esrosedotblog

WORKMEN

We live in a time and place where people bitch a lot about the people they get to have work done. In the past, we have had little such negative experience. Well, there was that goddam asshole painter who took us for a ride our first year. The one I threw out. He couldn't get 'done'. But that is it.

Maybe we learned our lesson and picked good after that. Maybe we are good clients. Maybe we are lucky. Maybe there are more good craftsmen around than people like to think.

Certainly part of it is a willingness to pay a good wage. I have never bargained with a contractor. It was either a good price or not. If we could not afford it we shouldn't do it.

With the pool reconstruction, we have a lot of workmen around: first the two pool men who came to pump it out; then, the seven demo guys; after that, four plumber and/or electricians.; the two gardener types, father and son, who came to clean up after the plumbers and put the dirt back into the holes they made and now the tile guys who are prepping the surface prior to concrete work on the rim. They will come back and put tile on the surface they are now prepping. And there will be God knows how many plastering guys.

Add them all up: 17 craftsmen! Plus Joe, the general contractor who is overseeing it all and making the dance work.

I say 'craftsmen' because each group (well it is a stretch for operating the pool pump and de-watering the pool) has been extraordinary in the care and attentiveness to the job. The guys who are out there now are prepping the tile work; rough and then fine. Today they were going over the surface with a bubble and making it perfectly plumb. Now it is curing and they are going to go over it again.

I like watching. I try not to get in the way or ask too many questions. Mild affiliation. I mostly stand and watch at the edges and admire the care they put into the work.

In addition to the pool guys, today we have the VERIZON guy. No one picked him. He just arrived. An hour or two before the 3-day deadline on Saturday.

Now, I was not too kind to the company the other day. But, today, I have to admit that this guy, Tim, is way beyond the call of duty. The problems that we had were multiple and the result of water damage on desert damaged wires (it is a dry heat); short circuits. After some trouble shooting Saturday and spotty results he unilaterally decided to rewire the entire house from the service box to all of the jacks. He has even uncovered a new jack which we did not know about next to our bed. He will be here all day.

He has been quiet, deliberate, low profile; a craftsman. I would see him stop and think. Deliberate; both in the ett and ate pronunciations. A gentleman. And we got all new wiring.

And when he left the goddam dial tone still did not work! So. Sometimes no matter how good they look, they still don't get the problem solved. We are now backlisted until November 3d. Off to the mobile store tomorrow.