![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trees and checks and lunches
Sep. 17th, 2008 10:00 pmI hate being treated like a ditzy little woman. The tree removal people came out today to take care of our gigantic tree problem. When he came out on Monday, I had sleeping baby issues and I ended up handing my phone over to him to talk to M while he walked out to look at the damage. I walked out after a few minutes (after changing the batteries in the monitor handheld unit) and was standing there when he clearly told M that he would take care of the tree for $600. M told him to do it, and the guy said that he would bring by a contract to sign. We didn't hear from him yesterday and were beginning to wonder when they were planning on coming. Suddenly at about three this afternoon, they pulled in the driveway and started unloading their chainsaws. I jumped up from the couch, where I had been feeding the baby, and ran to get properly dressed before answering the door, but... he never came. I am hovering around the window, waiting for the guy to bring the contract in, and then the little skinny guy goes over and starts chopping up on the limb in the front yard. Meanwhile, the dude I had been talking to on Monday goes off to the back yard and starts tackling the downed tree, while the third man continues on... continuing on. I really have no idea what he was doing, but he spent about two hours fiddling around near the back of the truck. He also took his shirt off pretty much immediately, which was a lovely way to display that classic beer gut. The little skinny guy heads off to the back yard and does the work of six men by himself.
After an hour or so, the guy finally comes to the front door. I have to say that I had a relapse on that thing where I keep my mouth shut. I opened the door for him, and he is standing there with a clipboard, and just as he starts talking about the contract, I stop him and say, "Yeah, we've changed our mind." You really should have seen the look on his face. It was fricking hilarious. Seriously, the three of them (or, well, the two of them anyway, because I'm not sure I can count Beer Gut as working) had been working hard for over an hour before it occurred to him to come to the door and make sure we were still set? They were actually using the phrase "penciling it in" when booking this appointment, which to me indicates a less than perfectly firm commitment, but what do I know? I am just a girly girl girl.
Anyway, after I assured him that I was just kidding, he did laugh. Then he started reading the contract where it noted that the work would be completed for $650. He hands it to me to sign and I realize that I am in an Awkward Situation, because this man? He is overcharging me, and I do not like confrontation. I especially do not like confrontation including men with chainsaws. I question him about him saying $600, he said he hadn't. I distinctly remember the conversation. I know that M heard the same price as I did. I know that he thinks I am a ditzy little girl mucking about in men's business, and while I do not want to reinforce gender stereotypes, I also do not want to pay him an extra $50. Sooo... I picked up my phone and called M at work and handed the phone over to him. Amazingly enough, when M told him that he had quoted the job at $600, he was quite apologetic and immediately changed the price on the contract. I really don't think he was doing it maliciously because this has been a really busy week for them and he probably just mixed the quote up, but I am sure that he was not about to back down to me whereas he was to M. So, I was irritated with him for that, and also for requesting that we have cash for him, which required me to go to the bank.
And that brings us to Drama #2, which is the disappearance of M's paycheck! M works for a company that does not offer direct deposit AND they pay weekly. It's terribly annoying, and the end result is that I spend a good third of my life running to the bank. I know that I had it with me earlier in the day--I'd been thinking of stopping by the bank with it on the way to lunch.I had lots of things floating around in my purse, and I had been rummaging around for something and so I saw it again. E was saying 'home! home! home!" on the way back through after our lunch and shopping trip, so I decided not to bother with the bank, but since I had to go back to get the tree people their money, I obviously wanted to take care of the check while I was there. Except, it was gone. I searched through my purse about six times, the diaper bag, the car, my desk. I called the restaurant and CVS. Nothing. It was ever-so-conveniently signed and everything! Ugh. I guess this story doesn't have a terrible ending,though, because M talked to them at work and they're going to stop payment on that one and reissue him a check. I feel like such a moron, though. I know that if someone else posted about losing a check, I would be the first in line to tell them that accidents happen and they shouldn't worry about it, all's well that ends well, etc. But when it's ME, I have a hard time accepting that I have done something stupid like that.
