Friday, July 09, 2004
Shit flows uphill
After finishing all research on septic systems and accessories it came to the day of discovery (Installation) where the theory meets real life.... After a quick survey of the site, and the recommended location of the septic tank (3.9 cubic meters) and the ECOFLOW Peat Moss filter (SB650B) submersable bottom it appeared that all was well. We could locate these items exactly where they appeared on the drawings and all would function properly...... BUT with this location all future access to the property for Landscaping purposes would be permanently obstructed by these 2 large tanks. Shit, Shit Shit... I was instructed that I could move the ECOflow up on our property, to allow for vehicle access but this would put the ecoflow tank approximately 1 foot above the septic tank outlet requiring the Shit to flow uphill. As we all know "shit flows downhill" a "Shitty pump" is required to perform the lift....PLUS another $2,000.00 big ones.... A moment of self contemplation (Why Me ?) and I approved the expenditure for the shitty pump. Upon further discussion it was determined that the electrical requirments for this pump need to be performed by a qualified electrician.
I called my friendly neighbourhood electrician Denis "Jiggy Doo" Fournier and he happily agreed to find me another electrician who would perform this electrical connection for as little at $200.00. Hmm. I pondered why would this normally very agreeable person insist on finding another electrician for this task..... Well it turns out that the connection can be made either inside/ or outside the Shitty Pump Tank and putting yourself in the electricians shoes , when it comes time to service this electrical service, they don't really want to get into it if you know what I mean. Soo... I have now been waiting over a week to get someone who is not afriad to touch this tank..... I have an open gaurantee to any local electrician that I will not/can not call them in the event of a failure to pump crap. (I.E. I'll call the septic Tank company)
One Brick at a Time
I made the big plunge and ordered the brick for the house. One of the conditions I put on the Brick Seller (BAKX) was that they had to supply me with a brick layer and that the job needed to be started within the week......I neglected to say when it needed to be finished.... A big strong burly Bricklayer promptly showed up at the house with his son (Apprentice in hand) and began the task of setting up shop. (After seeing this process on TV I was expecting a 2 or 3 day effort, watching these guys fling mud to and frow, with the bricks flying into place...Well not so fast... I now have some of the most perfectly laid bricks known to man. Literally every brick is measured for level and height in all 3 axis and this Bury fellow has the touch of a feather while tapping each brick strategically into place. After the first 4 hours on site I counted 6 bricks had been layed... Alot of set up time I assumed.......When my HVAC contractor inquired of my Carpenter/Ex General Contractor when the bricklayer would be finished so he could install the heat pump, he laughed and replied do you mean what year !.......I think there is actually a conspiracy going on here as I pay by the brick (Sq Ft) for the job and by taking so long it allows for my neighbours to steal bricks from the pile to do their lawn landscaping.....one brick at a time...
Hardwood (Amber Alert) Nowhere to be found
Guts or stupidity, I don't know... When my contractor let me know I had 7 days to supply him with the hardwood I jumped to the task and went directly to my lowest bidder (Lucy) Home Hardware in Hawkesbury... Of course she wasn't working there that day so I convinced her boss Gilles that she had quoted me $4.75 a Sq Ft for #1 Natural Grouleaux Red Oak and that I needed it in 1 week. He promptly notified me that the 2 suppliers they had Grouleaux and Husky were both on strike and would it be accecptable for him to supply me with another supplier. Sure I said, Lets see the samples.......Hmm.... New Supplier means the samples have not yet arrived so if I wanted the wood in 1 week I would have to purchase $5,000 of Hardwood sight unseen..... The order was placed and I was assured delivery for the following Friday (7 days).....On the Friday I called Home Depot to find all of the Lumber Personnel (Lucy and Gilles) were hiding from me. Apparently all their calls to the supplier were being un-answered...... A voice mail left denoted the wood had been shipped by a trucking company, but after inquiring with the shipping company they had never heard of our order......After a day of delays I was assured of delivery for Monday......Monday......Same story... calls unanswered, promises of delivery.....Re-tasking my contractors (At a $1,000/day) for the 2 carpenters they have now finished putting up about half of the siding for the house...Still no wood......
Move to action I drive to Hawkesbury to confront the agents (Lucy) as the truck delivers the wood to their lot (Tuesday Morning). I run out to the lot to inspect the wood, kiss the crate and hug the shipper(Big burly man like the brick layer, who looks at me very strangely). They load the wood onto their local delivery truck and I provide their driver with turn by turn instructions on how to get to the house...... Wood delivered....... Tuesday a.m.....
P.S. Thursday morning Home Hardware shows up at my new house looking for a sample kit of the hardwood.... Tough luck, it looks like it never made it.....Loooks like some other lucky fellow will have some decisions to make sight unseen.....
P.P.S. The wood delivered was actually white oak (My Preference) versus red.
Landscaping 101
Well with all this activity going on on our property and water leaking out of our lawn virtually everywhere, I decided to get some quotes for landscaping/drain installations. After a brief review of the site with the landscaper he promptly sent me a quote for over $7,000 for a few loads of Top Soil, Rock 3/4, Crushed Rock, Fill, and Drain hose, not to mention a bulldozer and Backhoe....No Problem I pondered. I would just convert our lawn into "Lac Flack" (Thanks Eileen) instead of spending all this money (That I Don't Have)......A little discussion with the septic company and for $90.00 an hour I could have them do (Backhoe)whatever I wanted plus the cost of any materials.....$1,500 later and all of my jobs are almost complete (Less topsoil ) that needs to wait until next year to let the land settle......
