The Pirate in Me
I think it started last Feb when I had only lived in my "dream home" a few weeks. The sewer backed up and came bubbling up through the shower in the room which also contains an indoor hot tub. It was one of the reasons I was sold on the home..I never thought, "ahhh indoor hot tub...instead I thought, Oh! Physio therapy pool for the dogs!. For months the walls were ripped apart, floors torn, shower and hot tub ripped out..then wouldn't fit back in.  So it meant once again walls ripped out after the drywallers had done a wonderful job. The weeks turned into months of this nightmarish activity. I eventually brought the dogs to my former residence so the workman could come in any time to finish the job.
This meant I stopped daily after work and spent hours with the dogs before returning to the new residence. Kaj who works late would then stay at the other place. We were promised it would be "finished that week". I told the contractor that bringing the dogs to the other place meant it would be a delay of selling or renting the other place. It has been 9 months of double morgage. Then in Aug my son had meningitis and had brain surgery. I called the contractor and begged him to finish the work before he came home from the hospital. No one was in the house for 3 wks. It still wasn't done. I finally lost it on Friday, threatened to finish the job myself if it wasn't completed and get a lawyer.Then the tile guy said he couldn't finish the job. They discovered dampness in the walls and brought it those (*^&^&* machines that make that enternal humming noise 24/7 before they could install the last of the tiles. Halloween I'm at one place with the cats and bunnies, Kaj is at the other with the dogs. In the wee hours of the morning, someone driving a four wheel drive sailed over the large ditches surrounding my yard and knocked out 52 feet of fencing. They landed in my yard, knocking out an electrical panel and water to the underground irrigation system. They missed a natural gas pipeline by inches. Unbelievably, myself and the neighbors didn't hear a thing and they managed to get themselves out before anyone discovered the destruction. I call the insurance company and now am dealing once again with electricians, fencing people, contractors.... The work on the inside of the home was supposed to be finished today..... ARGGGGGGGG! |
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Marianne - you deserve to be the pirate!!!! 
I say if they don't shape up, they need to walk the plank!  |
| OMG, I hate to say this out loud but I think I'd be thinking fond thoughts about buying a gun right about now
Keep repeating to yourself (in between counting to 200): it will be worth it in the end, it will be worth it in the end. It BETTER be! Kristine |
I just can't imagine.
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| Feel free to find yer refuge here on oes.arrrrrrrgh |
| OMG I soooo feel for you, Marianne.
We are having all the same problems with a builder. Its 2 years now and the building isnt finished. ARRGGGGG!! is right. It seems Aus isnt the only place with disorganised, incompetent builders.
Two mortgages is a complete pain in the b--t but I keep telling myself at least we're managing and it could be worse. Its becoming a bit of a mantra. As is the comment when the buildings finished we'll take a holiday. We started saying that 3 years ago. 
And Kristine dont encourage us. I get sooo tempted. Well not really but it can be nice to dream. 
Good luck Marianne, you'll be in my thoughts. |
| Oh NO Marianne! I feel so bad that you are having this run of silly bad luck.
You need to try & stay positive otherwise your health will be at risk. If it was me, I would ARRGHHHHHH at the builders and scare them into submission. Big scary lady= no guns needed
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| An update: They finished everything indoors yesterday but for reconnecting the shower head . Of course the hot tub is not filled, and I probably have to hire someone to show me how to work it. The previous owner a sweet dear Italian woman in her 80's once told me in a ramble of sentences but I didn't understand a thing. I thought she or her daughter would be at the key exchange but they weren't or I would have asked again. Still the room is finally finished after the disaster of last Feb. I had paid for an upgrade and had the entire room tiled as an upper level had ugly yellow shag carpeting. It's now truly pet friendly!
As for the backyard: The electrician cut the wires in the backyard as one dangling one was discovered to be "Live". The landscaper arrived yesterday to take note of what was destroyed. Lo and Behold I finally found pieces of the car that demolished my yard and left without anyone seeing them. It was a tiny rubber piece about 3 inches buried under the shrubs...said Honda and had a serial number. Oh please tell me I'm lucky just this one time! I'll turn it over to the police just in case. On the other hand....I am very lucky Merlin, Panda and Blue were at the other home on Halloween when the four wheel drive flew over the ditch into my yard. I would have let the dogs out for a pee in the morning and they may have run out onto the road. The 52 feet of fence that was knocked out is waaaaaay at the other end of the block and I wouldn't have realized it. In fact, I didn't even know until I was in my vehicle to pick up a bunny that had been at the vets that morning. Sooooo, in many ways I was extremely lucky that I had locked all the cats away for Halloween and the dogs were elsewhere. YES!!! I am lucky! The things that were truly important and irreplaceable were all safe and sound. |
Woohoo, glad to hear the inside is finished. 
Hope all the outside gets sorted quickly.  |
| You are probably one of the most optimistic people I have ever known Marianne. Glad to hear the upper floor is finished. Now I'm just waiting to hear the other house has been sold. You've had a rough past year! |
| You deserve a medal for your patience ! Reno hell is all too familiar to me too . I hope your son is doing better and that they catch the little jerk who took out your fence. You're right though Marianne, your sweetie , your pets and you are safe and sound and hey the property market has rebounded just at the right and perfect time to put the old house on the market in the spring. |
| Heavens to Betsy, Marianne! I'd be bald by now. I am sure I would've pulled out my hair and the shot the contractor.
I really hope it all gets finished soon and you finally get to move in and put your house on the market. |
| There has to be some sort of dance or charm or something that can bring you better luck! |
| WOW thats alot of crazy stuff. I'm glad you and your family are ok.
I hope the police find who did this
Hang in there - I'll send you some good vibes |
| Marianne, Bless your patience....I could use any you might have left over.
We did 2 major renovations last year and our American contractor knew if my response began with WOAH... it was going to go down hill from there 
The Mexician contractor's that did the patio & fence could speak perfect english when hubby was home but didn't understand a lick of female english, until I surprized them with one of the few spanish words I remember....bulls**t  |
| all I can do is give you some great big 's Marianne and wish only good things for you in the future |
| Ohhhhh had to share! I had a message yesterday to call the car insurance company. ???????? It turns out the people who hit my fence did turn themselves in the following day. It was probably due to the heavy damage their car must have suffered. I'm sure it's a total wreck. I found tiny pieces of the Bumper which said Honda on it and since the police believe only a 4 wheel drive could have done that damage then I assume it's an expensive vehicle. Before the call this gave me some comfort that their vehicle was probably worth 30,000 or more.
So now my damages will be covered as it will be my insurance company and the car insurance to deal with it. The only thing I was told was they said they swerved to avoid hitting a cat. Not one of mine I know as they were all safely locked away a few days before Halloween. Avoiding hitting a cat is a good thing. I can't fault them for that can I? On the other hand, they must have been driving at a very high rate of speed in order to fly over a ditch.
Marianne |
Marianne, that is great news! 
Darn cat |
| I think it was the Batmobile and they were trying to avoid Catwoman.
Yay for the fortunate turn in the story! |
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