What have ya got planned today?

[deepthought]

My oldest son was, around the age of 9-10, morbidly, uncommonly fascinated with the Donner Party, and the movie, Alive (the Uruguayan soccer team that crashed in the Andes). He used to ask me some rather interesting questions about human meat. For example, what would it be called? I told him it depends on whom you ask. I hear the natives in Papua-New Guinea say it tastes a lot like cassuary bird. I've never eaten cassuary bird, I doubt it tastes anything like chicken..

It's called the long pork.

 

[deepthought]

Staring at the flowers, their detail imprinted on my mind. When I close my eyes I see tiny diamonds gleaming on green and purple.

Even when the trimming is done I think I will see the plants, their every part, in my dreams.

 

[Cort]

Contractors starting tomorrow for nec repairs to house. Painting contractor for bid on monday. How the dollars flow. Cha Ching!!

Remember when you could just do it yourself... before it was cheaper to hire a licensed bonded contractor to do it in escrow than pay for 2 places to live?

 

[sky high]

Congrats, cort!

But contractors....painting....say what? LOL...I always get stuck doing it myself. Hard to find anyone out there who will do what they say for the price they quote. fuckers are >always< coming around the backside to ASK for more $$$.

Funny shit here last week. Was sitting here drinking a cup and trying to ready the head to go out and work...and I see a truck pull in and then back up to the house. Has a ladder in it....and a guy and a chick get out...along with their dog.

I open the door and say "What's up?"
She says, "We;re here to paint your house"
"I just painted my house" (point to house)
"Isn't this the __________ place??" was her reply
"Nope...next house up the road", says I

"FUCK....I bid the WRONG HOUSE" was the next thing outta her mouth

LOFL.

Neighbors house is 2X as large as mine. OOPs. Evidently they did the job and my neighbors were cool about the screw up and ended up paying them more for the job. Like he said to me.... "seemed funny the rest of the bids were $3500 and this one was $2000.

Oh well..now I know what someone else will charge me to paint....should i ever wanna part with 2K and get a substandard job. LOL.

Stay on the fuckers, cort. Gotta watch em every second....:rolleyes:

so when is closing/moving day? and when will the garden be crankin'? :D

all the best!

s h

 

[kolah]

Good luck with your project, Cort!

Clear and concise contracts are good for both contractors and homeowners. Fool-proof, IMO.

and proof of liability insurance or a waiver covers the rest.

As for contractor "price-jackings"...I know a few guys (and a gal) who jack up their weed prices to sell to the tourists and ski-bums. "Supply-demand" and a clientele base can play into the mix but always: buyer beware. ;)

I often check construction labor prices in different states and the rates vary greatly depending on the cities and neighborhoods. Same goes for weed prices.

A clear contract eliminates price-jacking. Maybe we need weed contracts. :) Or better yet, maybe just more honest, non-greedy people.

 

[sky high]

We learned differently about "contracts" in the 90's when a contractor went belly up/stole our cash/filed bankruptcy/failed to pay lumber bill/caused our house to be liened and had the IRS come down on him for failing to pay employee withholding taxes...all within the span of a few months. The bankruptcy judge told us flat out that a "contract" is worthless/non-binding in such instances and does not insure you a spot in line for repayment OR ANYTHING ELSE. (secured creditor)

As a result, we had to resort to the criminal side of the equation and had his ass tossed in jail for Felony Theft and then hired an attorney to come up and in his ass and ensure he paid restitution....(about 8K of the 35K we lost, FWIW) but in the end we still never got what I was due us via the signed "Contract" and we lucky to get out with as much as we did.....

YMMV........

 

[kolah]

This guy's name wasn't Dave, was it? and claimed he was related to Daniel Boone. We had a guy around here doing that and he's now in jail (he got 8 years). He took peoples down payment for materials and burned them. At least you had a contract of proof which may have helped in the court process.

 

[sky high]

Things have changed a bit because now you have to at least have a 'license" to play. Back then all you needed was a tool belt to be a "contractor".

Name was Jeff. Knew of 6 other homes he had built w/no problems over a 3 year period and tracked him 5 years prior to that working as a foreman for another company. No sign of trouble/etc. until I got "the letter" from the IRS saying that any future payments to him should go to THEM and they were levying all of his property. Yikes.... Was a HUGE learning experience and basically blew my trust in others for a long, long time. Still do all my own home improvement stuff because of it. Came >very< close to bashin his head with a bat one day.....so am lucky I found some calm and let the court fuck me over rather than fuckin myself over by losin it.... :rolleyes: WAs a couple of expensive/disappointing years, for sure....

