That will teach us a lesson or two

Good Thursday afternoon. Nice warm day today. Windy. Looks like a chance of rain, but so far nothing happening.

This Sunday is Easter. We haven't dyed eggs yet. Although I'm not sure what the point would be now that we don't have little kids in the house. Guess Debbie and I can take turns hiding them from each other. Wonder how long it will take before we begin to wonder what we are doing standing in the back yard holding a basket? hee hee.

I sent a package to Tara. Debbie put the goods in a flat-rate USPS box. After standing in line for about 15 minutes at the local post office, I learned that the flat rate was $11. Shipping based on weight was about $6. Thinking economically, I decided to repackage the goods re-using a box from the office and save a coupla dollars. When I got back to the office, all the small boxes were gone. I would have to buy a box. At about the same price I was gonna save on shipping. Turns out not to be such a good idea. I used the flat-rate box to ship the stuff to Tara for $11. Didn't save diddly. That will teach me a lesson to try a save a $$.

Debbie had an exciting day at work on Tuesday. The coworker that was supposed to be Worker of the Day didn't show up. Worker of the Day is supposed to see the people who just stop by without having an appointment. Debbie volunteered to see some of the people. Turns out that each person she met with had a wierd issue that took quite a bit of time to resolve. By the end of the day, she was pretty frustrated. I told her that's what she gets for volunteering. No good deed ever goes unpunished. In this case, several good deeds. LOL

I am working on a project in downtown Oklahoma City. The area east of downtown is called Bricktown. It was the industrial and warehouse area back in the early 1900's. Several old buildings have been and are being renovated into offices and restaurants. Most of the buildings are in pretty sad condition having been abandoned for decades. For years, I have passed over a bridge very close to one of the multi-story buildings. One of my architectural client's office is near that building. The Bricktown baseball park is nearby as are several restaurants that we like to visit. I take that road from Debbie's office to my office, so I see the building every day. It was obvious the building was not being used and has been neglected maintenance-wise. The wall nearest the bridge has several big cracks in the wall. Cracks wide enough that you can see daylight through them, even as you pass by in a car. My primary thought was, "Someone needs to tear that down before it collapses on someone else." Well, guess what. That's the building that my client purchased and wants to renovate into his new construction company offices. I tried like the devil to say I was too busy because I really didn't want to mess with it. Finally, another contractor that I've worked with alot stopped by my office and practically begged me to help. Man, this building is messed up. We will have to demolish that wall near the bridge and completely reconstruct it. Luckily, the owner has a good head on his shoulders and realized how bad the structural stability is for that side of the building. This whole thing taught me not to obsess over a building lest it become my problem. Lesson learned. Maybe.

On occasion, my partner and I will work on a project that turns into a real pain in the pooper. We hope the client doesn't make a return visit. Usually they don't. Unless we happen to mention, "I wonder what happened to so-and-so? That project sure was a nasty one." For some reason, speaking their name out loud often results in a phone call from that client asking if we are interested in another job with them. Every time that happens, Russell or I say, "We forgot not to say it out loud, didn't we?" LOL

When I was a younger guy, I kinda made fun of older guys with hairy backs. Dangit. Lesson learned too late.

You know how to tell when people have dyed Easter eggs? The tips of their fingers are tinted funny colors. hee hee.

Have a nice day.