The back store story continues......

We are in the midst of an intensive renovation of the back store. As you might remember the original contractor gave me a crazy estimate and I had to drop him. Omar and his merry band of Bengali cab drivers stepped in. They are trying to set up a construction company so I agreed to let them do the store.

His buddy Sam is the electrician. He ran all new wires and set up new boxes, switches and fixtures. He seemed to know what he was doing and did a hell of  better job that the other guy who did the box in the cellar.

I bet he could fix your computer or help you with your Dell questions too! He took direction well and when the wife changed her mind he just did it without an argument.

I had to serve as the general contractor on this job just like I did on the front store. Not that I know jack shit about construction but I know how to ask questions and get information and make decisions.
I just ask logical questions and translate Lisa's wish list into something that is possible. Also I can control the quality of the materials. When you hire a contractor he just uses any old shit. I got the best of what we needed. For example I went to my friend Vinnie's True Value Hardware to get top of the line Benjamin Moore Paints and Primers. We got them all tinted gray which is the color scheme of the store. Of course I got ripped off because the guy oversold me so I have to go to Vinnie to have it out with him. I know he will make it right. They mixed it up now with some new fangled computer bullshit. I remember when they did it by hand and shook up the can and then stirred it for  a half hour to mix it.

When you are running a job you have to get workers. I have the Bengla Desh guys working for me but when they have shit work to do like sanding and spakling you know what they do. They get Mexicans.

Now the problem with Mexicans is they yes you to death and then do what ever the fuck they want unless you stand over them. So I had the Bengali's arguing in their language and then arguing with the Mexicans and everybody yelling at the top of their lungs in different languages. It was the United Nations of Fuckwads.

I made Omar the straw boss on the job. He handles the hiring and working with the crew. I set the task for the day. Then we head to Home Depot or True Value and get the supplies. He handles the day to day and I stop by periodicly to check the progress or answer any questions.

Omar is very happy at getting the job and is working very hard to make it perfect. This way he can use it as a showplace to send people when he is bidding for jobs. We make a good team

It is just pretty exhausting. This is the first chance I had to sit all day.

It is all good. We are getting it done.