Thursday-Friday Jan 26-27, 2012 updates
Just a quick note as we are up early to finalize our packing for the exciting big move. It is early, early morning and we have time for a quick update.
Thursday I was at the house at 7 to meet the carpenter who was installing the door in the wall. He showed up at 9 instead of 8. They finished off the pantry by adding the last shelf and I helped them install a power bar on the side so Bella has a place to fire up her electric kitchen toys.
As the carpenter was putting up the door frame and chipping away excess concrete he nicked the edge of a ceramic tile and broke it. I had to leave the room I was so livid. I had had only 2 hours sleep so I didn't want to explode first thing in the morning.
I called Michael with 3 requests to make 3 calls: 1. Call Jorge and tell him about the broken ceramic. 2. Call Alegra Internet to see what they provide. 3. Call the Almacenes Espana to see whn the fridge will be arriving.
Michael called back with the following: 1. Jorge would meet us in 20 minutes. 2. Alegra only uses the slow internet stick technology and essentially uses Etapa for the regular internet so I am better to go direct to Etapa to arrage for installation. 3. The fridge still hasn't left Guayaquil so they are now proposing Monday delivery.
Well, that was when I lost it and asked Michael to tell them that this was totally unacceptable and to give us the stainless model for the same price if they had that in stock or to immediately refund our money, plus a penalty for all our aggravation.
Jorge showed up with two cousins who speak a modicom of English. I suggested the carpenter just put a larger board at the top to cover the broken 3 inch piece. That was the simplest solution. I thought they had agreed to this. I also mentioned they still had to silicone around the tub enclosure and that would be almost all the tasks done.
Bella called as Michael had called her about it. Since she was close to downtown I asked her to handle the fridge situation as I was up to may arse in alligators with the 6 guys roaming the house and I had to find time to get to Etapa. Bella kindly agreed to take on the task and did a better job than both Michael and I in getting results from the fridge people. They offered to move us to a huge Panasonic fridge for another $330 so Bella offered to split it with them, and they refused. So Bella dug in her heels and gave them her steely look (if you've ever seen Bella mad, you know what I mean) and said "You are delivering me my fridge tomorrow, I don't care if it is a damaged one that you have to replace later, but I am getting a fridge tomorrow or you can refund my money this instant, plus give us something for all our aggravation. You have told us on 3 separate occasions that you were delivering the fridge and have reneged every time." With the help one of her weaving partners doing some translating, they caved and promised the fridge for tomorrow, plus they offered her a rice cooker. Bella told them we already have a rice cooker so they gave her the juicer I had originally asked for,
plus another appliance. I told you she did good!
Watching the carpenters do their work, inspite of the additional dust and mess I marvelled at their skill and efficiency. One of the apprentices was awesome and precise and methodical, a pleasure to watch. They even began to repair the old casing for the doorway entering into the kitchen.
About noon I asked the carpenter if he would be there for at least an hour and he said yes, so I left them and cabbed over to the Etapa office to sign up for the internet. Everything was going fine and I got free installation because we signed up for automatic bank withdrawals. Once we sorted out on their map exactly where we were located, and that we had our own router, they indicated we would get installation within 5 to 8 days. They will call Michael to let us know when they are on they are on their way.
Upon returning to the house I was very pleased with the beautiful work they were doing on the door, carefully filling in the holes, ascertaing the correct hang of the door, and spray painting the casing to a fine finish. He had wanted to use concrete nails to secure the doorsill to the ceramic floor and I said no way. I didn't want any more broken ceramic today and insisted they pre-drill holes. They misunderstood and put in screws and anchors, which is way better and, with the help my countersink, we have a solid doorsill. The overall result is quite stunning.
Bella was by with a load of groceries that we mostly put in the huge pantry for now. She also brought some Chilean cherries and washed them up and passed them around. That was the first thing I had eaten. We made plans to meet for supper later at a chicken joint near home.
Jorge was by and said Vicente would be by at 5:30 to replace the broken ceramic and to silicone the tub enclosure. They showed up closer to six and Vicente got to work.
Jorge had brought his wife Marta along and proudly showed her through the house. Yes, I think Jorge is really proud of the results of this project under his supervision. He really is a good man and has become a really good friend. He must like gadgets because he sure likes to show off my faucet aerator/sprayer on the kitchen sink! Marta was very impressed with the practicality and beauty of the house.
Jorge took her home and returned 45 minutes later with yet another surprise. He showed me a can of concrete paint to be applied to the outside of the new wall to make it more uniform and striking. I was all for it, even knowing this would add to the length of my day. The results again are wonderful and are to be a surprise for Bella today. I called Bella and told her to go eat without me and to just bring me home some food. We didn't finish up until 9:15 so there was another 14-hour day at the new place.
When I got home I just wolfed down the 1/4 chicken dinner, my first meal of the day, checked emails and trotted off to bed.
As I write this, for the third day in a row, some asshole is firing off firecrackers at 6\;15 in the morning and setting off the neighbor's car alarm. Then he waits ten minutes and fires off some more. We are definitely not going to miss the noise here. I another 3 hours or so we should be unloading at the new place.
This is our cue to get going and finalize our goods for moving. Photos will follow, hopefully tomorrow when we have the new computer set up, although they may be a challenge using only this stick for internet access.
Pardon any spelling errors or words strangely out of place. This laptop of Bella's is not user-friendly, especially the miniscule Shift button on the left side. I seem to hit every surrounding key instead.
That was our exciyement. Hugs to all.
