… or was I just grateful to see him?

Sounds like a down to earth gratitude thing, doesn’t it?

But for those of you who have been following this house renovation … for that indeed is what it has become … you will know that I have, shall we say, a naturally air-conditioned roof on the front room of my house.

As in holes in the roof. As in ruined the ceiling. As in the supports are going bad. As in every time it rains, there is a pool of water from it … trying hard to be a water feature, but more closely resembling a FEMA prerequisite.

I had been trying for weeks … maybe months … to get this one handyman over to do the work on my roof. He can do the jobs … has done many at my house over the years … and he is reasonable in what he charges … but lets just say enthusiasm for work is not his strong suit.

So it was with great joy that I answered the phone this morning to learn that he was going to be able to come and put a rolled roof on the porch area … today.

Well, he would … as soon as he finished his laundry … wouldn’t want him to come over with wet clothes now, would I?

This is not to be confused with yesterday’s “I was all ready to come over and work, but it started to rain.”

Or the “I know it looks good now, but I think it is going to rain later” excuse.

Or the “I have to take my son to (fill in the blank with the excuse of your choosing)” excuse.

Or the “didn’t get your calls / didn’t see the missed calls / voice mail is not set up” excuse.

Or the “I have a migraine that came on after I had a bad toothache and the dentist couldn’t see me” excuse.

Or the not answering the phone at all “I never heard it” excuse.

Of course there is the “I have a doctors / dentists / chiropractors appointment” excuse.

I think one of my favorites was the “I am waiting in the doctor’s office, but he is running behind” excuse. This was especially good not only because he used it from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM that day, but also because I could hear the TV and his family in the background.

I guess they all had doctors appointments.

He then combined that one with the “I will not answer my phone” ploy later in the day.

Oh, and one day it was the “We will just go get supplies today and start fresh with the work tomorrow” excuse.

Nowhere in any of this was there the “I have changed my mind and really don’t want to do it anymore” explanation.

Because I am paying him after all.

He wants to be paid.

Really wants to be paid.

And so when he decided that today was the day … wet clothes notwithstanding … I was happy to finally get some work done on the hole-y roof.

He worked quickly and efficiently … he put on the roofing, but not the flashing … and he still has to do the work inside to shore up the beams and whatnot.

At the end of the day I had to drive him home … his wife had needed the car and it theoretically was overheating somewhere in town.

In order for him not to think that he would be getting his money today, I said I would have to wait on paying him.

As I dropped him off he parted with the words “So, you can just call my wife tomorrow and give her the money tomorrow then.”

Yeah. About that.

I think I have a doctor’s appointment … and the sun is in my eyes … and the dog ate my cell phone … and I think its going to rain.

Yes, I’m sure of it.