I’m hanging in there with the annual A-to-Z Blogging Challenge. For more information on the challenge and its creator visit:   http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

When I made my notes for what I would write about during this A to Z Challenge, I wrote M is for Monkey Glue. Well… not far wrong. M is for gorilla glue but it sure made a monkey out of us.

Before we started our renovation, we purchased two new toilets and had them connected by a licensed plumber. During the renovation, Mr. Contractor disassembled them several times. In fact, he disconnected our guest bathroom way sooner than he should have. I mean living with one bathroom is definitely an inconvenience! I know, we’re spoiled, but I put toilets right up there with cell phones–a necessity!

During one of Mr. Contractor’s disappearing acts, our guest toilet started leaking. We tracked down Mr. Contractor and asked him to come fix it.  He did. This happened two different times. The third time it leaked was right before our bedroom flooded so when we had the real plumber in the house, we asked him to take a look. Guess what he found–our brand new toilet had been cracked and glued back together. Oh yes, Mr. Contractor had broken it and tried to hide it. That’s when we made the final decision to let Mr. Contractor go. He did not finish the job. He put us through a lot, but this was the last straw.

This contractor would NOT make a monkey out of us ever again.

When you renovate, you need a plumber for the plumbing. An electrician for the electrical work. Painters for painting. Expert floor people for putting down the floor.  When we hired Mr. Contractor, he told us he had an excellent crew. We didn’t know that crew was  him and his son. Of course he had to hire out the cabinets and stuff, but I’m sure he purchased the cheapest of labor.  Do your homework and know who will be working in your house … and their qualifications.

All day I’ve been singing: