I Don’t Think So

I’m not sure what happened, but somehow when I posted yesterday’s blog, titled Back To Work, instead of going into the main heading, it went into a subheading for a page that contains some of Miss Terry’s recipes. Some people were able to access the blog with no problem and others could not, so here is a link to it in case you missed it.

We want to get a carport built on the large concrete apron in front of our house, next to the garage. Even though our 1100 square foot garage is huge, the door is so low that we cannot get the pontoon boat in except on a special scissor trailer. Then we have to crank the trailer down until the pontoons are sitting on four flat dollies, pull the trailer out, and push the boat into the corner. This is a real hassle every time we want to take it in and out, so I want to get a carport erected that we can keep it in instead.

Here in Volusia County, Florida, they have all kinds of rules and regulations for everything, and trying to wade through the maze of paperwork to get a building permit was beyond my ability or patience. So I asked on a local Facebook page for recommendations for a licensed contractor to do the job. I don’t want some handyman, because they can’t get a permit anyhow. I want the job done right to start with.

I got several recommendations, including one from a woman who contacted me and said she and her husband owned a construction company that specialized in carports. We had an appointment for him to come by yesterday and give us an estimate, and when he showed up, he was driving an SUV with his wife and baby in the car, which was no problem. He was a young guy, mid-20s at most, and when I started explaining to him what I needed to be done, he began pacing off the area and then asked if I had a tape measure because he had forgotten his. Who goes to give a construction estimate and doesn’t bring a tape measure along? He also needed paper and a pen to take notes.

I asked him what the turnaround time would be on a project like that, and he said he could do it over the weekend. There’s no way that’s going to happen, because I do know that the County said it could take two months or more just to get all the permit work done. I pointed that out to him, and he said not to worry about it, that was his job. He left and a few hours later sent me a text saying that he was preparing an estimate for the job but wanted to know if he could use my pickup to haul the materials. Otherwise, he would have to rent a truck and build that into the price. I don’t think so. I told him I was no longer interested in his services and wished him a good day.

The good news is that I got some recommendations for several other companies, one of which has done work right here in our neighborhood, and the owner lives right down the street. They are supposed to be here this afternoon to give us an estimate, and they understand all of the permitting process and such. Hopefully, we won’t run into any snags and can get the job approved and done, but as I said, Volusia County has an endless number of hoops they want you to jump through, so only time will tell.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Undone, the first book in my friend Jason Deas’ Burt Bigsley mystery series. To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

Thought For The Day – I have found that if you tuck one pant leg into your sock, people expect less of you.