Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
True dat, K-Girl. Your DH is a smart guy. (Of course he is, he married you!)
Petty Vents
- Thread starter Alix
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I feel that if they are just too busy to take on new work - Post it! and at least reply to emails - even if to say "sorry can't take on any more for now"
people will remember the politeness hopefully more than they remember the rudeness.
or as said - take down the ads.
people will remember the politeness hopefully more than they remember the rudeness.
or as said - take down the ads.
Himself's back has been cranky for a couple of months. My knees and ankles have been problems for years. Add in my paranoia of ticks...well, the yard looks very neglected. This is the year it is getting fixed. Except that it has been near impossible getting a response from a business! I've sent emails, or contacted a business through their contact form on their site. One business responded immediately the day after I sent my inquiry, in the wee hours of the night, of course.A second business responded two days later, with an apology from the wife for missing the email when it first came in. Too bad her husband isn't as professional, since he promised an estimate when he left after he had been here, then promised it again when I called and emailed his business. Still no bid.
Long story short: about a dozen emails sent, two people out to assess our mess, and one bid received. Thankfully, he was my second choice when we had regrading done in our yard to alleviate water leaking into the basement. The guy I hired for the regrade had more experience with that type of work, along with building stone walls (had that done, too), and laying patios (ditto). For pure landscaping, though, I think Jim will do a great job.
Honestly, though, if a business doesn't want to respond to contacts through their website, they should just shut the danged things down.
Here is the upside to Mexican immigration here in Texas -- some of it legal, some of it not. I can go to a gas station/convenience store parking lot a couple miles from my house, and get laborers willing to work very hard, for 15-bucks an hour. If they work all day, I usually buy them lunch, too.
These guys are demonized by a small minority of Americans who always turn out to vote, but here in Texas, they are always ready -- and eager -- to work.
CD
Cheryl J
Chef Extraordinaire
The big downside to that is if they aren't licensed by the state and screw up and and bust through a water or gas line or do other damage, the homeowner eats it. I don't hire anyone who isn't licensed.
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CG, I don't have any personal, recent experience with this, but a friend of mine has been ranting about the non-responses from companies on FB a whole lot. It seems to be lots of companies nowadays. Some of them, when contacted by phone, said, "Oh, we don't bother to look at the website." Sheesh, why put a contact form, when all it will do is annoy potential clients?
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
YaY!! If it weren't for the immigrants who work in the fields for long days, and low pay, there would be less fresh produce on your tables. And in Texas where CD lives, there are still huge cotton fields. That crop is very hard and painful to pick. I know, I tried to get that cotton ball out. Got a lot of bleeding for my effort. So I took a whole branch, (with permission) and when I came back home gave it to my daughter's fourth grade teacher who just happen to be black. I warned her on how to handle it with care. She used it until her retirement when teaching about the Civil War. When I invited her to supper a few times, she told me with tears in her eyes, that her ancestors were cotton picking slaves. So that little branch had a lot of meaning to her.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
There is a landscaper here located a couple of towns away from here in Everett. He is always busy and he responds to all his phone calls. He doesn't have a site. He has several trucks out there on the road. And you see them all the time. All over the map.
My granddaughter called, the owner came out, gave her an estimate and told her his crew would be there in two weeks. Gave her a date alone with his business card. Sure enough the truck pulled up, the workers unloaded their equipment and went to work. GD happened to be at work at the time and when she got home, they were just finishing up. Did a beautiful and professional job. She wrote out the balance due. And the landscaping is what sold the house for her. Everyone who came to look at the property were totally impressed with how it looked.
That man knows how to do business. She found out that he also does major snow removal in the winter. He keeps his workers busy year round.
My granddaughter called, the owner came out, gave her an estimate and told her his crew would be there in two weeks. Gave her a date alone with his business card. Sure enough the truck pulled up, the workers unloaded their equipment and went to work. GD happened to be at work at the time and when she got home, they were just finishing up. Did a beautiful and professional job. She wrote out the balance due. And the landscaping is what sold the house for her. Everyone who came to look at the property were totally impressed with how it looked.
That man knows how to do business. She found out that he also does major snow removal in the winter. He keeps his workers busy year round.
Um, I'm talking about yard work, not building something. As far as I know, there isn't any license for yard work.
If I need something substantial done, such as when I had my water heater replacedI get a licensed contractor and a building permit. That way, my homeowner's insurance covers it if something happens down the road.
