Is it Friday yet? Patio reveal

Y'all, it's been a week. 

As you know, Friday we got an email that "oh hey we're coming out to do your patio in 2 1/2 days."  So we worked our butts off all weekend, the Mr got heat rash and they showed up late Monday to get started.  I won't lie, it was sad to see our old stones go because I thought of all of the good times we had on the old patio.  I think of the luau we had back in 2000 where I covered the whole thing in sand like a beach and the dog was like "WTH is this!?!" or just all the times we sat out back with her.  When we'd lay out to get a base tan for Hawaii It's like losing a little bit more of her.  It was the first major home improvement we did to this place.  We turned a plot of grass with nothing on it to a nice place to hang out and a few years later enclosed it so we could make sure people minded their bidness if they were walking by.  When the stones started looking worn, we used concrete stain on them to get a few more years out of them.  So bittersweet for sure.

I got an email that the grill I ordered was going to be delivered on the 4th  which I totally wasn't expecting because I didn't think that was even possible on a holiday.  Boy, was I glad they were here and it was only a two-day job!  After they pulled up the stones and leveled stuff, they said they we would get the delivery of stones and they'd be back at 8:30 am to install.  We were having mom over for dinner but could still listen for a big ol' truck dropping off a few pallets of stones.  Well, shock of all shockers, no one showed up.  *grinds teeth*  Before bed, I sent the woman at the landscaping place an email telling her no delivery happened and they're coming at 8:30 am to install something we don't have and just wanted to let them know.  The Mr said the subcontractors might already know and they just didn't bother letting us know and the communication ball was dropped yet again.  So we waited.  We did our morning walk and about 8:15 am the guys show up, dump out one of the three wheelbarrows of gravel and take a few tools.  The Mr goes out and says the delivery never came and the guy was basically like "yeah, I know.  It might not happen until late this week."  So they were done for the day as far as they were concerned.

Oh HELL no!!!

Why in God's name would you tell someone the project was ready to go and you don't have all of the materials ready to go!?!  The Mr called the landscaper and told her what he said and we said we were having a grill delivered tomorrow and people over to show off the patio since we kept being assured it was a two-day job.  He said obviously if we have to cancel, we cancel but basically WTF?  She said she'd call the boss and get right back to him.  A few minutes later she calls back and says that the boss called the subcontractors and they said the stone place told them they couldn't deliver until Friday and he told them to go pick them up.  It was super frustrating, to say the least.  So about 90 minutes later, they show back up and have to reload the wheelbarrow they dumped and got to work on our animal barrier.  Then they got started on it and thank God the Mr checked about 15 minutes into it because they were installing it wrong!!!  We got two different colors of stone to be mixed together randomly and even sent pics to the landscaper of what we wanted based off of the brick suppliers display.  We thought that would've been explicitly conveyed to the subcontractors because, you know, it's the entire project but they instead started making a border with the light ones and filling the whole patio with the dark ones.  The Mr looked at it funny and was like "is this right?"  (He's color blind so he can't see as subtle differences between some colors) and I said "NO!!  They're making a border with the light color!!  We want them randomized."  He opened the door to tell them that and you get this blank stare like they think they understand but aren't quite sure.  I had to leave and go upstairs because I was mentally losing it.  I felt like my jaw was in a constant state of clench, which it was.  Once they got what we wanted, it moved along pretty well but getting to that point seemed to be like pulling teeth. 

They didn't have the sand to fill in the joints so they had to get that and it was getting to the point we weren't sure if they were going to try to come back the next day.  Thankfully that didn't even come up and they filled it and ran.  Probably wanted to run before I saw they ruined the newly painted steps (which we informed them had just been painted and to be careful) that I now have to repaint and pray I don't get any on the new stone.  (Yes we can put down a drop cloth but if anything drops and we pull the cloth, it could drag paint so I'll come up with the best approach I can.)  When it was done we loved how it looked but we just couldn't be more than "cautiously happy" as the Mr put it because I swear to God we can never seem to get a project done without some kind of BS attached to it.  Maybe my next lifetime.  *rolling eyes*

Here are some before and after's:

The former "garden" area:

The next day we were getting my new grill and since I saw they offered free delivery and assembly, I got it because I figured the Mr and I would've spent enough time out in the sweltering heat to spend another 30-60 minutes out there.  The Mr had them drop it off around back and of course, we didn't notice until after they left that, you know, the side burner lid wasn't attached.   Once you sign that piece of paper saying you looked it over, it's out of their hands.  I didn't feel like we should have to go buy the parts so the Mr went to Lowe's and told them he was taking the parts he needed since they didn't do it right.  Again...not even having a grill delivered can go smoothly. 

It's been an irritating week and if I were in a different frame of mind, I'd make those Ghirardelli brownies down there that I've been craving for 6 weeks and eat the entire 8x8 pan myself.  Actually, that sounds like a really good idea this particular second but assume I didn't. 

Put a fork in me, I'm so done on every level right now.

How was your holiday (Or Wednesday if you don't celebrate)?  See any fireworks?

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