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The Angry Neighbor
January 14, 2008
When you do a construction project in your backyard, someone’s bound to get pissed off. We’ve tried to be sensitive to the neighbors, but there is noise, mud, debris, etc.
Builder Scott came to the door today, and I could tell he was frazzled. He was so frazzled I had to get him a glass of water so he could take his blood pressure medicine. Then I made him pet Miss Lily for a while because she’s very soft and cuddly and she makes him laugh.
Scott is in a continuous battle with Charles Manson. Charles doesn’t like change orders. Scott thinks that if Charles could work on brick ramblers for the rest of his life he’d be happy. But our project isn’t your usual thing. It’s fairly organic, and things are changing as they are happening. Scott is making adjustments to the structure because there have been some changes from the original plans due to some circumstances that Scott couldn’t predict. One of them was that the excavators dug a deeper hole in the ground than anticipated, so we have build the foundation up higher. We’ve also made some adjustments to where the windows will be, and a few other things. Charles doesn’t like the fact that Scott is questioning his 22 years of experience. Scott isn’t doing that. He just wants things done in a certain way, using specific materials in specific places, and Charles seems to forget who’s working for whom. Masonry is hard work. Scott’s trying to be accommodating. But trying to work with a curmudgeon is always a bitch.
To add insult to injury, Scott had a confrontation with the couple who own the house behind me. I was good friends with the older couple who owned the place for many years. They moved out about a year ago, and I never see the folks who moved in so I haven’t had an opportunity to introduce myself. Apparently, the woman who owns the place thinks what I’m doing is “an abomination” and that I’m “encroaching on the public right-of-way” and that my project is “ruining everything” about their house. Turns out THEY DON’T LIVE THERE! It’s a rental! And it’s a piece of crap house, too.
I told Scott that next time, send those types over to my house. I’m happy to tell them in a very nice way that I don’t give a flying you-know-what about what they think!
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1PJ | January 17, 2008
Every “piece of crap” homeowner is entitled to their own opinion...... no matter how lame it may be. Her trifling lamentations will seem a piddling distraction compared to the various construction issues you will continue to face as your project moves ahead. “Changes” are as common as sawdust in projects like this. Courage Debra..... “IT” has only just begun.