"All I need is an attic fan."
Earlier this year, I took advantage of the opportunity to get rid of an absolutely huge silver maple tree in my front yard. The weather got hot and so did my house. At 1:30 AM last night the temperature is still 82, and the air conditioner is working all the time. I had it checked and it's fine, but there's absolutely no attic ventilation at all. No wonder it's hot.
So I called Cashion Home Improvements (who did mom's roof last year and whose kid plays football with my nephew). Gary Taff shows up today to look at my roof and figure out a solution. The guy has 35 years experience, and sure enough took one look and told me what I need to do. I think his diagnosis is dead on target. He tells me it's going to cost $800 and that they can do it tomorrow morning first thing.
"What's your next opportunity after tomorrow morning?" I asked, not quite prepared to move this fast, but not sure why not either...
"If we don't do it tomorrow, it's going to be weeks before we can get to it." First Red Flag sails a half mile into the air, right up the back of my neck.
But I agreed. The price seems a little high and they want to do more than I had envisioned, but what do I know? They can solve the problem tomorrow, and they seem like they know what they're doing. Over the next few minutes, the world turned upside down, and a perfectly sane situation turned in a very unpleasant one.
As Gary fills out his contract, he explains to me that this is between me and him, cause it's too small for Cashion to be involved with and it would cost more if they were. Second Red Flag.
Then he asks for half up front so he can buy materials. Third Red Flag.
Then he wants cash. Now it sounds like a story for Scott Hines and NewsChannel 4's "In Your Corner" segment. I'm done. I handed him his contract back and ended the appointment, then took a shower to get rid of the coat of slime I felt bombarded with.
And it's still hot in my house...And I still need some roof ventilation...Why can't people just follow the rules and play ball the right way. Life is good without the sleaze factor. There is absolutely no reason for this at all.
I guess I'll start over and call somebody else tomorrow.
Editor's Note: I wrote this just to rant, without intending to post it. But WTF? What's the point of having a blog if I don't post things like this? Maybe somebody will read it and avoid getting into a similar situation.