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Slapinions

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Monday, April 21, 2008
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April 2008
Window salesmen, drainage ditches, musical beds, and a picture of Socialist! Oh My!
Cloverfield
Lost: The Shape of things to Come. Season 4, episode 9
What I thought of Juno
On Souls, karma, and a whiny monologue by St. Peter
A great bit of Disney's imaginative copywriting
Some answers to your Questions
Bleepin' Home Improvement Salesmen
An American Haunting  - review
The bush out front
Congrats Danica!
Hey, lend me a hand will ya?
Of Rockies, Inherited skill, and what little I learned yesterday
Sunshine
Changes
Quote of the Day "No One"
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
It's DeLovely
This Ain't No Chuck E. Cheese
I'm AOL Guest Editor this week
Water, Water, and More Water
Two Brewers games in two days equals two losses
A new song by Queen
I've been tagged!
How NOT to take care of a baby
The Union Ruler, circa 1984
"New Kids on the Block? WTF?"
How Vain am I to have two posts about my rinky-dink weekend?
A rambling and self-centered account of my weekend, part 1
'Awake' Movie Review
RIP Charlton Heston
Happy Birthday Mom - here's a surprise for you
The Mist, Jumper, and Shooting an Elephant in Burma with George Orwell
'Me and Dad' by YaYa
NKOTB on NBC's Today
Prettey Farys by YaYa
The MP3 player is up and running, and so is the cost of my cable
2
1st Pic of the Reunited NKOTB!
On how there's no Sonic nearby and 23 yr old women are now out of bounds
Happy April - No Fool's Day joke here
« April 2008 Archive
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Bleepin' Home Improvement Salesmen

You know, I'm starting to get a little insulted by all these contractors who stop by my house to solicit work.

Yes, I know the roof is old and has seen better days. That's why wer're looking to replace it. Yes, I also know the windows are old enough to have seen FDR's first term. Thanks for pointing that out. And thanks ever so much for leaving the one thousandth home improvement flyer on my screen door.

But the kicker? The lawn service that stopped by last year with a flyer advertising a $19.95 special,  took a look at my barren and brown lawn, then crossed out the sale price and scribbled 'call me for a quote'.

That was last year, mind you, before a summer's worth of lawn work and seeding.

Tonight I was feeding the kids dinner when Smiley ran in and grunted, gesturing to the front door. There again was a contractor, this one looking to give me a quote on the windows.

As it turns out the windows are one of the three things we are hoping to have done this year, so I asked him to return at a better time - Lis, that means Friday at 7 pm - but geesh.

I suppose just by agreeing to the estimate I validated his approach, but doesn't anyone ever just reach out and slap them?

Even as I was signing up I was nursing a grudge.

"Did you stop at every house on the block, or just the ones that looked like sh**?" I asked.

He hesitated, gauged my temper, deemed me genial, and laughed. "Not every house, but a lot of them. See you Friday."



slapinions at 8:41:00 PM CDT Blog about this entry
This entry has 10 comments: (Add your own)
  • #10 Comment from gryphondear 
    4/24/08 9:51 AM Permalink
    Phone solicitations are fun, too. My dad always liked to tell of the guy who wanted to sell him aluminum siding for his second-story apartment, which was brick-faced.
    ;^) Jan the Gryphon
  • #9 Comment from luvrte66 
    4/24/08 9:48 AM Permalink
    We very rarely have someone stop by to solicit work--not because our house is in perfect condition, but because we're kind of out in the country. There's plenty to be said for the boondocks!

    Hope the windows don't set you back too much.

    Beth
    http://journals.aol.com/luvrte66/nutwoodjunction/
  • #8 Comment from wildautumn1 
    4/24/08 9:47 AM Permalink
    At least your not getting solicitations for cemetary plots!  I wasn't even 40 when I started getting letters to buy my plot now!  Have a good week!  Karen
  • #7 Comment from quartrlyfecrysis 
    4/24/08 9:34 AM Permalink
    LOL.

    the joys of home ownership.
  • #6 Comment from jeannescorsone 
    4/24/08 8:08 AM Permalink
    I think they are funny, I remember once when I owned my home and had lawn care service, I was lift a note stating that my lawn needed help.....Please...

    We had a painter come by and wanted to paint the siding of our home...I wasn't home, but my husband said yes...I think that was the best 300.00 I spent on that house, the paint lasted for years...

    I hope you have a better day

    Jeanne
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