Attempted cat rescue: Part one.

Today I attempted to catch the Mayor of Wolcott St.

Always on a mission he trots back and forth in front of the house several times a day, makes a point of sniffing the backs of all the parked cars, and is generally very curious about anything going on in the immediate neighborhood.

I guess one of the other strays in the gang rebelled and the Mayor was injured in a coup...a big wound to the back of his head, and looking rather unhappy about it. With the help of a couple of neighbors I managed to pick him up and get him into a cardboard box which he promptly wormed his way back out of--probably had a meeting to attend or something...but maybe he'll be more available tomorrow when I bring around the hard-shell cat carrier and a nice can of tuna.

Are You Sitting Down?

....because today, it's a doozy.

We got to the house today to find that a hot water pipe had burst during the week...which I guess isn't that surprising considering it wasn't insulated, and there's STILL no siding on the building. What IS surprising is that the contractors knew about it but neglected to tell us.

The floors on the entire parlor level are all warped and destroyed. They insist they need to let them dry out for twenty one days (?) and see if they can be sanded down. Instead of wasting our time-- I can tell you right now, they all need to be replaced.

The basement ceiling is bubbling and the wall is damaged, with much of the molding popping off. They patched and painted during the week, and where the baseboard bows--filled it in with globs of caulk. The big question is...did they think we wouldn't notice?
The double back doors are warped, don't open and shut correctly, and the molding is ...well, having issues...
And what the hell is all this paint doing on my marble mantle?

Floors: Take Two

Friday they came back to work on the floors-- to re-sand, and reseal.

It was so nice to see the house without all the paper down.

I feel like I should just be incredibly grateful that they showed up at all, but really

I'm still having a little trouble with the level of quality control.

Ok folks...

something...is happening.

An electrician showed up today. Can you believe it? What this means is that the kitchen and living room lights are no longer co-dependant. Amazing.

They have promised to finish the top floor so that we can temporarily squeeze ourselves in up there until the rest is done. Tomorrow the floor guys are supposed to come...and a translator.

Could this be too good to be true?

I'll have to let you know.

Can Someone Please Give My Contractors A Kick In The Ass?

Does anyone know what day it is?--because really...I've lost count. I closed on this house on February 12th last year, and work started in March.

I realized the other day that the siding and poorly-cut counters have been sitting untouched since November 12th...and since then the contractors have been at the house... one whole day.

Yesterday I actually saw black when they told me that their siding guy didn't want to work in anything less than 50 degree weather. This is a perfect week...and totally wasted. If they want 50 degrees we'll have to wait until April. I can't help but think that he's being a giant baby. I suggested to them that they might need to hire someone else.

I've had to apply for my third loan extension, and the bank...well, they're not happy.

The bank planner came out today and tried to persuade them that it would be best if they could finish in the next 30 days...but to be honest...I don't think it matters. They'll do it or not do it...as they please.