We all have bad days, or runs of days, weeks, months and I’m not even sure this one is done yet for me. I find it helpful (writing it even more-so) to count my blessings instead of wallowing in my frustration. I know you’ve all had times like this so take some comfort in knowing someone else bungles things up too (or just laugh at me, I can take it).
I started back to work after my last short family visit after having done a lot of legwork on a big project for our company’s internal reporting tool (Sharepoint site). I expected to have it in full demo mode two Fridays ago close of business. About an hour in I realized I had re-designed a section of the database to accomplish one goal that took away a key feature I needed. Ugh, restart.
LESSON LEARNED –> Make sure everything fits before making anything pretty.
UPSIDE DOWN –> I still had lots of time before my deadline (this coming Monday), nothing else on the site was affected, and it only took me to last Friday to have it all redone. Plus the redesigned form was actually prettier.
Same day, couple hours later, I’m on my way to a meeting. I always make a Mr. Rogers-ish switch from my suit-coat to a long sweater when I get in the office (and make a cup of strong coffee). This morning I had moved my sunglasses from my head to my sweater pocket (more professional, right?). I hit the restroom on the way upstairs and when I leaned back up from flushing the toilet; “plop” go my sunglasses. Unfortunately the heavy-duty commercial toilet was already flushing so halfway through thinking “how do I get those out without sticking my hand in” they disappeared.
UPSIDE DOWN –> These were a $5 pair of glasses ( I don’t spend more than $10, I know myself). Technically they were H’s which I traded for the pair of mine that were hiding somewhere in her house last time I visited.
Also, after a week it seems they haven’t done any permanent damage to the plumbing, whew!
Tuesday I stayed home to meet a barrage of maintenance folks descending on the new house. All of these encounters went great until the last. I scheduled a locksmith through an online listing that should have been local and had a couple good reviews. The technician wanted to barter what should have been standard pricing to replace all the cylinders in my locks with a starting price four times what it should have cost. After multiple attempts to say “no thanks” to belligerent responses, I thought maybe I’ll just let him do the work (for a negotiated 3x standard price) and at least I know he won’t kill me in my sleep. He then wanted to replace the deadbolts with a completely different finish from the knobs, and when I say that won’t work he fumbles with trying to switch a cylinder in my existing deadbolt with no success, so I decide to call it off. He then tells me he will only leave if I pay him $100 because he spent so much time (trying to figure out if he could even do the job and disassembling what I had before). It took calls to the company and his supervisor and a threat to call the police hand have him escorted off the property to get him to take the $35 service call fee (which was supposed to be $25 I learned later AND wasn’t disclosed) and leave.
LESSON LEARNED –> Clarify before someone comes out if you only what an estimate and that it should be free. Also for standard services, they should be able to quote you standard pricing over the phone.
UPSIDE DOWN –> He hasn’t burned my house down or vandalized anything yet. I called another locksmith and had the same job plus two other items done for a third of the cost.
Last but not least, I finish off Tuesday with my favorite chore: dog-poop pickup. As I grab a big chunk through the grocery bag on my hand I feel wetness as my finger goes right through the hole I didn’t see. LESSON LEARNED –> Check bag for holes, or splurge on an actual pooper scooper!
UPSIDE DOWN –> I have a great dog I have to clean up after.
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