handyman from hell
we have been working on the bathroom since saturday. we put in a solid 18.5 hours till sunday. when the 'amateur' handyman went over time on his bid of 22 hours on monday, we were still left with an unbelievable amount of work. so far we have logged 3.5 hours over. we have plenty more to go.
for $25/hr, i was slated for a good deal. until i factored in the externalities of working with a 27 year old with a post-adoloescent outlook on female companionship. i think now he is prolonging the job for the conversations alone. and how those conversations strain my resolve to remain calm and agreeable. i have been inundated with stories of conquest and his desirability... this from a man who does not realise when his fly is open, has horse breath, and who farts at surprising frequency. in my presence. yes. we have become that close. apparently.
i am buying him lunch, spending all my time in his presence since saturday. i have not had a chance to pick up groceries, wash my hair and do laundry. not to mention, the packing that i need to get done before my scheduled move this coming weekend. yesterday he scheduled an appt. for 4 pm. showed up at 2:00 pm and called me at home to demand lunch. took an hour to talk and eat. and then started - guess when - exactly at 4 pm.
if i never see his face again, i think it'll be too soon. but i have to say, he brings the power tools without which this project would be impossible. he owns a truck - crucial to transport material, esp. in circumstances where buying and returning big, awkward items are frequent.
bad news is that so far i am dangerously close to going over budget on both labor and material. i think now, he is wishing he had quoted me a higher hourly rate. although i know not why. in customary contractor fashion, he is droning on now whenever he gets a chance that it is far too much work than he had estimated/anticipated (although i have added nothing extra since the bid). he apparently "hates" going into the crawl space, drywalling, mudding, and dealing with foam insulation. so as a constructin guy, i wonder what he doesnot "hate" abt construction. he constantly compares his rates with others, the others who would have been bonded, insured and licenced.
my colleague who recommended him suggested today that i leave the house when he is working (that's what he did). i will try that from today but i think he is far too dependent/reliant on the 'stellar' conversation/attention my presence grants him and it will be difficult to wean him off. all due to one small judgmental error on my part when i decided that by being there i could only help matters. how naive.
for $25/hr, i was slated for a good deal. until i factored in the externalities of working with a 27 year old with a post-adoloescent outlook on female companionship. i think now he is prolonging the job for the conversations alone. and how those conversations strain my resolve to remain calm and agreeable. i have been inundated with stories of conquest and his desirability... this from a man who does not realise when his fly is open, has horse breath, and who farts at surprising frequency. in my presence. yes. we have become that close. apparently.
i am buying him lunch, spending all my time in his presence since saturday. i have not had a chance to pick up groceries, wash my hair and do laundry. not to mention, the packing that i need to get done before my scheduled move this coming weekend. yesterday he scheduled an appt. for 4 pm. showed up at 2:00 pm and called me at home to demand lunch. took an hour to talk and eat. and then started - guess when - exactly at 4 pm.
if i never see his face again, i think it'll be too soon. but i have to say, he brings the power tools without which this project would be impossible. he owns a truck - crucial to transport material, esp. in circumstances where buying and returning big, awkward items are frequent.
bad news is that so far i am dangerously close to going over budget on both labor and material. i think now, he is wishing he had quoted me a higher hourly rate. although i know not why. in customary contractor fashion, he is droning on now whenever he gets a chance that it is far too much work than he had estimated/anticipated (although i have added nothing extra since the bid). he apparently "hates" going into the crawl space, drywalling, mudding, and dealing with foam insulation. so as a constructin guy, i wonder what he doesnot "hate" abt construction. he constantly compares his rates with others, the others who would have been bonded, insured and licenced.
my colleague who recommended him suggested today that i leave the house when he is working (that's what he did). i will try that from today but i think he is far too dependent/reliant on the 'stellar' conversation/attention my presence grants him and it will be difficult to wean him off. all due to one small judgmental error on my part when i decided that by being there i could only help matters. how naive.
