WATER CATCHMENT CHRONICLES, Part One

It's all coming back to me now - what it was like to deal with a bunch of different contractors on a building project. I can't believe I ever forgot. I guess it's like childbirth - an "if the memories didn't soften over time, no one would ever have a second child" kind of thing. Perhaps I should have gone back through my journals, to refresh my memory regarding our remodeling, driveway-paving, and roof-blowing-away experiences. But no, my mind was a clean slate again, ready to take everyone at their word. Silly me. We weren't fifteen minutes into this project, before I was on the phone, crying to John.

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Sunday: I need my hubby! This water catchment business is stressing me out. First there was having to watch a month's worth of good rain slip by us, because the tank wasn't ready yet. Then there was Pad Guy, who agreed to build a landing pad of sorts, to place the tank on. He said he should finish up his current job towards the end of April, then come do our pad, which would only take a day. Wouldn't you know, he called and left a message on our house phone while I was in Houston, and since I didn't respond immediately, he went on to start another job. I can't believe he didn't have our cell phone numbers! We always give people our cell phone numbers!

Saturday: So of course, Tank Guy called the very next day to say the tank is ready to be delivered, when do we want it? We call Pad Guy in a panic, and he says don't worry, he'll work us in on Thursday or Friday of this week, so we call Tank Guy and tell him he can deliver it any time the following week. Fine, he says. I'll send my pipe guys out the early part of next week to do their thing, and we'll deliver the tank on Wednesday. Perfect! Right?

Only, of course, Pad Guy can't make it on Thursday, and shoves us back to Friday, which is OK, until Tank Guy calls me early that morning and says pipe guys are free, so I'm going to send them on over and let them get started. I warned him that Pad Guy was coming too, but he said no problem, so I say fine, and head off to the shower. By the time I'm finished, pipe guys are here, and they've got the entire downstairs driveway - the one which Pad Guy must come down to get to the pad area - filled with a huge truck, a trailer, a bunch of pipe, and some sort of trenching tractor. Well, crap.

to be continued...