Jane and the guys
Having commented recently on my new friend, the UPS man, several women have emailed me to say they absolutely get our friendship, and how we women rely so much on 'guys' like the UPS man, the mail man, the oil guys. The guys, in other words, who help our lives run smoothly.
I feel very lucky in that the 'guys' in my life are all pretty damn great.
It wasn't always like this. When I had the big house with the serious gardens, I couldn't STAND the landscapers. The company was your typical 'mow, blow and go', a team of South American men who would pitch up once a week, but every now and then one of the owners would show up, and would tell me that something was wrong.
He didn't like how the orchard was planted. Those plants shouldn't have been put there. He claimed a degree in horticulture, and was imperious and patronising. This, despite my having studied every plant that went into the garden, every bush, every shrub. I knew exactly what my lovely English landscape designers had planted, why, and how to take care of it. He said they were wrong.
When the garden was on the garden tour, I asked him to come and clip the boxwood hedges, which were in dire need. He showed up, but didn't do it. When I phoned again, he came over and refused, saying the leaves would turn brown. I told him I didn't care and would take that chance, and still, he refused. I wish I had fired him. Instead I went to Home Depot, bought an electric saw, came home and clipped them myself. Needless to say, the leaves never turned brown.
I made a decision, sometime after that, not to have people around who I dislike, not even for the briefest of jobs. And so, my 'guys', are all people I adore, and will willingly sit and chat to for hours.
We women need these guys, and we need to like them, and feel safe. I'm lucky I do. On both counts.
Couldn't agree more!
Couldn't agree more!
I can totally relate to this entry. When I divorced my first husband, I needed some work around the house done.
I hired a landscaper to trim all the trees. He trimmed them, but I didn't know that I had to ask him to pick the trimmings off the ground.
Another contractor (recommended by male friend) was to replace a kitchen ceiling. He came and never finished sanding down the spackle, had a car towed to my front lawn one Friday and didn't come for it until he returned Monday a.m. (despite my numerous voicemails about how my neighborhood is not one where CARS are parked on the front lawn) and used my dumpster to put items from his other jobs in.
I sanded the spackle and when he tried overcharging, I informed him what my hourly rate was and promptly deducted it off the bill. He told me I was taking advantage of him because he was from Eastern Europe and I laughed at him.
Now that I am remarried, any contractor has to meet with my husband. He's 6'3" and knows what they are talking about.
I can totally relate to this entry. When I divorced my first husband, I needed some work around the house done.
I hired a landscaper to trim all the trees. He trimmed them, but I didn't know that I had to ask him to pick the trimmings off the ground.
Another contractor (recommended by male friend) was to replace a kitchen ceiling. He came and never finished sanding down the spackle, had a car towed to my front lawn one Friday and didn't come for it until he returned Monday a.m. (despite my numerous voicemails about how my neighborhood is not one where CARS are parked on the front lawn) and used my dumpster to put items from his other jobs in.
I sanded the spackle and when he tried overcharging, I informed him what my hourly rate was and promptly deducted it off the bill. He told me I was taking advantage of him because he was from Eastern Europe and I laughed at him.
Now that I am remarried, any contractor has to meet with my husband. He's 6'3" and knows what they are talking about.