At this point there are four husky fellas pulling, banging, cutting away at my old kitchen countertops. One of them just retrieved a saws-all and is now busily buzzing away between the backsplash and the wall. At first the job looked too easy, and I thought my god why am I paying such an exorbitant price for this project? Contractor Mark’s crew pulled the old countertops, and then paraded in with pieces of shiny new granite. Most cut so precisely they were perfect as is, and dropped into place without any adjustment. Then, it began. Little things, like the stove and refrigerator, are in the way, the new sink doesn’t fit. One of the men disappears, and I see a cloud of granite dust flying past my office window. Frank, the Master Craftsman, is sawing away at another slab to finish fitting the buffet. My front lawn scattered with old countertop pieces which now will no longer work even if I wanted to stop the job and have them put it all back together again. In other words, I have committed, and there is no backing out now.
My early appraisal of the job was the result of not knowing what this kind of job entails. Now, I am beginning to see that I don’t know my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to installing granite counter tops. Especially ones with multiple angles and notches to fit an architect’s dream of a house.
An aw shit moment occurs when the four men tilt the largest piece to slide the new sink under. Mark gives instructions for how to handle the piece, and in spite of his precautions it happens! One man pushes just a tad bit harder than the others. It was a minor twist, but the slab broke in three places. The crew turned deadly silent. I cannot imagine what went through Frank’s mind as he saw his masterpiece turn to crap in an instant
By the time, Mark’s crew finishes the job I’ll realize that I got my dollar’s worth. The kitchen is not functional until Frank makes a new piece, and the crew again gingerly man handles the three hundred pound piece of granite into place.
Filed under: Biography, family, Manufacturing | Tagged: Granite, Home Improvement | Leave a comment »
