No arrival...no contact.
Monday:
7.25am: Bert and Grover have just arrived....smoking a fag in the van.
7.55am: Work has begun (they've moved plasterboard sheets from one place to another)...but both have stopped for a fag now. Why do I feel less tolerant today?
9.00am: Another fag break...these guys have a serious addiction. My dad was a chain smoker...as a kid I remember taking him a cup of tea in the dining room and not being able to see him sitting in his chair. He's dead now of course...perhaps appropriately he was cremated. These two builders probably want to have the cremation thing before the dying part. It suits me...as long as they get the plastering done first. Back to work 9.15am.
10.30am: Well...the last fag break lasted from 9.50am til now! Jeeesh! Ok...this is getting silly. It's none of my business how many fag breaks they have. As long as the guys get the work done it's fine isn't it? The only thing is...if the two of them didn't stop for a fag 15 minutes out of every hour, plus take a full hours lunch break, the job would get done a whole lot quicker.
3.40pm: Bert and Grover have tidied up and left.
Tuesday:
Big Boy and Super Stud arrived a bit late this morning...they'd been felling trees and preparing their wood for a perfect fit.
3pm: Most of the skirting boards and door frames are in place now and the hallway door is well hung...as one might expect.
Note: After publishing this post Super Stud mentioned that his prowess with the bit of skirt in the corners had not been appreciated, but I can assure him that he did a good job and that all tension is now relaxed.
Wednesday:
8.30am: Big Boy and Super Stud arrived just after 8am and began work soon afterwards. prior to starting work they shared a hug together...which was nice to see. It's still not often that two males share such signs of affection outside of the bedroom.
I noticed that Super Stud has received a gold cup for his achievements. I think this was connected with his playing around with his niblick but I'm not certain.
Soon after 8.30 Walter and Sue R arrived. So it's going to be busy today with plumbing and woodwork being effected. All four men will be working together in a small space. Which will, off course, offer further opportunities for affection to be demonstrated. By the end of the day they might even be able to share a shower!
8.55am: I was right! I mentioned my shower idea to Big Boy and he told me with honesty that he and Super Stud do actually share showers together frequently...which is nice to know. I feel cleanliness is important. So often a man's socks can stand alone in an empty room. I am pleased to say that all four of todays working team smell pleasantly of roses.
2pm: Big Bird and Top Cat called in earlier. The plan seems to be that the electrician will be here tomorrow, the shower area will be tiled and windows will arrive and be fitted. On Friday a plasterer will arrive...and the plumber will fit the shower unit. Externally the guttering needs completion, drain connections need sorting, a path needs to be laid and the driveway repaired...some of this will run into next week but at the moment the build is on track to be completed by October 6th.
3.30pm: The colony are clearing up now and getting ready to leave. A lot of work has been done today.
Thursday:
9.30am: Big Boy arrived around 8.30am and stayed for an hour. He completed the internal woodwork and says he'll return to complete the guttering fix when the weather is better (it is currently pouring with rain). No-one else has arrived yet. I am expecting delivery of the windows at some point, and also for the bathroom tiling to be done.
10am: Tyler has arrived. Grover also...and someone else...I've lost count now!
11.30am: Smoking is an ancient method of preserving meat. If washed with sea water prior to drying and smoking, it would have lasted even longer because of the preserving properties of the salt. In the case of Grover...he is preserving his physical form by sleeping inside a smoke-filled vehicle. I suggest that he is soaked in salt water to enhance the affect. Where's my bucket....?
3.30pm: I've just checked the tiling work...it's excellent by the way. The colony are clearing up prior to leaving.
4pm: Grover was the last to leave and he left the house secured (in his opinion)...by laying a loose sheet of ply over a doorway, totally unsecured.
6pm: Bad news. Big Bird and my husband have been battling out the finance issues this evening. Weekly payments (on a Friday) were agreed at the start of the build and have been harmoniously adjusted due to construction delays. Two payments remain. These two, in my opinion, should now be paid firstly on completion of the internal build...with the second half upon completion of the external.
Internal work awaiting completion: Plastering, tiling, electrics, plumbing, woodwork, windows and front door.
External work awaiting completion: guttering fitted, two house frontage tiles refitted where they've slipped, drainage connections, gas safety ensured, porch area and pathway paved, site cleared and driveway (newly laid last year) reinstated.
All as agreed.
Currently the internal work is close to completion...but no listed aspect is in fact complete yet.
Currently the external work has not been effected at all.
For the first time during this building project I am somewhat surprised at Big Bird's phone-call request for payment. He appears to be an intelligent man and certainly finds himself in a respected managerial position of a rapidly expanding company. Yet...he's lost the plot if he thinks we owe him a payment right now. Dream on Big Bird. Treat us fairly and don't be a feather brain. This blog has received over 3,000 hits to date. Local friends are following the build progress on-line and are sending the link to their friends. The publicity offered here can benefit your firm if the blog promotes your integrity. For it is the trustworthiness of the builder, along with the quality of the completed build, that attracts customers. But adverse publicity can certainly shoot you up the bum if you mess up.
On a positive note...Big Bird ended the 'phone call with a promise that the internal work would be completed by tomorrow evening (aside from the front door, which will be fitted on Monday). The external work, he says, will be completed by the following weekend (October 6th is my birthday) as promised by Top Cat.
Friday:
8.45am: Plumber crew are here and working...they are a really good team.
11.30am: Top Cat has arrived and is making good use of his mobile phone....!
3pm: Seven workmen have been here and all have been working with the efficiency of ants.
The windows are now in, the plumbing sorted, electrics sorted, tiling done and so on. There are a few small bits to be tidied...but nothing much. The plasterer is still here and will remain on site today until his part of the work has been completed.
Top Cat says that builders will arrive on Monday to complete the inside...and to work outside. He's promising total completion by October 6th.
Saturday:
The new front door has arrived. Top Cat has promised that it will be fitted on Monday. Fab!
