Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. The day started out rainy and foggy. The skies are still threatening but have stopped raining. We are able to make dinner today. I wasn't sure we were going to make it but they connected up the important items. The only thing we don't have working is the microwave. The guy told us he would be back on Friday to complete the installation on this item.

We still have a long list of items still needing to be done to be completely finished. It will look great and we are pleased so far with what we are seeing but we are so tired of having these people here and the continual dust! We open a drawer and it is covered with something - dust, dirt, trash, etc., that we have to move away before putting anything away. It will get there but not fast enough for us.

Jennifer, Noah, and Madilynn made it from Denver safe and sound. The kids had a fun time on the plane. Apparently Noah was very excited about coming to see Grandpa and Grandma and spending the night. They also liked Chester, though Chester is not to sure about the noise and commotion. He wants to hide and stay hidden.

We had rented toddler beds from a company I found on the Internet called Travelbabies. They came and set up the beds, made them up and they are so cute. Noah had trucks on his blanket and sheets and Madilynn had a lady bug. We have toys for them and all kinds of food. They are happy and having a good time playing with us.

Have a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving.

We had work on Saturday

We had quite a crew here on Saturday who actually worked. One of the guys usually slacked off whenever he was here with just one other guy, by being on the phone, looking at the view, talking, etc. Saturday was a different matter. He had a supervisor that made him work for once. The guys were here also until 5-5:30. Usually they have left by 4:00 after arriving by 10-10:30 and taking an hour lunch.

Our washer and dryer were hooked up. The double oven was put into place. Our drawers for the pantry were installed and shelves were put into other cabinets. We just don't have doors yet on the pantry. The master bathroom now has a new toilet. The tile around the bathtub was finished and they put up our curtain rod. It is one of those curved ones so it gives you a little extra room while taking a shower. We think they stepped on the edge of the tile around the tub because one of the tiles has been broken. They will have to replace it. How long this will take... is anyone's guess. I hope it will be quick as the tile has to be sealed before we can use it. We need the tub so Noah and Madilynn can take their baths, as well as, so we can shower.

The second bathroom's floor was torn up and the new floor was started to be put down. It is close to being finished but they will have to grout it and put back the toilet.

Ah, the countertops. Well, after being told they had to find the granite and then now it is being fabricated, we are supposed to have them on Tuesday or Wednesday. We aren't holding our breath. We really hope that will be the case, that we get the countertops. Ed, the owner, was here on Saturday to check on the job but I knew why he was really here. He wanted money. He did prove me right. Our next payment to the company is not until the countertops are in place. He wanted half of this next payment. It was a good thing that Dad was here to handle this situation. I heard it and I could not believe this guy was even asking for money. He missed the completion date, never returned our calls, and basically put us in a real bind.

I will be here on Monday when hopefully we will continue to have workmen here to finish. He may deliver the bathroom countertop and ask me for half the money. We have already agreed with each other that it's not going to happen until all the countertops are finished. I am just going to tell him I don't have the checkbook to pay him. He has to wait. This is our only leverage with this guy. We both think he has some money flow problems. We think this was why he asked us to buy supplies that he should have supplied. He just didn't realize that if he had treated us better than maybe we would cut him some slack but not now.

So we will continue to prepare for Thanksgiving but it will definitely be a differently one for us. We will probably go with a carry out of a Thanksgiving dinner. Right now I don't have a stove top. I could cook a turkey but no sides. It won't be so bad. Just need to make due with what I can.

It's Friday and the Remodeling is not even close to being finished

It's Friday. So what has happened today. The countertops for the kitchen have not been done. They went to get the granite after asking us where the granite was as they forgot they had sent us to their stone place. Guess what - our granite is no longer available there. They had to go and find it somewhere else. The word is they found some but do we take their word? It won't be ready until about Tuesday or maybe Wednesday. When does Jennifer and family arrive? Wednesday! Hmmm, do we have a small problem.

How about finishing the cabinets - putting in the drawers, drawers, shelves? How about putting my double oven in and getting it working? How about completing the pantry so I can at least put my stuff away? Oh, we will do that when we bring the countertops. Why can't someone do it now! I told Ed that he will have a problem with the stove top as a drawer will be in its way when you try to put it back. He was surprised. Oh, did I tell you that it took several days of phone calls and emails before we even talked with this man. Even so, he doesn't like to stay on the phone. He just thinks what ever he says will be acceptable.

