Promises, Promises

As summer approached I realized that part of my sanity, and housekeeping abilities, depended upon having a safe enclosure for the boys to run and play outdoors.  So, my husband graciously agreed to purchase a new fence to completely enclose the front yard. Unfortunately, our adorable white picket fence had reached the end of its road. The pickets were so dilapidated and rotten it was impossible to get them to hold a nail, not even another coat of paint could keep it in service. Which really is too bad, I was rather fond of it.

We decided a black wrought iron fence would look nice and wouldn't require any further maintenance for our parents when they take over as tenants in a few more years.  So, after some negotiating with ABC IRONWORKS in Walla Walla, WA we sealed the deal. They said they were in need of work because things were awfully slow, guaranteed it could be up in 2 weeks and would give us a discount if we paid up front. It all seemed too good to be true, we were very happy to hear they were slow because we were desperate to get that fence up since school was out for summer in one more week.  I figured I would only have to entertain the boys for a week or so inside until the enclosure was set...

or so I thought.

15 days, and a phone call, later the workers finally showed up to set the posts. They were here for a total of 6 hours and set the posts where the existing picket fence was. But, funny enough, didn't set any posts along the driveway where we wanted to add fence to keep the kids from getting to the main road out front.

Well, 9 days later they returned to put in the remaining 7 posts. (Maybe an hours worth of work.) So, then we waited. I joked that Jared should apply for a job, because you get to work outdoors when you want, only have to work a few hours here and there, yet get paid just the same. Jared's dad mentioned the cement needed time to cure properly, to withstand the weight of the fence panels, but after a day or two I realized that was not what they were waiting for.  It was now June 23rd, 4+ weeks since we had "sealed the deal"... More waiting and still no sign of any fence. Just a bunch of black poles every 8ft. Luckily, we were having an unusually wet start to summer so we were all inside anyways. (Time to play some of those "Minute to Win it Games". )

I asked Jared if he had talked to the guys and he said he had heard that they were just waiting for the powder coating to be done and it needed to bake for so many days. A week later, I called them to ask what the hold up was. At this point I talked to the production guy, he said his Dad was the business guy and therefore wasn't qualified to give promise dates. The production guy said, "we have so many jobs going right now, when he promised you that it would be done by today I thought to myself, what is he thinking? There's no way. We have the panels on the table and then we need to subcontract them to be powder coated. So depending on when they can get it done, it shouldn't be too much longer"  Then, he promised they'd be done 2 weeks from Friday. (July 9th). So much for them not being busy and needing the work. They lied from the get go. I was disappointed it wouldn't be done before the 4th nearly half way through summer. But, to be honest, I was just thankful he was shooting "straight" with us; rather than just telling us what we wanted to hear, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!"

Well, two more weeks came and went... no sign of ABC IRONWORKS.

On July 16th, I called again. I talked to the business guy in the office and explained to him this fence was not decorative that we ordered, it was for safety and efficiency. I tried to tell him that I had 3 small boys who were in the height of their summer and needed room to run and an enclosure that could not only keep them in but keep other things out, like stray dogs. I asked if they only could just put in the fence along the drive way this week and leave the rest of it for when they could get to it- that would be greatly appreciated! At least our existing, dilapidated picket fence kept the kids in on 2 sides of the road. It fell on deaf ears, in fact, he interrupted me to tell me "let's do us both a favor and just call my son, here's his number." Ah, the production guy again. It was at this point I considered looking up their address and taking the boys for a play date in their office for the remainder of the afternoon. Maybe then they'd pick up the pace.

I talked to his son and asked him if they could AT LEAST get the open ended side of the yard closed in by that weekend. He said, "we have 1 and a half sides of the fence done and then it takes 3 coats of the powder coating" but they'd try. He also said and I quote, "You should start seeing fence by Friday." I repeated my question, "So, I should have a fence on friday?" And he repeated, "You should start seeing fence." Promises, promises.... what are they part time politicians? 

One day I got so frustrated I went out and took a roll of our weed mat and taped it to the existing black poles. That lasted about a day until the winds picked up and since the weed mat didn't breathe is just blew it down. I should have known black electrical tape wouldn't hold it.  

The next day my parents brought me the rest of their orange mesh fencing form a backyard project they had been working on. We were able to stretch the roll down most of the driveway and used the weed mat just on a portion. This would at least slow Logan down and give me a chance to run interference between the road in front of our house. Most people drive 40+mph down it and Logan sprints for it every chance he gets.

Last week I had Jared call ABC to give them a piece of his mind. Seriously, why can't they just finish the job?! Jared said they apologized for the delay, but like he said, "sorry doesn't build me a fence!" The production guy said, I think we can finish it by Friday (the 23rd) "but seeing how we have promised in the past and haven't come through I won't promise that." Well, we're not holding our breath!

Here's the part that gets me, just to compare the integrity of some people. Like, for instance Jared, he promised he'd erect a temporary fence across the yard to keep the kids in sight from the front part of the house. Now, my husband works ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. Even on Sunday's, his supposed "day off" he gets up at 5am to do his irrigation water for an hour, then goes back out at 11am to turn on his cooling water (when it's hot) and irrigates again at 5pm (since they're 12 hour sets) and he's not done there! Every night he has to check his sumps & pumps to be sure the water is still irrigating properly and where it should be out of the ditches& ponds. He does that every night before going to bed. Usually at 8pm or 9pm. Tonight it took him an hour. It's late, dark and often times in shady neighborhoods with crackheads, methheads or tweakers causing problems. But, even with ALL OF THAT on his plate he found time to put up the part of the fence across the side of the yard that attaches where the picket fence ends, to the corner of our house to keep the kids in the front half of the yard. Thanks to help from my Dad & Grandpa we now have a completely enclosed front yard. My husband gave me his word and has kept it, even in the midst of chaos, he managed to get the job done!

 While our orange & black make shift "fence" may look ghetto it does the job and since then our daily lives have been significantly better. The kids get to run & play and I get the peace of mind knowing they are safe. And, for now it keeps the kids in and others out, only the dog (Gunner) has figured out how to crawl under the fence to get in and out. Hopefully he won't teach that trick to Logan.

Today is Monday, July 26.

9 weeks since we hired ABC IRONWORKS,

7 weeks past the promised date they would have it finished.

I asked Jared if he wants to place bets on when they will actually finish the job.

 (Since they "promised it would be done on Friday if not today.) 

I say, August 14th, 

he picked August 2nd.

I can only hope we're both wrong and ABC IRONWORKS will fulfill their promise of a fence before this summer comes to a close.