Self-Reliance

It's home improvement season! I have a whole list of projects that need to get done. I intend to do most of them myself, but there are a two that give me pause. The first involves cutting a hole in my roof. I'm not excited about that.

The second is replacing a rotten fence post, the one that supports the gate. This is the same thirty-year old fence I repair every year. I know how difficult it is with the rotten wood, rusty screws, rusty nails and huge, heavy plugs of cement. This is the gate post. I'm sure they used a huge amount of cement to stabilize it. Will I be able to get that plug out of the hole? And then pouring cement and cutting the post to size which I can't do because I don't have the proper tools. Hmmm.

I received a recommendation for a new construction worker in the area. He's supposed to be knowledgeable and honest. That's rare. I email him and of course he's very busy with the summer projects of others. We confirm a date for a quote and I make it really clear not to wear perfumes, colognes or scented products. The date gets postponed several times. I'm feeling impatient, but not only do I want the quote, but I want his advice especially on the roof.

Just as I'm about to give up on him, he shows. He's very nice and professional. His wife is with him and she is also very nice. I smell something on him (not her), but truthfully, I'm excited to find a new construction worker so I go into denial. He won't be in the house.  Maybe I can just avoid him?

He quotes both projects, each will take one hour plus supplies and he comes up with about $100 for each. Hmmm...OK. I get a whiff of his stink again. I can't identify it. I ignore it. I announce I'm excited.

His wife says, "Are you excited about the price? You think it's a good price?"

I clarify, "I'm excited to get things done."

As I wait to hear from him, I stress out. He stunk. I had migraines all night. It could have been worse, but that's bad enough. I make it a practice not to give money to stinky people. I don't really want to hire him, but I don't want to do these things myself. Maybe he'll be too busy to get back to me?

A day or two later he emails me his written quote...$150.00 for the roof and $200.00 for the post and he forgot the cost of the 4x4 post in the quote so add on $20.00 for $220. WHAT THE HELL!!? No way am I paying that much! Did the wife think I would be happy to spend extra? I have hired handymen to replace posts in the past and at the most it costs $50.00. I was willing to pay $100 for quality work, but now even that sounds too expensive.

Today I got working on the fence post. As expected, rusty screws that kept breaking, nails that wouldn't budge. Then I get to the cement plug and dig and dig and dig. Yep, it's twice as big as any I've seen and more importantly, I've lost my thingy-majiggy. You know that big metal thing I use to cantilever heavy things. I have no idea where it is or what I did with it. How do I get this monster cement plug out of that hole without it? I think. I tried a few other things, a broom handle, a small crowbar, then I found a metal pipe which allowed me to move the plug back and forth in the hole a little. I watched a few online videos with men and their man tools doing fancy removals, but I don't have the fancy man tools. Heck, I don't even have my thingy-majiggy!

I go out to the hole and ponder. I move the cement back and forth, thinking, thinking, thinking. I can do this, but how? And then an idea comes to me...if I can refill the hole from the bottom up which might push the cement plug up higher and higher, maybe I can get it high enough and just roll it out?

I can't believe that worked! I actually did a happy dance.

I'm using that cement plug as a sentry-sculpture outside my gate. I can't move it anywhere else. I should go find the other plug I left in the bushes last year,  roll it over, put it on the opposite side of the steps and call it art. LOL!

SO BEAUTIFUL! And so tall!
I don't have tools to cut it so it'll stay tall.
I'll put a bird house on it.

So I just saved myself $200.00!!  Next is the roof...I can do this!!! Who needs a construction worker? Useless people....