I had my house painted by Mexican immigrants. It's paint, not construction. They did a great job, for a reasonable price. And, they did it on my timetable. Around here, you hire some "white guys," it could take six months before the job is done, and if it isn't done right, too bad. Plus, you will pay more for the inferior work. It is an attitude thing. I pick up some day laborers, tell them what to do, and they go to work.
I bought a new garage door opener from Home Depot, and had it installed by a "licensed contractor." By the time he was done, I wanted to punch him in the face. Any request I had was answered with "NO." It was his way, or the highway. My garage is separate from my house. I wanted the button in the house. It was already wired!!! He said "NO." He put the button inside the garage. What good is that?!
In his mind, I was privileged to pay him 120 bucks to do the install. To a Mexican immigrant laborer, it is a privilege to work for you.
CG wants her yard cleaned up. No license needed for that job.
CD
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
CD, I am curious. Do they have their own equipment when you hire these workers? Such as ladders for painting a building. Mowers for doing the yard work, etc.
Cheryl J
Chef Extraordinaire
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Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It depends on the job. The guys who painted my house are guys I have known and worked with for years. They had their own gear, including a power-washer and ladders. The guy I hired to dig fence post holes for me was somebody I never met. I supplied the shovel and post hole digger. I just needed a young, strong body to do that job. I'm too old for it. It only took him a couple of hours, at 15 bucks an hour, but I gave him 50 bucks.
CD
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
I am glad to hear you give these men employment so they can feed their families. Fifty bucks sound like a well earned amount. You don't need the heart attack or sore bones and muscles. Getting old is hard enough work as it is.
Kaneohegirlinaz
Wannabe TV Chef
Time: Eight O'Way Too Early To Be Calling On A Sunday Morning A.M.
What the
Okay look, it's Sunday morning and DH and I
just barely awake, lounging in bed trying to decide
whether or not to get out of bed.
THE PHONE RINGS!!!
Are you really truly kidding me?
Who on God's green Earth even MAKES
phones at this hour?
OH WAIT! I know …
We have a Mentally Challenged Nephew who
is 18 years old and his parents do not supervise him.
I answered the phone, and just as I was
about to say, "... do you know what … "
DH took the phone and gently spoke with him.
DH: You can't scold him, he doesn't understand
Me: But he needs correction
DH: That's useless and you know it
What the
Okay look, it's Sunday morning and DH and I
just barely awake, lounging in bed trying to decide
whether or not to get out of bed.
THE PHONE RINGS!!!
Are you really truly kidding me?
Who on God's green Earth even MAKES
phones at this hour?
OH WAIT! I know …
We have a Mentally Challenged Nephew who
is 18 years old and his parents do not supervise him.
I answered the phone, and just as I was
about to say, "... do you know what … "
DH took the phone and gently spoke with him.
DH: You can't scold him, he doesn't understand
Me: But he needs correction
DH: That's useless and you know it
Just Cooking
Master Chef
Jeannie has a 20 year old granddaughter with Downs..
Wouldn't dream of scolding her.. Everything she does comes from love and a desire to be included.. Inconvenienced at times?.. Perhaps but, not enough to be concerned about..
Ross
Wouldn't dream of scolding her.. Everything she does comes from love and a desire to be included.. Inconvenienced at times?.. Perhaps but, not enough to be concerned about..
Ross
Kaneohegirlinaz
Wannabe TV Chef
Ross and Jeannie, please don't get me wrong, I love our
(actually Grand) Nephew to pieces.
He has Asperger's Syndrome and Hydrocephalus, he's
very high functioning.
Both my Mother and Sister had careers as Special Ed teachers in Hawaii,
and I pitched in as a volunteer for their classes and outings a lot over the years.
Our Nephew and his wife (the parents) will not admit to the fact that their son is disabled and has never gotten the help that he should have gotten.
His behavior has gotten worse along with his age, to the point where
none of the rest of the family will have much to do with him.
Really, it's only Uncle and Auntie; he's a good kid but needs help,
desperately and Uncle is so upset at this point with his Nephew for
allowing his son to flounder in life, when he could be a contributing
good citizen.
(actually Grand) Nephew to pieces.
He has Asperger's Syndrome and Hydrocephalus, he's
very high functioning.
Both my Mother and Sister had careers as Special Ed teachers in Hawaii,
and I pitched in as a volunteer for their classes and outings a lot over the years.
Our Nephew and his wife (the parents) will not admit to the fact that their son is disabled and has never gotten the help that he should have gotten.
His behavior has gotten worse along with his age, to the point where
none of the rest of the family will have much to do with him.