I guess I should add a follow-up to the tree thing. They finished up tonight. Or, well, they are not coming back. I am not positive that I think they're really finished, but it wasn't their job to haul the debris away or anything. I just kind of expected them to do more than cut it into chunks and leave it laying around the yard. Although I guess if we had wanted that much service, we should have gone with the first people who wanted $1800. M is going to be hauling wood around for years. That was one big tree.
Oh, and lunch! I was out to lunch today because I met up with six of my ex-coworkers today. :) It was very fun. I have been gone for over a year now. I miss them but I so love my new job. Being a stay-at-home mom is so hard but it is so great, all at the same time.
And, I finally got my new glasses today. They hurt my eyes. I am hoping that I'll get used to them but it's been years since I had a hard time adjusting to new lenses so I'm a bit concerned.
After an hour or so, the guy finally comes to the front door. I have to say that I had a relapse on that thing where I keep my mouth shut. I opened the door for him, and he is standing there with a clipboard, and just as he starts talking about the contract, I stop him and say, "Yeah, we've changed our mind." You really should have seen the look on his face. It was fricking hilarious. Seriously, the three of them (or, well, the two of them anyway, because I'm not sure I can count Beer Gut as working) had been working hard for over an hour before it occurred to him to come to the door and make sure we were still set? They were actually using the phrase "penciling it in" when booking this appointment, which to me indicates a less than perfectly firm commitment, but what do I know? I am just a girly girl girl.
Anyway, after I assured him that I was just kidding, he did laugh. Then he started reading the contract where it noted that the work would be completed for $650. He hands it to me to sign and I realize that I am in an Awkward Situation, because this man? He is overcharging me, and I do not like confrontation. I especially do not like confrontation including men with chainsaws. I question him about him saying $600, he said he hadn't. I distinctly remember the conversation. I know that M heard the same price as I did. I know that he thinks I am a ditzy little girl mucking about in men's business, and while I do not want to reinforce gender stereotypes, I also do not want to pay him an extra $50. Sooo... I picked up my phone and called M at work and handed the phone over to him. Amazingly enough, when M told him that he had quoted the job at $600, he was quite apologetic and immediately changed the price on the contract. I really don't think he was doing it maliciously because this has been a really busy week for them and he probably just mixed the quote up, but I am sure that he was not about to back down to me whereas he was to M. So, I was irritated with him for that, and also for requesting that we have cash for him, which required me to go to the bank.
And that brings us to Drama #2, which is the disappearance of M's paycheck! M works for a company that does not offer direct deposit AND they pay weekly. It's terribly annoying, and the end result is that I spend a good third of my life running to the bank. I know that I had it with me earlier in the day--I'd been thinking of stopping by the bank with it on the way to lunch.I had lots of things floating around in my purse, and I had been rummaging around for something and so I saw it again. E was saying 'home! home! home!" on the way back through after our lunch and shopping trip, so I decided not to bother with the bank, but since I had to go back to get the tree people their money, I obviously wanted to take care of the check while I was there. Except, it was gone. I searched through my purse about six times, the diaper bag, the car, my desk. I called the restaurant and CVS. Nothing. It was ever-so-conveniently signed and everything! Ugh. I guess this story doesn't have a terrible ending,though, because M talked to them at work and they're going to stop payment on that one and reissue him a check. I feel like such a moron, though. I know that if someone else posted about losing a check, I would be the first in line to tell them that accidents happen and they shouldn't worry about it, all's well that ends well, etc. But when it's ME, I have a hard time accepting that I have done something stupid like that.
I guess I should add a follow-up to the tree thing. They finished up tonight. Or, well, they are not coming back. I am not positive that I think they're really finished, but it wasn't their job to haul the debris away or anything. I just kind of expected them to do more than cut it into chunks and leave it laying around the yard. Although I guess if we had wanted that much service, we should have gone with the first people who wanted $1800. M is going to be hauling wood around for years. That was one big tree.
Oh, and lunch! I was out to lunch today because I met up with six of my ex-coworkers today. :) It was very fun. I have been gone for over a year now. I miss them but I so love my new job. Being a stay-at-home mom is so hard but it is so great, all at the same time.
And, I finally got my new glasses today. They hurt my eyes. I am hoping that I'll get used to them but it's been years since I had a hard time adjusting to new lenses so I'm a bit concerned.
