OPENING CAN OF WORMS.....

HOLeeeee GUACAMOLE!!!! I have officially started our remodel. Oh my... it is worse than nerve racking when it is your own home. It is a gut wrenching, butterfly inducing, tummy trouble test of nerves, patience, & a juggling of workers(and foremen), truck parking, phone calls, etc... as well as a string of first day disasters.
It is only the second day and I'm on my second foreman. And, why you ask.

DISASTER #1 was noticed on our(my mom's and mine) return to my house yesterday. I spotted broken glass in the driveway. Hmmm, what is that from??? Look up. Oh ****!!! What the **** happened!!!? Oh, I bet they threw a piece of demo'ed plywood off the roof and it hit the window. What dummies! Why didn't they just carry it down like I asked them if they were going to do? So, I go up into the guestroom where the broken window is. OMG! They didn't even knock out the large jagged pieces of glass hanging from the frame or clean up the broken glass! (My mom is visiting and obviously staying in that guestroom... the suitcase full of broken glass and clothes should have been a dead giveaway!) And, all they did was tape a piece of saran wrap like plastic over the broken glass and window frame??? What the ****!??? H E L L O... this is LA. How could they think someone could sleep in there like that!? IDIOTS! So, after a couple of phone calls to and from the construction company owner, workers were sent back to board up the window and clean the glass. HA... what did I expect from a man??? Surely not the glass cleaned up, did I??? Nope, didn't happen. And, I told the constr. co. owner that. What a way to start a job. So, today they installed new glass in the window...of course not tempered and not coated like mine was. Arghhhhh!!!! Corner cutters! Not liking their work.

OOPS!!!

DISASTER #2 was not really determined until this morning. So, this morning after dealing with my doggie being sick everywhere, my mom said that I should check the water heater. She said that there was no hot water to wash her hair. Hmmm? What else could go wrong this morning? NEVER, EVER utter or think those words when doing a remodel! So I asked DH if he had hot water. (Our bathroom uses a different water heater.) NOPE. No hot water. I'm sure that was a refreshing way to start the day after working til midnight and having an 8 o'clock meeting to attend... NOT. Oh, how awful for him. So.... my helpful DH rushes out to turn the gas back on. OOPS, not a good idea we decide... because he has to leave before lighting all the pilots, etc. And, after inspecting the gas meter closer it was damaged from the flying plywood, also. The 5 month-new gas meter was damaged and the impact had turned the gas off to the house. So, I call the plumbing company... ugh. I fortunately had an appointment for other plumbing issues for this morning. But when I called they couldn't come til 9AM and they didn't arrive til 9:30ish. The plumber assesses the problem, makes a quote, leaves for parts. {BTW, THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST A CRUSHED BRACKET, TWISTED PIPES, LACK OF GAS, OR PILOTS IN NEED OF LIGHTING... THERE IS A BREAK IN THE PIPE AND THERE IS A GAS LEAK!!! WHAT?!! I GUESS I'M LUCKY THERE WAS NO EXPLOSION. HOW THAT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COULD LEAVE ME OVERNIGHT WITH A DANGEROUS SITUATION LIKE THAT WITHOUT EVEN A PHONE CALL, EMAIL, OR NOTE, IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION??!!!?} Then, more calls to the constr. co. owner. Relay the quote. He(the GC), then, behind my back re-negotiates the quote. I'm sure the plumbing company will never come back to work for me(not that I will call them again). And, if the plumbing company can decrease the original quote that much, then what did they NOT do up to code and what corners did they cut??? OH ME...this is quite an experience! I am not a happy camper with this construction company or plumbing company. What a tummy twistin' time I have had today...all while celebrating my birthday a day early with Dianne and Mom. Aahhhh, what a nice time we had at dimsum(yummy, relaxing, and presents!)... even though my doggies had to come with me and stay in the car because of the plumber being everywhere in the house and the construction workers in and out of the house. Poor doggies but LUCKY ME! Dianne gives awesome presents!!! More to come on that ASAP.