Really, it's only Uncle and Auntie; he's a good kid but needs help,
desperately and Uncle is so upset at this point with his Nephew for
allowing his son to flounder in life, when he could be a contributing
good citizen.
Kgirl, my son has a child with Downs but that doesn't mean he isn't corrected when he does something wrong.
Bless DH for his patience but that trait should be corrected. To me a call that early in the morning (for non working people) usually means an emergency.
I don't know how "challanged" this child is but I'm sure they wouldn't let him go out the front door, into the street and stand in front of on coming cars just to say "good morning".
If he can learn that then he can learn rules to govern when he can and cannot use the phone. If he can't learn that step then perhaps he should be taught to ask if he can use the phone.
I also understand your frustration in not being able to teach his teachers! LOL
You posted just as I was finishing. I'm so sorry his parents are like that. We too are dealing with one parent of the Downs who swears up and down the rules are being followed but the obvious sad consecquences show it is false.
Bless DH for his patience but that trait should be corrected. To me a call that early in the morning (for non working people) usually means an emergency.
I don't know how "challanged" this child is but I'm sure they wouldn't let him go out the front door, into the street and stand in front of on coming cars just to say "good morning".
If he can learn that then he can learn rules to govern when he can and cannot use the phone. If he can't learn that step then perhaps he should be taught to ask if he can use the phone.
I also understand your frustration in not being able to teach his teachers! LOL
You posted just as I was finishing. I'm so sorry his parents are like that. We too are dealing with one parent of the Downs who swears up and down the rules are being followed but the obvious sad consecquences show it is false.
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Kaneohegirlinaz
Wannabe TV Chef
Exactly dragn!
I didn't mention that part in my earlier
DH's older Sister back in Hawaii is going through some very
serious medical issues and we're all on edge, waiting to hear
further news, and he knows this.
When he was younger, he did need to ask first before calling
anyone, because he doesn't understand "time difference" nor
WHERE someone lives.
Not too long ago, he was not allowed to call one of his friends
who had moved to Hawaii. He called her at something like 3am
on a school night and couldn't understand why her Dad came on
the phone, yelling at him. Her Dad was our Nephew's former
commander, that did not go well the next day at work.
Spaces and time, along with other things, baffle him.
I even bought him a big map of the USA with the time zones
and put colored pins in each State of each family member to help him
better understand.
He flat out refused to even try to learn something "new".
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
My vent is certainly petty when it comes to all of you that have family dealing with special needs kids. God love you all.
My laptop no longer wants to talk to the internet via WiFi. Instead, I have to pack up everything I need/want when I'm going to be using it, then head down the basement to connect "George" to the internet with a cable - all old-school like.
Thankfully, it is summer and the basement is nice and cool, I have what Himself refers to as my Mom Cave set up with a desk, TV, nice little table lamp all set up to hide from the world. Still will be nice when he gets around to replacing my laptop, though. Or gets me a mini-fridge for snacks and beverages in the basement.
My laptop no longer wants to talk to the internet via WiFi. Instead, I have to pack up everything I need/want when I'm going to be using it, then head down the basement to connect "George" to the internet with a cable - all old-school like.
Thankfully, it is summer and the basement is nice and cool, I have what Himself refers to as my Mom Cave set up with a desk, TV, nice little table lamp all set up to hide from the world. Still will be nice when he gets around to replacing my laptop, though. Or gets me a mini-fridge for snacks and beverages in the basement. 
bbqcoder
Senior Cook
My wife had issue with her laptop being unable to connect to Wifi periodically last year and you had to reboot to resolve it. I tried updating the driver, but still happened. Was able to resolve it by getting this device for $15.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019SRBUNG
WiFi USB adapter. It also has the bonus of supporting the latest AC protocol when the built-in Wifi only did N. No issues with the WiFi since then.
Maybe something similar can help you?
My vent is certainly petty when it comes to all of you that have family dealing with special needs kids. God love you all.
My laptop no longer wants to talk to the internet via WiFi. Instead, I have to pack up everything I need/want when I'm going to be using it, then head down the basement to connect "George" to the internet with a cable - all old-school like.
I'd reinstall Windows; it should fix the problem with the internal wi-fi adapter. If not, get a $20 USB wi-fi adapter from your local Best Buy that plugs into a USB port; that should solve the problem. (or get what bbqcoder above suggests).
But if the laptop is old, may as well just replace it. For like $150 or so you can buy a refurbished laptop off ebay that will be faster than your old one. My Lenovo N23 laptop was all of $95 on ebay, and it has a touchscreen. I've been using it for 2 years. I gave my old one to my niece.
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