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Everyone's Frank
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 1907
"Regular Customers", as they style themselves, frequently confuse the staff who've been there a while.
Sometimes I'm called Frank, after the old Franco who left a year ago. I let it slide, I don't care
And so is G, but he cares, sometimes he's served these people for years "I'm not Frank" he tells them, "I'm G..."
The customers call me over when G is out of earshot "Is Frank upset about something?" they ask.
"You know, Italians....." I explain with a shrug.
Contractors (continued)
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 1785
Today arrive home to the smell of fresh paint.
The bathroom, finally, has been painted.
Monday he installed some ready-made cupboards from Ikea. Then splashed white undercoat on the sides.
Tuesday he installed the doors to the ready made Ikea cupboards. One is hung crooked, the other straight.
Today he painted the bathroom, in the process removing the hung-straight cupboard doors and leaving the hung-crooked.
I've been putting the pressure on, inquiring if I might expect to have a sink by the weekend, probably, possibly, he assures me, but not in time to actually do all the last minute cleanup, reorganize toothbrush, razor, etc. That will have to wait until Sunday.
And I've come to see through his line about "Other Contracts" - if he had other contracts, surely he'd take his tools? Yet they're there, cluttering up the office, the stairwell, everywhere in fact....
There are no other contracts. This is it. And, easy as it is (an hour's work a day, tops) - it's too much. There's no way he'll tile the kitchen floor.
But in it's own fucked up way it's been an inspiration, all I need is 2 days off and I too can be a contractor, bill $5000 for 16-24 hours worth of labour and $1000 dollars (tops!) worth of materials.
I need only close my eyes...
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 1840
for the phone to ring. It's a superhuman ability, this, close my eyes, the phone rings...
If I keep them open in only rings every few minutes, the last-minute office manager delegated the chore of finding an up-market venue for their Christmas Party, Friday or Saturday night would be perfect, a quiet area if we have it...
I can barely suppress my laughter. Not a chance, I tell them, I can get them in at 5:00 if they promise to leave by 6:00, the news doesn't go down so well, we've been booked for a month already....
So it goes. Weekends until 1:00 in the morning, weeknights until late and later, no days off until Christmas...
Day 8 - Diary of a Contractor
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 1751
Today, after a 13 hour day at work (and I left a note for the contractor telling him it was a 12 hour day, go crazy...) - the tile in the bathroom has been grouted. A protective plastic sheet over the floor.
There's other changes as well, I try to spot them, I can see them but not quite....
The toilet's been cleaned. And the bathmat is folded different across the side of the tub. Perhaps the drywall has been trimmed, cut more evenly, perhaps the plaster sanded a little better, but I'm not sure, this is just speculation. I take pictures.
There's a note telling me he's out of town Saturday, he'll "finish up" on Sunday (walls painted, shelves installed, electrics? Not bloody likely I'm thinking...), we'll talk before then (when? This Sunday?...). Day 8 diary of a contractor, Day 9 is out of town...
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