Another learning day

Aaron would come by and be a friendly person in my new world where I know very few people, two exactly.

It was really nice to get to know him and we get along great and he asked if I could help him with the demolition of a small shower. Being agreeable I said yes. Well it was not really that small.

Today was the day that I got to do that demolition. It all went along okay but I did realize that I was lifting too much weight for my lower back and I was breathing too much dust despite the mask. Now at the end of the day I'm fairly well covered in concrete dust from the tile underlayment. I can spend my time in a more productive manner, and I really don't need to do this to myself.

And it's 8:00 p.m. The job started at 9:30 in the morning so that's 9 and 1/2 hours. I billed five and a half hours, because that's how long it took to get the actual job done. But the job wasn't done because in the process of removing a faucet I damaged the insert of the valve and I needed to go buy a replacement to get the shower to stop dripping.

So I drove down and back up which took an hour and got the part which they have which cost 60 bucks which Aaron was okay to buy, however since this whole issue was my responsibility I ended up taking it on me.

And then the old part wouldn't come out. The new part wouldn't go in and the whole thing is still leaking and now a plumber has to come out to cap the hot and cold water supplies.

It's been a long day and the learning lesson for this is the one I learned a couple years ago, how to say no. I had the same experience on the last job, I ended up working for half the money, double the frustration and lost a friend in the process.

This must be my answer to a request to do some work for someone:
Sorry but I'm not capable of doing that, I don't have the required insurance and I can't assume the liability. But of course really nothing can go wrong right? And then the stuff like today happens that shouldn't have gone wrong but it did. And then I end up working for half the money that I thought I was working for and spending way more time than I should have. So the answer is no, I cannot do work for clients.

I learned that lesson a few years back but I wanted to integrate into this new community and be a helpful guy. And yet again, I'm quite capable of messing things up and so the answer is no.

Maybe this time the lesson will stick.Läs mer