New England B.S. Thread

Cam......My Man......how the hell have you been?

 

This happened to a good friend of mine



https://turnto10.com/news/local/postal-worker-abducted-at-gunpoint-by-two-masked-men

 

Wow, glad he’s ok! People are absolutely ridiculous, hopefully they go back to the federal prison and don’t get let back out this time!

 

That's fucked up.....is he ok?

 

I feel this in my soul. Last week I got notice that my central AC system was finally scheduled to be installed. I had been quoted a 3-5 day time frame, so I figured I'd have AC either late last week or at the latest Monday. At the time I was dumb enough to not check the weather (it's early June!, how bad could it be!) and sold my two nice window units locally and gave away my third unit to a co-worker who had no AC in his apartment. The AC system was basically routed and 95% complete Friday. I was told Monday the electrician would start, and it might take until Tuesday to complete (they're upping my service from 100A to 200A so I need a whole new panel). I was also told they'd confirm with me the end of the day the status. Naturally Monday afternoon I don't get a call. Tuesday I had my Mom watching the house and they no-called, no-showed. I called and finally heard back they're coming tomorrow, which is just in time for the cold weather, naturally.

Add in two cranky kids, a cranky wife, and dose two of the COVID shot Monday making me feel like doo-doo, I can very much relate to your plight.

I've been trying to get a staircase done in my house since mid-2018. I kept getting frustrated and walking away. So I had a contractor who did a sill replacement, did a door between my garage and house where there wasn't one (involving major roof surgery to the house) and then did a to the studs bathroom remodel. Next on the list was a railing for my staircase (a bit of a funky design because of a weird layout and flooring). The first two projects he did for me (sill / door) were great. Top-notch work, great pricing, good scheduling, etc. Then his personal life improved between the last two. He was in a bad marriage which dissolved (she passed) which meant that he threw himself into his work, but then he met someone new, so the effort into the projects lowered and things just weren't as nice as I had come to expect. So when we met at the lumbar yard to pick out the staircase and it was obvious he actually was there with another couple for another project too, I just said okay, we're done. So I then brought in a local contractor revered on the FB groups. It took two messages and a phone call to get him to my house. He showed up a half hour later than his window, looked at my project, asked for what I wanted, and never got back to me. I brought in a friends' father and then COVID hit. I waited a year until things mellowed and reached back out and he was too busy. So I said I need this done, I have young kids and he totally understood. I went to the local lumbaryard and they gave me SEVEN(!) names. I emailed all seven. One of the seven was willing to come out and actually look at the project. Then we all got COVID and it pushed him off and then he stopped responding to emails. I finally was behind a van in traffic saying they specialize in staircases. I called them, they came out the same day and they're doing the staircase 6/22. I'm paying $Texas for materials, but this is life. I literally have no one else to compare to.

The same thing is happening with tiling. We got another 6-7 names from the local tiling store and my wife called all of them. Of all of them, one came and looked at our house. We had gotten an estimate form a tiling store based on my estimate for tile and it was laughable expensive (they were charging $38 for a sheet of Durock that's $10 at HD, excluding tax and labor). We got his estimate with doing Ditra under the whole floor and while not cheap, we jumped and he's 5-6 weeks out.

The AC debacle hasn't been awful as the initial delay was the COVID situation messing up the refinance closing, and then them pushing us out, but I really wish the electrician came today. We also did new countertops and those were like, accept quote, schedule measurements two weeks later, install one week later. I have zero complaints there.

 

Yeah I hope so too. Its even more messed up when you hear it from him. He was on the phone with his fiance when it happened and he took out his earbud and placed it in his shirt pocket so she heard almost everything and was on the phone with the police as it was happening. They didnt waste any time and called in the FBI right away because he is a federal employee. They caught them pretty quickly with a lot of help from some of the neighbors doorbell cameras.

Yeah he's still out of work obviously but they are giving him help.

 

hey! I’ve been well, just did a large amount of work on my truck, to where it’s almost driveable again! Otherwise just working on odd jobs and family home. Island life is picking up. Going swimming and whatnot. Any meets this summer?

 

Not this summer....planning on next summer as long as everything goes well. A couple of wheeling trips here and there though. You coming main land anytime soon?

 

sept for sure, before then I’m hoping to get a few camping trips in with friends here over weekends. Likely out in western mass. Always up for grabbing a coffee or burger with the TW crew, maybe wheel some!

 

Let it roast I say! ROAST! ROAST!

I swear it's like they don't want the job. I needed a deck repair on my pool last summer..let's just say what I learned about the stupid corners the builder cut, I want to squeeze his throat closed.

I hit up Angieslist for 3 companies. One called and said he'd come by, never did. One came by and spent about 30 minutes looking and talking to me..never heard back. 3rd one I got lucky, very professional and responsive. Took him 2 weeks to get it done which he warned me up front about materials being a bitch to get. Some of his rules for the job is his guys will not smoke, swear, or fail to clean up..if that doesn't happen, the day's labour is free of charge. No money needed until the job is finished and I give the thumbs up on it.

The lack of pride in the work and product is abhorrent all over, not just the trades in my eyes. It is ridiculous that people are so lazy at times. My niece and her BF run a landscaping company and they've told me some stories.

I'm curious about the 6 month guesstimate re my frame, specifically if material availability is part of that timetable.

 

Keep me posted on the AC..I have a couple of window ones spare you can borrow if it helps. They've been in the garage since Sept. I get that they can't work if it's too hot but the no call/show is just unacceptable.

 

Please let me know when you come out to western MA.....I'm right outside of the Springfield area.

 

Thanks, will do. Hopefully everything is up and running by this weekend.

 

Ideally but it's an option. I won't be using them at least not for a few weeks if at all this season

 

Back to the Fort.
Tired.
Wired.
Quick shot or 2...
And bed.
HUGE thanks to @GarlicFarts
I rarely accept an offer for help...
And I am so glad I did. Otherwise, more stuff would have been left behind until Christmas.
Apparently, SHE is really digging on the Softopper, and it needs suspension work(bumpstops were tested A LOT) and had to bring some Big Red home for my neighbor...
So..


Time for a couple hours sleep, make a big breakfast, lots of coffee, and unload, and clean this truck...
Drove through cicadas down and back.

 

glad it worked out man. Now it’ll be easy to convince her to get one welcome home!

I have done similar driving shots and I don’t envy you doing them that often.

 

for sure!

 

Yeah, pretty much fried. I'll text you later regarding meeting up. DEFINITELY not happening today. Big push coming home, as my oldest has prom tonight, and I guess that is abig deal...


Oh, she WANTS a Softopper...... And trying to determine the best option for suspension. The ride was hard on on the truck... all of us really.
Thinking something similar to how I set up my Frontier. But, not 100%sure yet. Still reading.

 

no worries my friend. I won't be "needing" it until June 24th (Friday) - going up to Maine and bringing a bike with me.

 

Still thinking I'd like to try to get to you ASAP.

They're already trying to get me back to work tomorrow...
But, I will be finishing the piping the on the downstairs a/c, and getting that fired up.
With a full house again....some things are changing...