Today's Big Surprise

I cleaned out the refrigerator.

Just kidding. Here's another BEFORE picture, all book cases gone, the speaker wires strung up in the ceiling, ceiling patched.

I had hired an electrician (Harry--not his real name) to run the stereo wires in the ceiling. Harry showed up, said he could do it and he'd see me the next day. He showed up at 9-ish, and we agreed to an hourly rate of 65 bucks.

I'm definitely in the wrong business. I think I make about half that as an adjunct teacher and they only pay me for classroom time--the grading and bookkeeping is all bonus--making my hourly wage about $2.50. Okay, so I got over my freaking out and he started.

Started to talk, that is.

We chatted about the recent election (luckily The Shyster got skunked and the Good Guy won), his college-bound children, his neighbors and I'm thinking, Stop chatting, start working. I figure if I'm paying him by the job--hey! I'll chat all day, even fix him lunch. But if I'm paying by the hour--work AND talk.

He put a ladder up. I pretended I had to clean out the garage (which I was doing, sort of) and exited.

I heard some drilling. So far--it's been an hour. Cha-ching! sixty-five bucks.

He came out. I've run into a little problem, he said. Instead of just drywall on your kitchen soffit, there's another two-by up there. They must have run the beam (and he gestures) this way, instead of (gesture) that way.

I follow him in to the house and sure enough, there's a nice round 4" disc of drywall cut out of my kitchen soffit (or dropped ceiling). Chit-chat-chit-chat. Continue. I exit to the garage.

More drilling. Stop. More drilling.

He came out. I've run into a little problem, he said. Instead of just one beam behind your kitchen soffit, there's another two-by up there. They must have run the beam (and he gestures) doubled up, instead of (gesture) single.

I follow him in to the house and sure enough, there's a nice round 4" disc of wood cut out of my kitchen soffit (or dropped ceiling). Chit-chat-chit-chat. Continue. I exit to the garage, a little more freaking out. I continue to shred old bills.

More drilling. Cha-ching! We're at two hours and not one wire has been run. I decide I'm done.

I go in. It was a bad idea of mine, I offer. Let's stop here. We'll just use molding or something if my house is so crazily built (and I'm thinking, why didn't you just try the ceiling approach like we'd talked about?)

I've never been pulled off a job before, he said.
It was just a bad idea of mine, I said.
He offered to glue the wooden plug back in the hole.
Sounds great, I said. Thanks very much, I reiterated.

I won't tell you what I was thinking.

As he packed up, he said he wouldn't charge me. Yet knowing how small of a circle these guys run in--no, I said, let's split it. So then I had a sixty-five dollar hole in my kitchen.

I call Phil (my handyman--his real name). He comes out the next Wednesday morning, runs two stereo wires, AND puts up a speaker for me: 2 hours. I like Phil very much. Russ, the drywall guy comes out that afternoon, and patches the holes. Russ has drywall skills like no one else. He also has cottage-cheese-ceiling-patching skills like no one else.

Dave, the professor, paints the ceiling on Saturday while I sand and touch up the kitchen cabinets.

We take out all the stereo stuff Monday morning, as well as the coffee table and the rug. With everything out, I remembered how much I like these floors we had done two years ago. Here's a photo.

Monday about 9-ish, Steve and his assistant, Craig (in the red shirt), arrive.
YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!
They bring in these little boxes that are the support and level for the bookcases.

They level them, nail and screw them together.

First "box" in. The front face has a lower flange that covers these support frames on the floor.

Steve sands off some of the edge of the right-hand cabinet to fit tightly against the fireplace wall.

Third box in.

Fourth.

And the last box is in. It will hold the television, three speakers and has six drawers below the TV place. He then spends a lot of time screwing the boxes into the studs and to each other.

Steve, the brilliant cabinet-bookcase-builder guy. I really liked working with him, and his skills are really amazing. He can figure anything out, like how to run stereo wires behind a cabinet and how to get everything to fit like a puzzle.
That night, I sit on the sofa and admire his work.

Tuesday he came back in the afternoon and put the trim on the base and molding on the top.

Our shelves are stacked up on the floor--we have lots.

This morning, Billy the Painter arrived along with his son, Billy the Painter. They're both dressed in white.

That's all so far!