Now It's Just Funny...Decorating Diaries

I got home last night from my speech (which went very well, thank you) about 8:30 PM. There was a message from my contractor.  "The countertops should be in tomorrow. Can they come by at 10 to install them?"  Yippee! Things were coming together.

Alas, my contractor called me this morning. "I have bad news," she said. And truly, I felt sorry for her having to be the one to deliver it. We ordered a granite countertop with double sinks. Apparently, regardless of which company in our area you order the countertop from, they all use the same place down in Charlotte to cut the granite.  Turns out they cut the holes for our sinks too big.  Back to the drawing board.

My contractor said she was on their case and from her tone, I believe her. She has told them the time limit is unacceptable, as is the messed up work, and she wants them to give me the countertops for free with us having to pay only for installation.  She said she's pushing them to recut the countertops to have them ready for a Monday morning installation.

I truly did feel sorry for her.  I've been on her case to get this done, get this done, but this is an aspect simply out of her control. I can imagine her dread this morning having to call and tell me about this latest fiasco.  We've all had to place those "Um, we messed up" phone calls to already irate clients and it's never fun. So I tried to be very nice about it.  And if she can wrangle me a free countertop, I'm not going to argue one bit. 

So here's the plan: My general contractor is finishing up the crown molding trim today.  I'm planning on cleaning the bathroom on Saturday and priming on Sunday. Maybe even the first coat of red paint on Sunday. Then one more coat before the plumber arrives.  I'm calling the shower door people today so they can come out and measure for a door.  But for me, the worst is over.  The constant dirt and grime and dust is going bye-bye.  That's what's been driving me buggy above all else.

I can't wait for next winter so I can actually use my heated floor. ;) 

No Time to Say Hello-Goodbye, I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late!

Feeling a bit like the White Rabbit these days. I logged in here to essentially say that I have no time to blog. (Who am I kidding?? There's always time to blog...).  LOTS of projects going on, but first, the good news.

THE TILE GUY IS FINISHED.  We have shower. It's beautiful. I'm very happy with the work. Now if I can just get those darn countertops in.  Plus, now that the tile is done, we can call the door guy to come measure for the shower door and plumber guy can install the fixtures. Frankly, my greatest joy is knowing that soon I can get in there and clean.  You can feel the grit under your feet every time you walk in the bathroom and a haze of dust is everywhere.  I'm looking forward to some time spent with Windex and Charlie's Soap.

As for projects, I've got several.  As I think I mentioned, this is "speaking week." I gave my Toastmasters speech yesterday, which went very well. There was also a speech given by a newer member that was hysterically funny.  It was great to see someone who was nervous about speaking just hit one out of the ballpark. 

My stomach hurt from laughing yesterday.  My Triad Networks group is filled with wanna-be stand-up comedians and I end up wiping laughter tears from my eyes each week.  I love those meetings.  (Although I must learn to stop drinking the coffee.  I usually drink decaf and they only serve regular. Yesterday I had 2 cups and felt jittery and nauseous for the rest of the day).

Tonight I'm giving a 20-minute dinner talk at a Networking group in Greensboro.  It's a group I haven't been to before, so that will be fun. But I need to spend time today polishing my material.

Then Saturday I'm teaching a 3-hour intro to public speaking class.  Same thing as with networking. I've taught the class a million times, but it's been awhile since the last one and I need to find time to make handouts and brush up on my material/delivery.  

This Friday, Blair and I are headed to Fayetteville. My niece has a "family day" at her school and they're allowed to  invite relatives. We thought we'd surprise her by showing up.  Should be fun, but that's a much needed work day lost.

I'm in high spirits though.  Spring weather has arrived (for the moment anyway) and the days are  sunny and warm with a light breeze.  It's the kind of weather that even if you only step outdoors momentarily, it brings a smile to your face. Warmer days are near at hand.

Now, on to those speeches. 

New Project - Pet Horoscopes

I was interviewed this morning to write a new humor column for a magazine that goes out to vets. I'll write the back page "Petascopes" column where I inform the vets the horoscope for the animals who fall under each sign they should be examining that day. It's the first project in a long while I've been excited about.  It's funny and quirky and my mind is already brimming with a million little odd associations and asides I can make in the column. 

The magazine also writes about leadership and better business practices and networking and the editor mentioned possibly even bringing me in to conduct some networking or public speaking training.  Great fun!

 I'm wrapping up projects for the week.  I dub this "Public Speaking Week." I've got a 5-minute speech I'm giving tomorrow in Toastmasters, a 20-minute speech I'm presenting to a Networking group Thursday night, and a 3-hour public speaking class on Saturday.  I am the original "yada-yada-yada" woman.

But now I must venture out of the house to the library.  I still need to pick up To Kill A Mockingbird. 

Proof of Procrastination: Decorating Diaries

If I needed any proof other than my incomplete bathroom to document how repairs are dragging out, now I have it. My cat Olivia is terrified of strangers.  Not only will she not come near them, she will literally not come out when people are in the house.  Close friends of mine who visit often have never seen her.  She will go without eating before she will show her face when a stranger is around. When my mom visited for a week, she would only come out a night, after we all went to bed.

Which is why I almost fell off my chair when she came strolling into the breakfast nook this evening to eat her dinner while the tile guy was still in the house.  And not only was he in the house, he was being kind of loud.  There was a saw set up outside the front door, the front door banged as he came in, and noise issued from the bathroom as he maneuvered tile around in there.  

She looked at me like, "Hey. Wass up?" and ate some food and gave herself a little bath before wandering into the next room.

WHA--????  Okay, if my CAT is used to your presence as a common occurrence, you have been in  my house waaaaay too long.  Get out.

Speaking of which, my split personality showed up again this morning.  I placed a phone call at 10:30 am to announce that it was, indeed, 10:30 AM on a Monday and why was there no one in my home working on my bathroom? My voice mail said exactly that, along with the oft-repeated announcement that I wanted this job DONE. I asked her to call me and haven't received a return phone call, although the tile guy did show up about 10 minutes after I left the message.  (Luck). And he did stay until 6pm tonight.  I don't know if that's out of the goodness of his heart or guilt at being late or my contractor called him and said, "You need to stay."  And frankly, I don't care. 

I want the job DONE.  And get out. You're freakin' my cat out.