in the middle bedroom, my cat Molly got out. She's the one that it's not a good thing for her to get out because she's very hard to get back in. But I let her run around some - like I had a choice in the matter. Tommy was following me around. I had some pasteboard boxes stacked in the hall that needed to be carried out to the shed; so I did that, resting between trips - lol -- and continued picking up some of the shingles and paper in the yard. Molly would scamper here and there. It was dark, but the street light and porch lights were enough, and it was cool.

I came in, hoping Molly would do as she had done before and meow at the door when she was ready; however, I heard a cat yowling - or whatever they do in a fight! Sure enough, it was the same cat that Tommy had tangled with the other day, meandering off like he knew I would be chasing him off. Molly was on the porch and she crouched behind a plant and I was able to get her. Quite angry at the whole situation, she told me what for in no uncertain terms; but I prevailed and
did get her in. She's back in her little area she stays in.

Tommy is resting on the desk right in front of my monitor; and all is right with the world again - till tomorrow.

(note: archived photos)