Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Some good news to report: I finally got my fireplace installed in the living room. However, I must admit it was not an easy task. My project started back on Nov. 15 when I signed a contract lining out the specifications for my fireplace, and I handed over a large check for half of the cost. Now the clock starts ticking. And ticking. I finally call them and ask for an update on the delivery of my fireplace. Well, the lady on the other end of the phone did not know for sure, but she would find out. More ticking, and I finally get a call. The cabinet is not in stock and I will have to wait for my walnut cabinet. Whoa! Time out! I ordered an oak cabinet. That change was made but it did not improve the delivery timeline, which at this point in time was still up in the air. I finally give up waiting and called again. Same lady.” Good news!” she says, “The cabinet is in, but it is the wrong color. It is cherry and not oak.” Her exact next words were, “Would you take a cherry cabinet?” My response, trying to be ever so polite: “No.” Anyway, the actual oak cabinet finally came in and we are now a few steps closer to enjoying my warm fireplace. The first scheduled date fell through a day before they were to come out. They had a scheduling mix-up. Next week, I take off work. I am sitting at home watching the clock tick past the 9 a.m. appointment time, and an hour later I get a call telling me that the crew just came back with the supplies and they were both not feeling well. Not the coronavirus, but sick anyway. OK, next week. The first crew shows up and installs the cabinet and the next day the brick installers are supposed to come to finish the job. I came home from work at lunch time to see if they had completed their task. Well, the supplies and brick were sitting outside the house, but there was no crew in sight. I called the store and she told me that the crew had another appointment and would not be there today. I asked, “Well, who brought out the supplies?” She tells me that was another crew. I guess they have specialized work crews? Who knew? But what I did know was that it was starting to drizzle rain, and the supplies had to be moved inside. There was some mesh wire, asphalt paper, and six fairly good-sized stones for the hearth bed, which were no problem carrying over to the pole barn garage. However, the bricks came in two large boxes and I almost split a gut carrying them inside the building. As a footnote, the next week when the crew finally did show up, I watched two big young men move the same boxes. They each grabbed an end. Just saying, just saying. LOL. End of story. Not quite; I come home from work. Fireplace brick is in place, no instructions on the proper operation, and last but not least, they left me the wrong remote control. I asked for a thermostat control and they left me a timer. Grrrr. They finally came out today, fixed everything and walked me through the correct operation process. I am now a happy owner of a nice fireplace which only took 2 1/2 months to complete. At least there is still some winter left to enjoy it!
Got to run; out of space. As always be good, do good, play safe and remember patience can be a virtue…. sometimes.
JR
