Summers during college, I waitressed at Cracker Barrel. It was harder work than I thought it would be, requiring attention to detail, balance and lifting skills, constant movement and--occasionally--the ability to smile through gritted teeth.
I say occasionally because for the most part, customers were pleasant. And I was a good waitress--I learned to bring crackers to a table when I saw a high-chair being set up at one of my stations and I never forgot the condiments or drink orders.
But regardless of skill level, there is always the table were things go awry--the cook slathers gravy over the chicken even though NO GRAVY was written and underlined on the ticket. The corn muffins weren't ready to serve with the meal. I spilled something on them. We were out of the dessert they wanted and the back-up one they reluctantly agreed to came out burnt.
It wasn't just that one of these mishaps would occur. They would ALL occur--at the same table.
That's how I feel about this bathroom renovation project that we started in--can you believe it?--October. It's not just that one thing has gone wrong. Everything that could have possible gone wrong has. Let's review:
- Let go of original GC as wasn't showing up on time or listening to our budgeting needs
- Couldn't find anyone in our area to install a heated floor
- Huge time delays were the bathroom would sit, abandoned for days and weeks at a time, with no work being done.
- Once the work started, ran out of tile and had to wait while more was ordered
- The Silerstone countertop people cut the counter top wrong and it had to be redone - 3 week delay
- The porcelain sinks ordered were too big for the countertop and had to be cut. One sink cracked - 2-3 week delay as it was reordered and recut
- The shower door arrived on time but in the wrong color. 3 week delay for reordering.
- A casket came loose from the shower prep work, causing us to lose water last weekend for 48 hours and necessitating we drill a trapdoor in my closet for access to pipes.
- I had the boxes for the wall scones drilled on either side of the mirror then bought lighting that instead goes over the mirror. Had electrical contractor back out to remove boxes I'd just paid for and install new boxes.
- Selected paint color. Looked like baby ca-ca. Tried 5 different colors before settling on "beige."
- Olivia escaped down the shower drain while work was being done, causing me 8 hours of angst until she reappeared, no worse for the wear.
- Shower was installed but the hardware for the section where you turn the handle to select hot or cold is missing the handle. There's a large screw the handle goes over, but no handle. Just left out of the box. Now I have to convince Lowe's to sell me just a handle out of a boxed kit.
And those are just the ones I remember. I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting or wisely choosing to block out. But it's just like at Crackerbarrel only our bathroom is the table with the bad luck. Nothing that can be done. Sometimes Fate just points a finger and says, "Today, I pick on you."
At least we didn't have anything spilled on us.
