It has been about a month since I last posted and I figure I had better post again before they call out the search dogs for me.
This is the first time I have been at home since the last time I posted. I was lucky enough to get the Mrs. to come up and visit for Valentine’s Day, but besides that I have been working and being sick.
I can’t believe how many people on this project are sick. I would estimate that at any one time 50% of the people working there are coughing and snorking up lung junk. The place is filthy and the dust in the air is visible. Imagine working in a white sand storm with no wind. It’s kinda like that only with obstacles under foot and people marching through yelling that we need to hurry up and be quiet.
The project is open to the public, yet we are not even close to being finished. The other trades are behind schedule and we are forced to wait on them. What work we can do we have to do while the people that are on vacation are away from the rooms, making work hours and conditions difficult.
We are not supposed to wear our protective equipment and are allowed to use only outhouses. No flush toilets for the people that wear plastic hats! We are forced to use the service entrances and can only use one stairway in order to not make contact with the public.
The general contractor has not been paying for any of the extras that we have done, so now we are in the position of no longer being able to finish a lot of things because they require extras, and we are no longer providing extras until they pay for what they already have.
And to add insult to injury, I heard that most of the other trades contracts are up as of yesterday. That means that the other trades may not be working until they get assurances that they will be paid extra, something that I am sure the general contractor does not want to do.
All in all I think that this project is just about the biggest clusterfuck that I have ever been part of. If I had to choose my worst project ever, this would be it.
On the positive side, the overtime has been good, and I am hoping that my next project will get going soon. I do not think I will be in Telluride until the end, but will be shipped back to NM whenever the general contractor there gets things ready. Perhaps then I will not be working 60 – 70 hour weeks and having to share a house with a man with the social skills of a rock.
I can’t wait.
