Sunday, November 8, 2009

Finally warm and toasty, but what's the deal with "Handyman Time"?

Ahhhh, warm and toasty at last. The family got an early Christmas present today as the new electric fireplace became a reality. Our big old drafty house was a monster on the oil bill. Poor Mom is always cold, but with the price of furnace oil these days it was getting to be a concern. The fireplace works like a charm. I've had the thermostat down all day and nobody is shivering or complaining. Usually to get the temp good for her, I end up too hot. Now I will have to go shopping to find some pretty stuff to decorate the top. I know - any excuse to go shopping!

However, back to the 2nd part of this posts title - WHAT THE HECK IS THE DEAL WITH HANDYMEN AND TIME?????

I'm sure you all must have noticed this. None of them seem to have any normal concept of time. They appear to have some kind of secret society time keeping system. Let me explain......when the average person says "I'll be there in an hour" that usually means 60 minutes - give or take a few. (Unless you are me, and I will be there 10 minutes early!) BUT if you have the title Handyman behind your name, this phrase can mean anything from several hours to several days!!!! Frustrating.

I guess its the downside of being a single girl - you need to depend on a handyman. My guy dropped off the giant fireplace box in the front hall on Saturday and looking me square-in-the-eye and said........"I'll be back first thing Sunday morning." YEAH, Right!!!

And me, the eternal optimist, got up early and waited. And waited. And waited. The morning came and went and then half the afternoon. He drove in the yard at 3:00pm. He walked in with a little grin and handed me a cappuchino. OK - that warmed me up a little.

It didn't take us long once I got him moving. As he was leaving he was humming "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire". I busted out laughing and told him if he hadn't shown up it would be HIS chestnuts roasting!!

5 comments:

  1. Another Gemini trait! I am always early even when I try to be late!

    I know what you mean about tradespeople. I am still waiting for a guy that said in September, he was only a week away from doing a couple of jobs that I need doing before winter.

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  2. Beautiful, Kim...I'm sure you will decorate it nicely; make sure you show us when you do it, ok?

    As for the Handyman....I think it is a" Man Thing". If it were a woman, she would have been there when she said. Hope I'm not offending any man here...just my opinion.....

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  3. Hi Kim,

    Thanks for the nice comment on my blog. It is surprising that you can put more in a small piece than you think - and it's actually easier, I think.

    I laughed out loud reading your "handyman" time, since my husband and I just finished a huge renovation at our place in Parry Sound. The whole place seems to have a different time zone, but the trades especially - they take off fishing season, and hunting season and ice fishing season and snowmobile season -our 1 year reno quickly turned into 2. We had one fellow who swore he'd show up in September to do some outside work - he finally arrived the following April. And he didn't call to say that he couldn't show up in September - or that he would in April. I guess that's so that when they do come, you're so grateful - coffee or not.

    Wendie

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  4. I live with one !! they are terrible for time it puts my stress level on high most weeks. I have more undone projects that you can imagine.

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  5. Oh, Kim....I laughed until I cried~!~It has to be something to do with the job description~My brother, Lord love him, redid our bathroom...he started in April, he finished in July...no joke...he finished because he wanted to take the fifth wheel and it had been our only shower....BUT the best part? Our son called about half way through the redo, and talked to his Uncle...one of his comments? "So are you going to screw with their heads, and take a vacation halfway through"? Craig laughed, but I heard my baby boy, (who is also a contractor), then say..."that's what we do, right"? I laughed....oh, how I laughed...cause this was my baby brother, who would NEVER do that.....wrong....now....I am waiting for the hallway so we can do the kitchen.....and waiting, and waiting....Thanks for the laugh!!!

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