The kids are coming home today around noon. I cannot wait to see their little faces! I’m sure I’ll be all excited to see them until the fussing and fighting begins. I hate it that I am so tired. I slept past 9:00. I guess canvasing the neighborhood took its toll on me last night.
We are still trying to start a neighborhood watch, but it is slow-moving. In order for us to be able to participate in the C.O.P.S. program, we have to have 75% of our neighborhood participate. When we totaled up the houses on the five streets that make up our neighborhood, we realized that there are 178 houses! That means we have to get 134 surveys filled out and 134 residents have to agree to attend the first meeting. This is a challenge, but the good thing is my husband and I are very determined to make this work.
The response so far has been wonderful! We have about 20 completed surveys, so there’s much more to do. 20 doesn’t sound like a lot, but no one has said no yet. It’s just finding people home, talking to each person for 10 minutes or so explaining the program and answering questions. Another pro, is my husband and I both have the gift of gab, so we don’t mind the talking so much, but that can be a con as well. We are hoping to delegate some other neighbors so they can help spread out and reach more people in less time.
In the midst of neighborhood door-knocking, I hired a contractor. I went with #1, and of course had horrible dreams all night long that I made the wrong decision. I have laid it in God’s hands. I know that may sound silly to some people, but Chris and I had a horrible experience with the first person we hired to work on our home. We were drained dry and only half the work we hired the person to do was completed. So I am very nervous about hiring yet another stranger to complete something so large in my home. I wish Chris and I had more “time” to do things like replace bathtubs.
And I promise to post pictures of my bathroom once Maddie comes home with the camera. I know what she’s getting for her birthday…
Elise\'s Happenings and Wonderings... 
Thanks for visiting my blog! I will be teaching 2nd grade this year. I’ve taught kindergarten, first, a first-second split, but this will be my first year in total second. I’m excited, I think. I do love first grade, though. It’s such a HUGE learning year.
I think #1 will work out fine for you. If not you can apply for the Holmes On Homes tv show.
Although we had trouble with the first fella we hired to work on our home, we’ve had good experiences with 3 or 4 we’ve hired since then. My wife is a little mistrusting of folks in service industries. She doesn’t lack a general faith in humanity. The storm brews as two internal forces collide. Elise the Barterer strives for the absolute best deal. This gal is thrifty and she has a super human attention to detail. Elise the Jaded has known service men that confessed how others in their field take advantage of their customers. A cheap deal is suspicious yet she wonders if she can do better than the “safe” choice. You’d think the middle option would be best, but the leaves both side of Elise unfulfilled.
I don’t suppose you ladies recall the scene in the Lord of the Rings movies when Gollum argues with his split personality. Selecting a roofer, dentist or mechanic with Elise is about that entertaining.
Bless her heart, I can’t help but love her.
I think it’s great that you are still working on the neighborhood watch program. There is a weird but true statistic in even planning that you typically get a 25% drop off in people who say the will come and who actually do. So, there is hope. And you’re starting to network within the neighborhood which improves your chances even more.
I also applaud you on the whole selecting a contractor endeavor. What a headache?! It would make my stomach churn. Hang in there.