Last Sunday, after the shower, I came home and took these photos of the backyard flowers:
Last week was a very exciting week for me: we got a gate put into our front fence that allows access to the secret backyard. The gate is unobtrusive and the craftsman was able to use mostly lumber from the existing fence, so it doesn't look new. We put the shepherds hook back where it belongs next to the front steps so everything looks the same. I wanted access to the secret backyard but I didn't want to make it obvious that it's back there. I was thrilled that Jay finally found someone who
A. Does fencework
B. Answered his call.
C. Showed up.
I'm a bit miffed by how many folks these days don't even bother to let you know that they're too busy to fit your job into their schedules. I mean, good for them that they're that busy but some of them say they'll come take a look and give you an estimate and then they never show up. It's happened to us at least 5 times this spring and summer. I also know some craftsmen who simply won't come into the city. Thanks to the events of the last three years and the ridiculous way Minneapolis has handled it all, folks who live outstate think that to venture into town is to risk life and limb. That's simply not true. At least, it isn't true in my neighborhood, which is practically Edina.
Two weeks ago, Jay declared that he was going to hire someone to wash our windows.
"I don't mind washing the windows!" I protested.
"Then why are they all filthy?" he asked.
I thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, hire someone." I said.
I don't mind washing the windows but I've been so busy I never got around to it this spring. Plus, for the first time in our lives, we can afford to hire that kind of job out and that's the kind of income redistribution I'm in favor of: Capitalism!
Jay found a guy and they set up a time. The night before they were to come, they asked us to move all the furniture away from the windows to give them access. We spent about an hour taking down all the blinds and curtains, moving furniture away from windows and I moved all the planters in the secret garden away from the windows so they could get at the outsides as well as the insides.
You guessed it: they never showed.
They were supposed to be here at 8:00 am. At 10:00, I called and asked where they were. The young man I spoke to was very apologetic and told me they'd had to reschedule us to next week.
At this point, Jay grabbed the phone and said to take us off their schedule. That guy will never know how lucky he was that Jay canceled before I unloaded on him.
Look, I understand how it is with a small business. I've been a small business for 49 years. Here's the deal: I would have been more than happy to reschedule if they'd told us. But they didn't and they gave us homework to do the night before.
Our options at that moment were to move all our furniture inside and out back into place, ready to move it all a third time next week, or wash our windows ourselves.
Good thing I don't mind washing windows. Jay got so into it, he took apart all our double hungs and washed those suckers on both sides and all the storms as well.
I threw all our curtains into the laundry so by Friday not only was every window on the first floor crystal clear, the curtains no longer throw up clouds of dust when they move. AND we saved a few hundred bucks. Win/Win/Win.
The day after the Great Window Washing Adventure, I spent poolside with my sisters and our friend Liz. It was 90, hot sunny and we all needed a pool day.
Back to the new gate: the guy who put it in was expensive but we had all that money from washing our own windows to spare, so I didn't mind. Plus, he showed up, unlike everyone else we tried. He told us we lucked out: the only reason he could fit us in immediately was because the supplies for his next job were still in transit, so he had a free day. He was totally worth it: professional, skilled and fast. In just a few hours he had transformed my fence into what it needed to become. As if all that weren't enough, he knew a guy who did patio work! Jay called him right away and once again, we lucked out. The guy usually does cement work but the next few days were going to be too hot for concrete, so a paver job was just the ticket to keep him working. He came over, I told him what I wanted, he gave us a quote and BOOM! I had a patio in my secret backyard! It's been four years since I first decided what I wanted back there and now my vision is a reality! I've got a standing umbrella, dozens of pots full of flowers and my outdoor studio wants only for an artist to set up her easel!
I would have spent last Sunday out there but I had another party to go to.