The nerve!
As I wrote in my
other blog, I've been sorta busy with stuff and haven't been online much lately.
Anyhow, there's a subdivision named Cook Harbor in Grand Blanc MI and for almost five years I have done many jobs there - I think I have painted in about half the homes in the entire sub by now.
I was there earlier this week for a couple of days, and driving in I saw -
another painter's truck! Painter trucks are easy to spot - the bumper usually has paint dripped all over and the ladders are grungy with the ends sprayed. Unlike, say, electricians' ladders, which are always clean fiberglass ones arranged with precision on the racks. (Electricians tend to be rather precise chaps.)
Anyhow - another painter, what the heck? Ha. It was not at a house I've ever painted, otherwise my feelings would be hurt. So, I didn't go beat him about the head and shoulders with my extension pole to drive him out of my turf.
Of course I'm just being silly. I don't know any other painters well around here, but back in Colorado I had a very good painter friend. We joined up on several large jobs - we combined our crews and did....let's see - the outside of a large apartment complex, which took over a month. A small shopping center; that was fun! A couple other large commercial buildings. And when he tore his rotator cuff and couldn't really work for a few months I kept his regular clients - we both did lots of rentals - taken care of so he wouldn't lose the accounts. It was a good arrangement. These days I do mostly residential repaints and work alone except for occasional help, or working with Lisa.
While it's really nice to have helpers - I hate painting baseboards and masking windows; it's great to give those jobs to someone else - it's definitely more relaxed and mellow not worrying about employees! Sometimes I'd get behind on the money end, and would literally be ill stressing about how to pay everyone on Fridays. And when I had several jobs going at once, seems all I did was drive from job to job, making sure everyone had supplies, paint, ladders, always on the phone. Keeping everything running smoothly and on time could be stressful too. Much nicer just to show up in my little truck and get to work without constantly having to run off and take care of other stuff! I do miss the camaraderie but I guess everything is a trade off.
Being silly!
The kids got a kick out of this - it's hard to tell but the thing on the right is a dog lifting his leg and peeing. Years ago when I had a crew, I got the contract to paint several assisted living and nursing homes. We had fun taking requests from the residents and painting bizarre images on the walls before covering them up!
I remember also painting an apartment where an elderly man with I think schizophrenia lived. We had an interesting conversation while I worked. Among other things he believed Nazis had hidden listening devices in his walls so he didn't speak much. Instead, he wrote down his thoughts. On his walls. ALL over his walls. They were almost entirely covered with writing - quite strange and poetic. I had to prime all the walls to keep the ink from bleeding through and felt badly about covering it all up but he didn't seem to mind.
And here is the wall, quite sensibly covered up!
Sometimes you just can't win. A rant.
Recently, for the second time in 27 years of painting, I lost my temper and walked off a job. In retrospect (and to be charitable) I think the lady had either weird agenda, mental problems, or both.
Lady calls for an estimate on painting the outside of her home. The first call is 30 minutes long, she goes on and on and on - I finally get the info, set up a time and get her off the phone.
Go look at house, big home, lots of work. I write up estimate - she also wants two bedrooms painted. Literally have to peel her off my truck so I can back out of her driveway. I am thinking, high maintenance client!
In the ensuing few weeks, she calls me several times. My estimate was higher then the others she got, she would rather have me do the job and is there a way to bring the price down. On and on she drones.
NO, there is not, if anything I should raise it because she's so annoying. I am considering not answering any of her calls at this point. I tell her it's getting too late in the year, I no longer have time to do the exterior because I'm booked up.
So now she starts calling wanting the bedrooms done. On and on she calls and drones with questions. Finally I figure the only way I'm going to get rid of this woman is either a: ignore her calls, b: tell her I died, or c: paint her stupid bedrooms.
So. I tell her, I will commit to next Sunday for you, but you must have the colors chosen and call me by Saturday so I can get paint. I tell her where to get paint testers, the whole bit. She lives 25 miles away, too far for me to do any hands-on help with choosing colors.
