It's Friday!

Boy, I hope this post is on time.

You all had strong feelings about being tardy.
There did not appear any middle ground. 
You either are on time and it bothers you when others aren't on time.
Or you're the late person. 
No one said, "Ah I don't care either way"

Last nights game made me sick.
Our pitcher should have been taken out in the 2nd inning.
We looked anemic. Tired perhaps? I wanted a sweep but had to settle for 2 out of 3 wins. Oh well, could have been worse right?

I wanted to share an update on our landscaping.
I finally had a company come by that I called 4 times.
I began this ugly journey in February.
FINALLY got a callback.

The landscape artist or whatever they are called showed up on May 2nd to give me an estimate. We sat at my dining room table after standing outside and measuring for what seemed like an extra long time.
She made a drawing. Showed me what they were doing. It was okay. 
I can't afford, WOW.  So okay will have to do. It keeps the HOA off my ass as well as Rick and I not having to dig through this heavy stone in our front "yard".  It kills Rick's back and last time he was laid up after so best not to have him do this with his back issue.

The woman who came to my home on May 2nd was named Jennifer.
Jennifer left promising me the drawings via email within 24 hrs so I could get approval to the HOA and she stated that I should call on the following day to schedule this appointment. She told me it would be 6 weeks from now. So call right away to get on the calendar. I was given the name of the scheduler.

I called on May 3rd. They couldn't schedule anything because Jennifer did not hand in the paperwork. The woman in the office suggested I call back in two days. I called back on May 7th and she explained she had no paperwork so she did not know what to schedule me for.

Now I am peeved. The longer it takes for this nut Jennifer to hand in her work the longer this drags out. I won't have planting until fall at this rate.
She also did not email me the drawings to give to the HOA for approval.

The woman in the office told me she would call me as soon as she got it to get me on the schedule. She was apologizing for Jennifer as well. 
She shouldn't have to do that. 

I called again on May 10th because I had not heard from anyone.
She said well the hardscape can be scheduled on July 16th.
I asked about the planting, mulch etc. She said she didn't know she did not have my paperwork, she was scheduling me for the hardscape because they were so backed up and because I told her I was having it so she put me on the schedule so I wasn't pushed until fall.  But if they had no picture of the wall then how did they know what kind of material or wall I was having done? 

I thanked her but again explained that I have been going round and round since Feb and this is most unprofessional and while I may seem calm I am pissed off. What else can we do to move this damn thing forward? Can't you someone get Jennifer's paperwork to get this going? 
Doesn't she have to hand this stuff in each and every day? 
Can't she be called? Something?
She put me on hold. Great.

She came back to the phone to share that someone would call me within 30 minutes. I told her I felt like I was being passed around while nothing was actually being done. She assured me someone would call me.
Five minutes later I get a call from a woman who is the head of the hardscape dept.  She told me that she could get a team to do the hardscape because she got the print/layout of the design. She also sent it to me via email while we were talking. We went over the design. I told her that I was told that they were saving 5 of my hostas so if your guys come in to excavate and put in this wall what is going to happen to the hostas until 8 weeks from now when the planting is done? (saving 5 of mine saved me some serious cash)

After I asked that questions she paused. Too long of one to me. 
I asked if she was still there.
She said, "Yes I see on the plans that it does state that we are removing 5 hostas and moving them to behind the wall." 
I agree and ask again, "So do I have to plant them somewhere until you get the landscape done? Will you? What is going to occur?"  

She was emphatic when she said they will not plant them elsewhere. 
She expected me to take them out before they came. 
I said okay, but you will then owe me money because I paid for you to remove and replant and there was a charge associated with that. 
I also told her I had no place to put these plants since I don't have a back or front yard. She kept saying the same thing over and over again. 
Finally, at this point, I said, "look we are saying the same thing again and again yet my question is not answered. Do you even know what can be done to make this work? If I take them out will I be refunded? 
If you take them out will you plant them somewhere to save them so I am not charged for new ones?" 
Her response was the question, "can you hold a moment?"

It seemed like forever I was on hold and just as I was beginning to think that there was no way in hell she was coming back to the phone she did come back.
Whew. Look I was trying to be patient and not be mean or angry towards this woman because she did not promise me shit and not come through. But I was getting hotter by the minute and if she hadn't come back I would have canceled the whole damn thing and gotten my deposit back.

She came back on the line and said, "I spoke to the landscape supervisor and we can do it all, hardscape and landscape on Saturday between 8-9am if that works for you. I will have my team excavate and put in the wall, the landscape will be done after that by everyone else on the team that arrives. Are you okay with this Saturday?" 

Of course! was my replay. But I repeated, "just to be sure we are on the same page, you are coming Saturday to excavate and put in new wall and all the landscaping that is on the drawing, is that correct?"  
She said an emphatic YES. (hmm, from July 16th to this Saturday?)

She said that she was sorry for this not being done in a timely manner so we will put you on the calendar for this Saturday. I thanked her very much and said see you Saturday.

Now I am glad I didn't get bitchy like I was feeling because they wouldn't have done this if I had been mean. I know that for a fact. I live it daily. Those who are mean get nothing from me. Those that are nice I bend over backward to accommodate. 

So hopefully Saturday it will all be over. No more nastygrams from the HOA. No more waiting for people to do their jobs correctly.
No more neighbors telling me to call their landscaper. (yes she did have the nerve and it is the one I am using.)

Rick said it isn't over until they show up and do it correctly.
Sure enough. But getting closer.

In the meantime, I did not get approval for the HOA.
It would take to long. 
I am going with the premise that it is better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission. 

We'll see, won't we? 
Yep, that's me, living on the edge. 😎 

TGIF. Wine time on the patio tonight. 
Grilling pizza's and having wine.
C'mon over and join us!