Michael's promise

In my working life I would love to be able to adopt the tradesperson’s fluid approach to the Gregorian calendar, but I fear that I would lose quite a few customers that way.

Unlike most tradespeople, I am duty bound to deliver on the dates I say I will, as I provide a preventative measure (insurance) to prevent them from stumping up their own cash in the event they are sued. If I don’t have cover in place at the appropriate time, things can get pretty expensive and lawyer-tactic in double quick time. But I guess the stakes are a little lower in the trades world and the fiscal impact of a delayed splash-back being installed is negligible.

With yet more fluidity, Michael’s (the builder) assurances that he would be finished today and that the full-to-bursting (and soon to be declared bio-hazard) skip would be gone by “Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest” both fell short of the mark.

We are not so much bursting through the finishing tape as we are stumbling to the line, but it is so nearly almost over.

And then the next round of painting begins…