I HAVE A TEAM

MY TEAM

     After the first nightmare days of errors, I managed to pull my dream team together and I'm beginning to believe the work will get done.  I am the captain of my ship, and I run a tight one; I'm in charge and on top of every detail.  But I couldn’t do any of it without my first in command, “L,” who showed me what could be done with a homely little space on the river, built in 1985, a little like a family motel.  L recognized its potential; he sat down and planned it out, told me what needed to be done.  He started with the knocking down walls; every unnecessary piece of wall would be removed.  Then he looked at the floor and got an inspired vision: whitewashed distressed boards, like a beach house, and all the rest followed from that.

      “L” is a miracle-man; a trained designer/decorator/transformer-of-spaces par excellence. His ideas are brilliant; I love his taste; he’s a gentleman and an inspiration.  He’s not only a master at what he does, with more than a half century of experience,  he’s patient and caring, driving me to every junk, consignment, and antique shop in Vallejo, Benicia, Berkley, Oakland, Napa, and Calistoga without a word of complaint.  Then we enjoy lunch! 

     Next is “R,” superman, hero, wild man contractor who understands what I want and gives it to me.  Whatever the challenge, he doesn’t give up.  There’s no blah-blah-blah with R; if there’s a question of what’s behind a wall, he just grabs his hammer and BAM! smashes the wall and takes a look.  And, he’s a tough taskmaster with his workers, who don’t mess around.  R tells me he’s been in the business for nearly 40 years, and knows "all about it."  This is another man who enjoys his work and does it seven days a week.  His positive energy and attitude have turned what could have been a nightmare into a great experience for me – even though I’m paying him through the nose. 

     Then I’ve got “B,” an electrician who talks much too much but seems to know what he’s doing.  He told me he prefers creating sound and entertainment systems to pushing wires through walls, but he’s careful, methodical, and gets the job done.

     There’s a fellow who makes stone fireplaces creating my hearth right now, and a floor man who looks 18 years old but assures me he’s 29, who beat out all the competition, and will lay my laminate and carpeting. 

     I’m pleased to report, like the vegetables on my table, my team is 100% local, Vallejo fellows one and all.

     Having said all this, I need to add, and I know I’ve already said it, but I need to repeat this again and again, in case I didn't hear it myself: home-ownership is for masochists.  I don’t recommend it unless you’ve got money to burn.  I’m hemorrhaging green stuff like it was water.  Oh well, if you want the dream team, you’ve got to pay.