 

[kolah]

I had my CO General Contractor License (GC). Let me tell you it is basically a joke. You pay a bunch of money, take an open book test and get one. Any monkey (who can read) can get it. It looks nice but IMO doesn't mean a whole lot. (insurance companies like it)

When I was swinging hammers I supplied reference checks and had a large portfolio of my work. I only charged for materials (up-front) and was payed once a week. I did not mark up materials and gave the option to the homeowners that they could buy them and have them delivered. If I had to pick them up and deliver, I charged for that. I found out that it was well-worth it to have Lowes deliver the materials up here in the hills as they charged about 300 bucks at the time.

All in all, it got old always hearing two things: "Why is it taking so long?" and "Boy, are you expensive." I was lucky to have a small group of GOOD customers who always hired me back for other jobs.

 

[Cort]

Yup, Contractors.
Its a time issue. They can work on the property while it is in escrow, while I cannot.

Contractor #1 is removing the popcorn ceiling, which almost always contains asbestos. Had mine tested and conned the seller into paying most of it.

Contractor #2 will be doing texture on ceiling and possibly painting ceiling and one room. While I have the tools and family members to do both texture and paint, it is worth the 4-500 to have the place move in ready the day I get the keys.

 

[putembk]

Glad you guys are rebuilding America....I'm sicker than a dog today! Had it all week and that's enough!! Don't even feel like smoking anything with this sore throat. Just sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I don't have time for this...have shit to do.

 

[Cort]

Glad you guys are rebuilding America....I'm sicker than a dog today! Had it all week and that's enough!! Don't even feel like smoking anything with this sore throat. Just sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I don't have time for this...have shit to do.

For days like this you need to learn to make medicated chloraseptic.

 

[putembk]

For days like this you need to learn to make medicated chloraseptic.
View attachment 348725

Thanks Cort, hate taking any meds or pills. Did however break down today and take some stuff the wife gave me. Just feel blah! Never get sick, wtf???
Daughter says to take some Nyquil. Ah...NO! Stuff would knock me out and then would be awake all night. Will suffer through and tomorrow will be better. I Hope.

 

[ttystikk]

Glad you guys are rebuilding America....I'm sicker than a dog today! Had it all week and that's enough!! Don't even feel like smoking anything with this sore throat. Just sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I don't have time for this...have shit to do.

My favorite remedy for sore throat is a hot cup of tea, any kind you like, plenty of sugar or honey, and a tablespoon or so of Apple cider vinegar. Sounds weird, tastes weirder- but I've come to like it and the effect on a sore throat is nothing short of magical. My preference for this runs to herbal teas, especially cinnamon, spice and Apple flavors

 

[ttystikk]

For days like this you need to learn to make medicated chloraseptic.
View attachment 348725

BLECH! Screw that nasty stuff- try the herbal tea I suggested.

 

[Cort]

gargling with salt water is also very effective. 1 teaspoon sea salt per 8 oz warm water several times a day. It is also a good wound soak that speeds healing of cuts and scrapes.

 

[Cort]

BLECH! Screw that nasty stuff- try the herbal tea I suggested.

'twas a joke. Cannabis lozenges for a sore throat.

 

[putembk]

Thanks guys. Just finished a cup of herbal tea, had chicken soup for lunch. Also have gargled with salt water all my life, works great. Problem now is this has moved into my chest and am hacking up....ah...never mind you don't want to know. A nice hot tub soak would be great about now.

 

[ttystikk]

gargling with salt water is also very effective. 1 teaspoon sea salt per 8 oz warm water several times a day. It is also a good wound soak that speeds healing of cuts and scrapes.

I've tried this for a sore throat and for me the vinegar tea was both more effective- and more palatable. Salt water would make a great wound soak, as the salt is antiseptic.

 

[ttystikk]

Thanks guys. Just finished a cup of herbal tea, had chicken soup for lunch. Also have gargled with salt water all my life, works great. Problem now is this has moved into my chest and am hacking up....ah...never mind you don't want to know. A nice hot tub soak would be great about now.

My hot tub is yours to use, brother!