By Saturday afternoon she hasn't called, yippee.
4:10pm, she calls. Shit! She has chosen colors. But she is still not sure. Maybe the yellow has too much green in it, the blue might be too bright next to the drapes, blah blah blah on she goes - I can tweak the paint to make it work, I say - I
promise we'll get the color you want but I must hang up and go to the paint store before they close.
Now, I am cranky. I promised a friend I'd help her move some stuff and do brunch Sunday morning. I want the day off, dammit. But OK, I'll make the best of it, it will be a tidy sum for a days work.
8:30 am Sunday, she calls to make sure I'm coming. Yes, I'm coming. 8:45 am she calls and says, is it too late to change my mind - I want flat paint, not satin. Yes, it is too late to change your mind if you want this done today. OK she says, satin is fine.
9 am, get to the job and decide to make a game of being very friendly and nice with her. As I'm unloading my stuff, I'm asking her about her garden, her cats, whatever. Chatting. Friendly. Fluffy, even.
Start tarping, caulking stuff, filling holes. She is 3" from me the whole time, and it's almost feeling hostile. Weird. Bring in wall paint.
"Is that all you brought?"
Yes.
"That's not enough paint."
Yes, it is.
"No it's not, I painted these rooms myself the last time, I know. And I want two coats."
This is enough paint, trust me.
She looks pained, oh well.
Start rolling ceilings.
"I hate to be a bitch...."
Shit."...but could you use a smoother roller? I don't like how that one looks."
Assuring her that the end result will be nice and smooth isn't working so I get another roller cover and hope she needs to go to church or something. At this point I am gritting my teeth, but I'm here, want to get done today.
After the first coat is on the ceiling, I ask to use her laundry room sink to clean the roller.
"My laundry room is very messy."
OK - I can use your kitchen sink, I won't mess anything up.
"No, I would rather you not use it."
Umm - well honestly it won't hurt anything; I need to be able to clean equipment. Do it all the time and leave sinks cleaner than I found them.
"How about I fill this bucket with water, you clean your tools in here, then you can dump the water in the field next door?"
Uh - no, it takes quite a bit of water to clean buckets and rollers, that won't work. I can use a hose outside.
"I don't want paint on my grass."
I won't leave any paint on your grass, it will not hurt your grass at all. It is less harmful to the environment than laundry detergent, I tell her.
"No. If the hose is long enough to reach the field next door you can use it."
Fine.
The hose is not long enough. She also does not want anything cleaned into the storm drain out front. I ask her, where would she like me to clean up? I need to be able to do this and you are not giving me any choices.
"Well," she says. "This clearly isn't going to work, you painting here."
At this point, I lose it. I'm pretty proud of myself for not swearing or slapping her. As I'm removing all my stuff, she's on the phone. "....then, she doesn't have enough paint with her. I
told her I wanted two coats and she was only going to do one...."
Agh! Crazy bitch, and she got some free work out of the deal too. Fuck. Plus I get saddled with $70 worth of paint in crap colors I probably can't use. I didn't even ask her to pay me for it; I'm pretty sure that would have been a losing battle and I was about to completely lose my temper. Considered briefly taking her to small claims court just to be vindictive but that would have been too much hassle for too little money.
There. I feel better for my little rant, now. Thank you. :)
Before, during, after.
Stairwell and foyer already painted, living and dining rooms to go. The dining room had been painted a fairly bright yellow - too bright, it needed to be toned down and a woolly-rolled faux finish seemed the best solution.
And here is the lovely and talented
Lisa (no, this does
not make your butt look too big; it's the overalls) applying the finish.
As always, looks better in real life because I don't usually take great photos.
I also painted some trim around the front of the house. One of the pillars was entirely filled with a beehive; bees were swarming in and out of a knot hole. Really, it was rather mean, but the homeowner sprayed into the hole and then caulked it closed. Poor bees. :( But it was right next to the front door and they are having a wedding here soon, won't do to have bees swarming around the festivities!
Have a marvy labor day weekend everyone, I'm not touching a paintbrush today!