After finishing all research on septic systems and accessories it came to the day of discovery (Installation) where the theory meets real life.... After a quick survey of the site, and the recommended location of the septic tank (3.9 cubic meters) and the ECOFLOW Peat Moss filter (SB650B) submersable bottom it appeared that all was well. We could locate these items exactly where they appeared on the drawings and all would function properly...... BUT with this location all future access to the property for Landscaping purposes would be permanently obstructed by these 2 large tanks. Shit, Shit Shit... I was instructed that I could move the ECOflow up on our property, to allow for vehicle access but this would put the ecoflow tank approximately 1 foot above the septic tank outlet requiring the Shit to flow uphill. As we all know "shit flows downhill" a "Shitty pump" is required to perform the lift....PLUS another $2,000.00 big ones.... A moment of self contemplation (Why Me ?) and I approved the expenditure for the shitty pump. Upon further discussion it was determined that the electrical requirments for this pump need to be performed by a qualified electrician.
I called my friendly neighbourhood electrician Denis "Jiggy Doo" Fournier and he happily agreed to find me another electrician who would perform this electrical connection for as little at $200.00. Hmm. I pondered why would this normally very agreeable person insist on finding another electrician for this task..... Well it turns out that the connection can be made either inside/ or outside the Shitty Pump Tank and putting yourself in the electricians shoes , when it comes time to service this electrical service, they don't really want to get into it if you know what I mean. Soo... I have now been waiting over a week to get someone who is not afriad to touch this tank..... I have an open gaurantee to any local electrician that I will not/can not call them in the event of a failure to pump crap. (I.E. I'll call the septic Tank company)
One Brick at a Time
I made the big plunge and ordered the brick for the house. One of the conditions I put on the Brick Seller (BAKX) was that they had to supply me with a brick layer and that the job needed to be started within the week......I neglected to say when it needed to be finished.... A big strong burly Bricklayer promptly showed up at the house with his son (Apprentice in hand) and began the task of setting up shop. (After seeing this process on TV I was expecting a 2 or 3 day effort, watching these guys fling mud to and frow, with the bricks flying into place...Well not so fast... I now have some of the most perfectly laid bricks known to man. Literally every brick is measured for level and height in all 3 axis and this Bury fellow has the touch of a feather while tapping each brick strategically into place. After the first 4 hours on site I counted 6 bricks had been layed... Alot of set up time I assumed.......When my HVAC contractor inquired of my Carpenter/Ex General Contractor when the bricklayer would be finished so he could install the heat pump, he laughed and replied do you mean what year !.......I think there is actually a conspiracy going on here as I pay by the brick (Sq Ft) for the job and by taking so long it allows for my neighbours to steal bricks from the pile to do their lawn landscaping.....one brick at a time...
Hardwood (Amber Alert) Nowhere to be found
Guts or stupidity, I don't know... When my contractor let me know I had 7 days to supply him with the hardwood I jumped to the task and went directly to my lowest bidder (Lucy) Home Hardware in Hawkesbury... Of course she wasn't working there that day so I convinced her boss Gilles that she had quoted me $4.75 a Sq Ft for #1 Natural Grouleaux Red Oak and that I needed it in 1 week. He promptly notified me that the 2 suppliers they had Grouleaux and Husky were both on strike and would it be accecptable for him to supply me with another supplier. Sure I said, Lets see the samples.......Hmm.... New Supplier means the samples have not yet arrived so if I wanted the wood in 1 week I would have to purchase $5,000 of Hardwood sight unseen..... The order was placed and I was assured delivery for the following Friday (7 days).....On the Friday I called Home Depot to find all of the Lumber Personnel (Lucy and Gilles) were hiding from me. Apparently all their calls to the supplier were being un-answered...... A voice mail left denoted the wood had been shipped by a trucking company, but after inquiring with the shipping company they had never heard of our order......After a day of delays I was assured of delivery for Monday......Monday......Same story... calls unanswered, promises of delivery.....Re-tasking my contractors (At a $1,000/day) for the 2 carpenters they have now finished putting up about half of the siding for the house...Still no wood......
Move to action I drive to Hawkesbury to confront the agents (Lucy) as the truck delivers the wood to their lot (Tuesday Morning). I run out to the lot to inspect the wood, kiss the crate and hug the shipper(Big burly man like the brick layer, who looks at me very strangely). They load the wood onto their local delivery truck and I provide their driver with turn by turn instructions on how to get to the house...... Wood delivered....... Tuesday a.m.....
P.S. Thursday morning Home Hardware shows up at my new house looking for a sample kit of the hardwood.... Tough luck, it looks like it never made it.....Loooks like some other lucky fellow will have some decisions to make sight unseen.....
P.P.S. The wood delivered was actually white oak (My Preference) versus red.
Landscaping 101
Well with all this activity going on on our property and water leaking out of our lawn virtually everywhere, I decided to get some quotes for landscaping/drain installations. After a brief review of the site with the landscaper he promptly sent me a quote for over $7,000 for a few loads of Top Soil, Rock 3/4, Crushed Rock, Fill, and Drain hose, not to mention a bulldozer and Backhoe....No Problem I pondered. I would just convert our lawn into "Lac Flack" (Thanks Eileen) instead of spending all this money (That I Don't Have)......A little discussion with the septic company and for $90.00 an hour I could have them do (Backhoe)whatever I wanted plus the cost of any materials.....$1,500 later and all of my jobs are almost complete (Less topsoil ) that needs to wait until next year to let the land settle......
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