We have the tile on now and the window in the bathroom. The wall has had some concrete put on it but the stucco is not complete. We can deal with that. We just don't have faucets, or a shower head, or sinks, or light fixtures in the master bathroom. We have the physical items but they just haven't been put on. The floor in the 2nd bathroom is supposed to be taken up once we get the new toilet put in the master. You know what's funny, I told the guys here tonight before they left that I guess they will be back so they can put on the new toilet and take up the old floor so the new floor can be put down, etc. They basically said "not my job". So, who will come tomorrow?

I have already cried and I am sure there will be many more times. My excitement for this new project has died. It is taking all I can do just to get through each day knowing that it is not finished and wondering how we are going to have Jennifer and the kids here without them getting hurt.

I know we still have a couple of days but at the rate that they work, its not going to happen. We are stuck. I guess I can write "What not to do with a remodeling project". I have no clue when the end will be. I'm sorry Jenn.

Someone is here today!

We actually have someone here today. They put in the window in the master bathroom and have been working on the stucco. I think they may actually work on the tile too. No one else showed up to do any other work.

Yesterday we had been called because they had forgotten where our granite was for our kitchen countertops. Umm, it is at the stone place you had sent us to in order to pick it out.... This means our countertops for the kitchen are not done and I don't know how long it will take them before they are ready to install.

This also means that I can put anything away yet in the cabinets because there is liable to be a mess when they install the tops. We were told to hold off putting anything in from the cabinet people. It is like a domino effect. One issue is compounded upon the other issue.

I am still hoping for this job to be finished before Jennifer and the kids arrive. What a very busy time for us to get things cleaned and put away. I just hope we will have that time.

Another Day and No Workmen

Another day and still no work is going on. The reason behind this - they are waiting on the remainder of the tile needed for the master bathroom bathtub area. Once I have that, then they will come back and do everything that needs to be done. This includes finishing the cabinets with the doors and drawers, putting on the countertops, putting in the window, finishing the floor, and all the other little things. Oh, and putting back the appliances too. Gee, what a flurry of activity that will be when it happens.

I didn't find this business out that they are waiting on this tile until today after I wrote another email to Ed, the owner of the company last night. I still never received a phone call or an email from him or anyone else. I made my usual phone call when no one showed up by 10:00 this morning.

So now I sit and wait for a phone call from the tile company letting me know my tile has arrived and I can go and pick it up. I can then call the contractor and let them know I have the tile and then they can can schedule workmen. I did find out that our countertops are being fabricated at this moment.

I just hope that things will go back together without any problems. I just don't understand waiting until the last minute in doing everything at the same time. I guess I will need to trust that things will.

Come on phone RING! Let's get this show on the road! (Just a little stressed and frustrated right now -- NO, a lot stressed and frustrated!!!)

It is down to the wire

This is supposed to be the last week for the remodeling. We aren't even close to being finished. We don't have workmen here yet today, we didn't have anyone on Saturday either. No one knows when anyone will show up or who will show up. Ed, the boss, showed up on Saturday at 4:00 in the afternoon, wanting to look the job over. We weren't home. He said he will be by on Monday. All he has to do is read the emails I send.

I am so frustrated that work is not being done and the crunch is on big time! Thanksgiving is next week! My house is a wreck. Jennifer and the kids will be here. I have to plan for trips and for holidays. You take the word of people and believe. Will this come together? I hope so.

We have done all we can to make it happen. We have all the supplies they need. We are trying to be patient which I am loosing very quickly. A half day has gone.

Come on people!! Hold up your end of the bargain!

The new floor is almost down

We have had workmen here for the last couple of days working on putting the tile floor down. It really has made a big difference in what it was before. It is a shame though that nothing else is being worked on. OH, I take that back, the door bell was fixed and moved to the other side of the wall.

They put the floor down in the laundry room except they were supposed to take up the washer and dryer, fill in the well they were sitting in with concrete and tile over the whole area. They really did a nice job putting tile around the W/D but that isn't what it is supposed to be. I just wish someone would oversee this project besides me. Now I need to send another email over to the contractor and inform him that a mistake has once again been made and needs to be corrected.

We haven't heard anything more about the window for the bathroom. We are expecting Santa Ana winds again by the end of the week which means heat. It will be difficult to air condition a house if one of your rooms is open. I don't like throwing money away. Hopefully it will come in this week. I guess I can add that onto my email - Where is the window?

