Today is a day of ... resignation

I am becoming resigned to the fact that my bathroom may never be finished. I scurried around getting all the items that I was told I needed NOW but they are all just sitting there in my dining room. Paul, the workman (I use the term lightly) doing my bathroom (or not), said I needed the linoleum, arborite, paint, new sink and toilet RIGHT NOW. Well, the paint has been opened.

He started off the other day with some paint he brought but it didn't go on very well - very streaky and no coverage. So he went and got the type of paint and colour that my neighbours had chosen. The linen closet is painted, the trim and the cabinet, drawers and doors etc all done in white. He began painting the walls and ceiling and got most of the first coat on. That is where we are still. Not a lot of action. Still much to be done. He pulled all the caulking off the tub and surround because it didn't look good, so I can't use the tub or shower. Thankfully there is another downstairs.

He came to view the job a week ago this past Thursday. He was to begin on Monday. Was late Monday and when he did come, he only seemed to want to talk and I was trying to get my weekly column in to the paper. He left early afternoon. Tuesday I believe he was a no-show but I had a lot to do with Seniors so I didn't care. Wednesday he arrived late but got to work doing some more of the prep and painting trim etc. Thursday he worked on the trim, closet etc and managed to finish all that. Friday he didn't feel like working much and I thought that by leaving and going to my doctor's appointment he might be more inclined to work since I would be there to talk to. Nope. When I came home about three hours later not a lot had been accomplished. By the end of the day though most of the first coat of the taupe colour was on the wall.

Saturday he was to arrive around 10am. I was feeling miserable so I got up around 9:45am to unlock the door for him and to take some extra pills (I had taken my regular ones around 8am). I then returned to bed thinking that when he arrived he could just get on with the work. He arrived about five minutes early and simply knocked, opened my bedroom door and waltzed in saying he wasn't here to work. He sat on the edge of my bed talking for about an hour until I ordered him out so I could get dressed and make coffee for us. Then he talked for another hour or so and finally left.

Sunday was a day off so I didn't expect to see him but around 7pm he showed up and was drunk. He admits to being an alcoholic but said he had been dry for some time. Well, if that was true, he surely ain't no more. He stayed for nearly three hours, talking, philosophizing, ranting and raving about things that have happened in his life and so on. He is definitely messed up somewhat - well alright delete the somewhat. Just before I tossed him out (figuratively - the man is about 5'10" and very fit, tells me he used to teach martial arts) he told me that he REALLY likes me and that it is just too bad that I'm not younger. Yep, one of those 'oh shit' moments. I couldn't strangle him (he had protection in the form of one huge German Shepherd Rottwiler cross and a tiny Jack Russell cross) so I told him to go home and have some sleep. I was worried about him driving but he had been drinking water for three hours so I figured he was better able now than when he arrived.

I did not expect him to be at work this morning and I was not wrong. He phoned a little while ago to say that he will see me tomorrow. Oh goody. I have things to do tomorrow morning at the Centre and also will be there for the afternoon meeting so hopefully he might get the rest of the painting done. I have a back-up plan though. If he doesn't finish, Marcy says Christine can finish the painting. Then I will get the floor guys to lay the linoleum and hopefully put the new toilet on. Also I just recently was in the new Home Depot on this side of the lake (well okay it has been around for over a year but it is still new to me) and discovered that they hire retired men for a couple of days a week and these men hire themselves out to do odd jobs. The man that helped me choose the arborite told me that and he works with arborite, tile etc. So maybe he would do my arborite for me. I can hope.