Remodeling plan III: the estimates

I received Cub Man's estimate and I'm glad I sat down before reading it.

$300 for painting a bunch of cubes?!?!?!? Is he Rembrandt or what? Maybe he's painting them with his toes.

That's just the cosmetic part of the quote. There's also the actual construction and, of course, the materials. His estimate was more than my mortgage payment plus assessments!

I thought he stopped screwing me years ago! Is he such a jerk that he's going to let his financial situation get in the way of our friendship? (At least I THOUGHT we were friends!)

My disappointment in his character weighed heavy on me, but at the same time, it didn't ring true. I shook my head, knowing there was something missing here. It would be out of character for him to try to cheat me (or anyone, for that matter).

But I know enough to know what I don't know, so like any good consumer, I got a second opinion.

With fortuitous timing, my contractor (Polish Boy) called and we talked about the proposed storage unit. I gave him the specifics that Cub Man had offered (materials used, type of joints, etc.) and asked him for a ballpark figure.

I breathed a sigh of relief that my faith in mankind hadn't been misplaced. PB would charge me more than Cub Man to manufacture the same cabinet.

PB's estimate for the floor installation, closet replacement, electrical work and wall painting arrived the following day.

Sometimes I think there's a special demon that periodically steps in and fucks up my seemingly simple plans. My condo complex was designed in the mid 40s by an architect who had apparently gone off his medications. His insanity was going to cost me money. No doubt about it.

Examples of his eccentricities:

• The opening for my bedroom closet is not standard height nor is it standard width (resulting in my need for CUSTOM-MADE closet doors). If it were the contents of my closet that needed to be custom made, I could handle that.
• My closet had no lighting when I moved in (yep, no lights in the closet), so I had an electrician do a shitty makeshift job. PB will fix this so it no longer looks like Section 8 housing.
• My bathroom door is only 26 inches wide so another custom job will be required when I scrape together enough cash to remodel my bathroom.
• Another bathroom gem that surprised even PB: there is a heat vent under the sink, inside the wood vanity cabinet. I must say that it's an unexpected bonus to reach under the cabinet for body lotion only to receive a hot oil treatment.
  

Anyway, back to the estimate. It's do-able, especially because it includes materials. Yay!!

Although the estimate came in under my worst-case scenario, I think I'll hold off on the celebration as I anticipate hiccups in the remodeling process.

I'll sign the contracts with PB next week and hand over a fistful of $$ so we can get started.
Cub Man, however, has not responded to my offer to take him up on his estimate provided it includes delivery. We'll see where that goes.

Perpendicular lives

Safe to say that my meeting with Cub Man didn't go as well as I'd hoped.

Some background: He and I dated for six months about six years ago. (His friends thought we might get married, but that's another story.) I spoke to him very briefly at a Cubs game this summer, but other than that, we haven't spoken in a few years although we've always been cordial. He's the only person I know that makes furniture, so I contacted him when I couldn't find the storage unit that I envisioned.

First off, I got lost going out to the northwest suburbs. I've traveled all over the world, I can find the f-ing restaurant!!! When I finally arrived, I was not a happy camper. My attitude turned what could have been a pleasant welcome hug from Cub Man into an awkward moment.
The Writer: bad attitude = -2 points

In the restaurant bar, I pulled out the room measurements that he requested and we discussed the storage unit for a while. It wasn't all business, though, as Cub Man wanted to catch up with me, find out what's been going on in my life.

This is where it got uncomfortable, for reasons that became apparent later.

Well, much of 2005 was spent traveling to two weddings in Europe plus a Cubs game in New York, a bridal shower in New Jersey, a college graduation in Virginia and, of course, my annual birthday trip.
The Writer: upbeat tales of travel experience = +10 points

I didn't tell him about all of these trips, just a few, glossing over most of the details. My brain short-circuited when my stomach started to rumble and suddenly the conversation turned to food. I hardly noticed Cub Man's hesitation when we decided to finish our drinks and find a table for dinner.

Our restaurant also has a city location which I've frequented because they have very good steaks. Food is one of my favorite conversation topics, especially when I'm hungry. I started to talk about another steak place in the south suburbs that's really great, but I didn't think Cub Man had heard of it. I turned to him and was faced with a strange expression that I couldn't place.

"We've been there," he said. Apparently, early in our "relationship," we had dinner at the aforementioned steakhouse. Cub Man remembered the cabin-like building off the highway, our table next to the fireplace and the smoky cabernet sauvignon that quickly became "our wine." He still buys that wine occasionally.

Geez! I thought date memorization was totally a girl thing!
Cub Man: detailed memory of a romantic evening= +20 points

Trying to avoid falling into the "remember when" hole, I asked about Cub Man's family. He has a son and a daughter (both teenagers now.) It soon became apparent that I didn't remember his daughter's name (probably because I mispronounced it). Oops!
The Writer: insensitive name boo-boo= -10 points

I felt bad about that blunder for the rest of the evening until it occurred to me (the next morning) that I had only met his children ONE TIME and that was six years ago!

In an attempt to close the gap between his experience with his children and my lack thereof, I related a story about one of my sister's kids.

"That's the sister that's a nurse, right?" Cub Man asked.
Did he always have this good a memory??
Cub Man: another memory muscle flex= +5 points

Back to the reason for our meeting...
Cub Man mentioned that it's good for me and bad for him that he has time to work on this project for me. Hmmn??

For the third time in four years, Cub Man is unemployed. Mortgage and child-support payments loom large for him. Add to that the fact that he's on the north side of 50 and it's not a good situation.

He's even started doing some handyman jobs around his neighborhood. He insisted I take a few of the business cards he printed up for this. I glanced at the cards (he still lives in the same townhouse).
Cub Man: trying to make the best of a pitiful financial situation= +50 points

Needless to say, I paid for dinner. A quick and innocent kiss goodnight and a promise of a quick estimate brought to a close an evening I'd sooner forget.

So let's check the score:
The Writer (-2 points)-- insensitive, rich bitch flaunting domestic and international travel, hiring people to remodel a room.
Cub Man (+75 points)-- thoughtful in remembering events and people, suffering financial low again, fixing screen doors and caulking tubs for senior citizens.

Is there a "slaughter rule" in dealing with exes??