It looks like things are getting close to finishing but it would go faster if someone would just work! We would not have started this project if they could not finish before Thanksgiving. They seem to be cutting it close by what we see. I just want to tell them to get their act in gear and finish. I am tired of being stuck in the house waiting. We are also tired of eating out everyday. I am trying to stay patient. I have things to do for Thanksgiving and I hate waiting to the last minute.

I know it will get done. I just have to keep saying that -- it will get done.

We hit a slow down

We haven't had anyone working on the remodeling for the last two days. It has been very frustrating to find out why. I finally had the owner out to the house yesterday to see what color we wanted the cabinets. We had told them when they were brought to the house they were too light. Instead of doing anything to darken them, they went ahead and installed them saying they would darken them in place. When I showed the owner what we wanted, which was a lot darker than what we had, he almost choked. He was expecting a little darkening not a lot. He said he would have to strip the color all the way down and start again. At this point, I just wanted to get this project going again so I asked what he was thinking. We did agree on a darker color but not as dark as I had wanted. I wonder if they had delayed the project for this reason, so I would not make a big change.

The next big surprise to us was the tile for the bath and the back splash for the kitchen. We had picked it out when we picked the flooring. They had told us that we just needed to tell them what we chose and they would order. THEY NEVER DID! We were asked yesterday to go buy the tile and they would reimburse us using the allowance they were going to charge us. If we had known this, we would have bought everything when we found it. As it is, the tile we want is no longer in stock and it will take over a week to get now. We don't have that time. We have to go out and find something else and it has to be in stock that we can get right away. Anger doesn't even begin to be one of our emotions right now. We are worrying about this project being finished at all. Is this company now having money problems? Will everything get done? Will we have to hire someone else to finish? I really hope not. I am trying to keep things together and my other half calm. You just can't vent and I need that right now. Just keep good thoughts that this remodeling project finishes on time.

update on Cabinets

We never received a call back today. The guys delivering even tried and never received a call. They went ahead and set most of the kitchen cabinets in place but not attached. Now the problems: One cabinet was made too long but this was due to a change in the size of a doorway. We had our kitchen doorway enlarged so that threw off the other measurements which never trickled down. They took it back to have it cut down. Second: The color is wrong. They talked about coming here to change the color which will cause some strong order by the lacquer. They want to do it in the kitchen, which Dad said No because it would really bother me. They asked about outside on the lawn, I am not sure how the HOA will handle that one. We shall see what will happen there. Third: The plumbing for the kitchen sink is not close to where the cabinet sits so that will have to be moved over. Fourth: the exhaust for the stove is off so that will have to be moved too. Fifth: They put the electrical connection for the double oven on the wrong side. They put it behind the new pantry. Hmm, I think that will need to be moved.

Remember, my comment about Murphy's Law... it is happening big time. They had cabinets for the master bathroom and it isn't even ready yet for cabinets. They just started finishing the walls today. That will be at least two days away from being finished and ready for cabinets. After all, the bathtub just went in yesterday.

Just some Oops!

Cabinets have been delivered

The cabinets were delivered today and they are the wrong color! We based the whole color scheme on a dark brown color for the cabinets. Everything was coordinating. It was going to look good. The cabinets show up a light color - uh, no!

Now Dad thought it was the color we had chosen. I started to believe it until I went to lunch. I left to have some time away from the house and the more I sat and thought about things, the more I started shaking my head. (People were looking at me a little concerned). I knew it was wrong. I remembered that we were handed a cabinet door painted in the color of Honey. I liked the look of it and we found a granite that would go well with the color. We then found a floor tile that would stand out against the dark colors. We moved onto a back splash and found an expensive one but one that would look real sharp. Now we have a big mess. Nothing works.

I had Dad call the contractor as I was at lunch and did not have the number. Besides, he said he could handle things, so he needed to make a call. Seems fair. He called and left a message for the owner. We haven't heard anything yet. I know it will mean that the cabinets will have to be repainted. They will have to be picked up from the house as they haven't been installed yet. What time delay will this cause, I don't know. I hope not a big delay. We are paying for this remodel and we need to have it the way we want it. If we don't, I can see myself not liking anything about it.

It may be holding things up for awhile but that is the way it goes. I am very stubborn when I want things my way. I guess they will see that side very soon when I fight for what I want. Hey, this job couldn't have gone perfect anyway. It's not Murphy's Law!