@#$%&* Construction Masters!!!

So we're having a closet built in the den for extra storage. I thought about doing it myself, but decided to hire it out so it'd be done right.

As usual, dealing with Construction Masters is maddening. Here's a summary of my day today ...

"Sure, Scott, we'll be there Monday morning between 8-9." - Friday at noon.

"Well, I don't know where the crew is I gave the job to. I'll send a second crew right over." -10 a.m.

"Sorry, we got hung up at the shop getting supplies." - 1 p.m.

"Well, looks like we'll need to go get some extra 2x4s. We'll be back in half an hour." - 1:45 p.m.

"Did the boss say this would be a one day job?" - 3:10 p.m.

"That's about all we can do for today. We'll be back tomorrow morning between 8-9." - 4:37 p.m.

You know what "That's about all we can do for today" means? Carrying in some drywall and paneling. Stacking 2x4s outside. Pulling quarter-round and molding. Taking some measurements.

For that, I spent a vacation day.

UPS

So I ordered a Patagonia sweatshirt and cap (don't tell Jen, she thinks I've got too many caps as it is) last week from one of my outlet Web sites. Heck of a deal on them at 75 percent off.

I got the confirmation e-mail with a link to the UPS package tracking Web page. So each day I've logged on to see where my shipment is located. Monday, it was in Reno. Then it was shipped to Mesquite (home of the mighty Skeeters, says Sean Brown). From there it went to Little Rock, before arriving in Fort Smith at 4:08 a.m. this morning. Then it left the local UPS warehouse at 6:53 a.m. ... and I still don't have my stuff.

I'm usually pretty patient. But come on, bring me my stuff. It's been nearly five hours since the truck left the depot. Aargh!

I'd have been better off not logging onto that site at all.

Update: Hooray, UPS finally arrived a little before 5 p.m. I'm now wearing my rocking new sweatshirt and will be sporting the cap soon.