Monday, November 7, 2011

And so we build

I've gotten bids from a number of
contractors.  None of them looked
anything like this.  Why is that?
After the flood we felt drilled
and the losses just killed
but the possibilities thrilled
and now it's to us to build
and so we build
AND SO WE BUILD

More than two months after 3 feet of flood water flowed through our home we have turned the corner on DEstruction and graduated to CONstruction.

Today was a big day in that process.  We had already ordered our cabinets, and today we went to the stone yard and picked a light marbled pattern for our counter top.  It'll be one piece, which is nice.

After that it was back to Home Depot, to submit a list of the most expensive materials we need to get into their 'bid room'.  They had told me about their build room a month ago when I explained I'd be buying a shitload -I'm sorry that's wrong to say.  I'd be buying a fuckload of building materials to rebuild my house.  As it was explained at the time, their 'bid room' was a place you submit your $2500+ item list wish they would offer discounts on.  So I spend the ensuing weeks building that list to exceed that threshold and garner said discounts.  When I spoke to them on Saturday they told me they had recently changed the rules on bid room acceptance; it's contractors only now.  Rather than argue with the innocent counter person I asked for a manager.

Everything a boy needs to rebuild his kitchen
(and make his wife happy) -almost.
I was in luck, he had been flooded also.  He told me the rule was company-wide since management felt it was being abused and was originally intended for contractors only, but he would make an exception for me and let me in for one week.  I took advantage and put in for 4K worth of materials, mostly tiling.  They came back within minutes of my submission with $350 worth of discounts.  That's 8% on top of their already low prices.  We done good.

I had taken a tiling class there just the day before, so I collected enough of our selected tile, quick set and grout to do the kitchen.  Our cabinets are due in later this week, and the tile should be laid before hand.  (If you knew me at all, you'd know I'm a fan of getting things laid early)  So it's all starting to fall into place.  Finally.  Yay us!

13 comments:

  1. Glad you're back, brother!

    I'm glad you talked Home Depot out of their stupid "contractor" policy. I've had to patch up too many "contractor" jobs. If a near-sighted English teacher can do it, what's so great about a "contractor"? I'd rather pay my drunken cousins in beer than pay another contractor to frig up Tessa's house.

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  2. Trials build character. Isn't that what God always says?

    However, it ain't fun.

    Nuh-uh.

    So... I'm sorry. :(

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  3. I like the poem. Can't decide if it reminds me more of Vonnegut or A. A. Milne, but I guess that doesn't matter. I like it, anyway.

    Good job on being a tiger and getting those discounts!

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  4. This is awesome news! Congrats on the discount and getting things back to normal (or whatever it is like for a non-God god-figure). So happy you got laid! ;)

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  5. When they took our house down after our fire they called it the demolition stage. I called it the deconstruction. It just felt better that way. Glad to hear that you are getting along in the process!

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  6. Somehow I had you figured for a pipe-layer, rather than a tile layer. Just goes to show you, huh? I'm glad you got the discount. Everything helps when you have to start from the bottom up. We almost always use Chinese contractors. If I every have to get another husband, it will be a Chinese contractor.

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  7. Glad to hear that it's all coming together! AND you gave me a great idea: workshops! Just signed myself up for a Bathroom Projects workshop at the local Home Despot. I mean Depot.

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  8. Glad to hear you're getting laid. And you're getting a discount to get laid.
    That's great, congratulations!!

    What?

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  9. Fred,
    I think I'll lay off the beer when I laying tile this weekend. The tinest mistake in that will be there forever.

    Q,
    they build ulcers too!

    Sully,
    thanks, but a few days later it looks silly to me

    Angie,
    not more than me you arent'!

    Laughing,
    yeah, the de- and con- will coexist for a while

    Linda,
    as Billy Joel once sang "I've played all kinds of palaces and laid all kinds of" well, you know

    Mike,
    yes but they are a benevolent despot, no?

    Nicky,
    everything's better with a discount baby

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  10. What a project! Sorry you got flooded out. That's gotta suck. I hope your new place is everything you want it to be and even better.

    Happy Thanksgiving.

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  11. If god can't shimmy through a loophole there's no hope for the rest of us. Well done, g!

    I just wrote about giving your wife a new kitchen; I'm glad to see, once again, that you flew through the loophole by doing the work yourself.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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