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Math is Hard!
January 10, 2008
In 1992, Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie. Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so that no two dolls were likely to be the same. One of these 270 phrases was “Math class is tough!” Although only about 1.5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase, Mattel got all kinds of bad publicity for it, and the shortened version, “Math is hard!” entered our national vocabulary.
What’s this have to do with the Recycled House?
Apparently, one of the most important things to do when building a structure is making sure it’s square before you start laying the foundation. Builder Scott referred to it as “setting the points”, which was a new phrase for me. It makes sense, since crooked walls and doorways just won’t do, and it would be good to ensure that the windows will fit.
Dusty the Excavator was going to do that. On a Friday. But the concrete wasn’t dry enough. So he was going to come on Monday. No big deal, right?
As I mentioned in the last post, Charles the Mason (a.k.a. Charles Manson) wanted to start Saturday at 7am. He agreed to set the points himself. Builder Scott gave me the impression that he wasn’t too confident about Charles Manson’s ability to do this correctly, regardless of the fact that Charles has been a mason for 22 years. My impression was that Charles Manson wanted to get started quickly in order to get his big wad of cash in the tiny envelope as quickly as possible. I reminded Builder Scott that Charles Manson was working for him, not the other way around, and if he didn’t feel good about having Charles set the points, he should tell him to come on Monday, and if Charles wasn’t amenable to that, perhaps Builder Scott might consider procuring a less surly mason.
Scott said they would work on it together on Saturday, and see how it went.
So, Charles Manson and his five guys show up at 7am. One of the first things they do is position some sort of mini cement mixer against the side of Katina’s house, which is next to mine. (Since my lot is an “L” shape, the site for the cottage is directly behind Katina’s house. It seems like the construction people assume it’s my house, and they feel that if it’s my job, why should I care about all kinds of commotion going on right behind me? Katina doesn’t live in her house anymore. She lives in a nursing home. An adorable young couple rent it now. They just moved in about a month ago.)
One of Charles Manson’s guys begins whacking on that mini cement mixer with a big hammer, purportedly to shake loose some debris. I hear nothing, because my house is brick and block with thick plaster walls, and I sleep like a dead person. But I do hear my doorbell frantically ringing about ten times. I get up and answer the door. It’s Daniel, one half of the adorable couple, asking me if it’s necessary for my workmen to start at 7am on a Saturday. I profusely apologize, call Scott on his cell phone, and relay the message. He is in the backyard, and tells the guy to quit whacking.
I go back to sleep. When I get up around noon, I look outside. Nobody’s there. And none of the block that Charles has made such a stink about having delivered has moved. I go out for a few hours. When I come home and look out, I see Charles and Scott outside with some tape measures and string.
Last week it was very cold. On Saturday, it’s sunny and warm. Sunday is gorgeous. Nobody comes. I talk to Builder Scott later, who informs me that Charles “couldn’t work out the numbers.” I learn that it’s all about geometry. The Pythagorean Theorem! Who knew that would ever come in handy in real life? Charles had sent his guys off to another job, so he could work out his numbers without them all standing around. But he couldn’t quite get it right. So he gave up, and said he’d come on Monday. He should refund the premium rush delivery charge I probably paid on all that block and sand!
Monday is a beautiful day. Dusty the Excavator comes as scheduled and sets the points with no problems. But Charles doesn’t come. Apparently, he called Scott at 9pm on Sunday night to confirm that we was coming on Monday. When Builder Scott isn’t working on my job, he manages a restaurant. So he didn’t get the message until quite late at night. He left messages for Charles, but Charles didn’t come. Personally, I think he was just punishing Scott for not calling him back promptly enough.
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1PJ | January 17, 2008
Debra may I suggest you look into getting more memory for your computer as these postings of crummy building tales will/are beginning to multiply exponentially.
Perhaps setting some phase completion targets with incentives could encourage more diligence. Or even more on target could be a cold 12-pac of Brewskis for these guys as Friday or Saturday work comes to a close.