Useless Conversation

[Nebu]

Two things you can't change about a house are the bones and the location.  The house I live in needs work, but it's in a location that rarely has homes for sale.  While I'd rather have a house that needs less work, I can't imagine being in a better location. 

Just go with the decision that leaves you with the least regrets.

[Salamok]

I can understand them being unwilling to repair it but it seems as though conceding a few thousand off the sales price to account for the partial reroof then leaving it up to you is the generally acceptable thing to do.  You should just resubmit your offer for 5,000 less and walk away, half the point of home inspections is to just use them to negotiate a lower price.  If you really wanted to be a dick let them (and their realtor) know that you will be dropping a copy of your home inspection report on any future buyers front door and they damn sure well better be following the disclosure laws in your state.

edit - Furthermore if they did not disclose something on the sellers home condition report that they legally should have you probably have every right to demand they pay you back for your home inspection.

[Sky]

I know you live in scorpion hell, but I wouldn't buy a house with a flat roof. They put them in places around here and it's  when you get a few feet of snow. Give me a nice sharply pitched roof (slate preferred) anyday.

[MisterNoisy]

I think I'm in the middle of terminal vocational burnout.

[Minvaren]

(hands MisterNoisy a t-shirt and empathizes)

[Nebu]

I think I'm in the middle of terminal vocational burnout.

You're just approaching the 'numbing'.  Once you get past that, it's smooth sailing.

[Ironwood]

True That.

[Lantyssa]

I know you live in scorpion hell, but I wouldn't buy a house with a flat roof. They put them in places around here and it's  when you get a few feet of snow. Give me a nice sharply pitched roof (slate preferred) anyday.

If he gets a few feet of snow to worry about, he's probably got bigger problems.

You're just approaching the 'numbing'.  Once you get past that, it's smooth sailing.

Heh.  I hit that point the other week.  Only one person was privy to it.

[Nebu]

Wouldn't snow where he lives be a sign of the apocalypse?

[Minvaren]

Or a sign that a 90's rapper is staging a comeback.  

[Chimpy]

Or a sign that a 90's rapper is staging a comeback.  

Licky boom boom down?

[MisterNoisy]

You're just approaching the 'numbing'.  Once you get past that, it's smooth sailing.

Actually, I passed that point a long time ago and was generally copacetic for a while.  This is literally me just having moments where everything just sort of shuts down. 

A bit of background:  My workload has something like tripled in the last year or so as I found myself taking on increasing amounts of work for the whole enterprise instead of just a handful of locations.  Because of that, I can't take more than a day or two off at a time because nobody is there to pick up/maintain what I'm doing when I'm not here - I took the Christmas break off last year, and damn near lost my mind trying to catch up afterwards.  Just keeping up with the increased flow of shit means I have to just keep grinding away while more and more ill-conceived projects, meetings, conference calls and other crap just keeps getting piled on.

I ostensibly have peers, but we have fairly divergent skillsets to say the least - one is pretty much completely useless for anything but generating one or two emails a morning and some menial paper pushing and the other has managed to wrangle themselves into heading up a project for the mothership that conveniently has me doing all of the actual work - during the last meeting we had about that gem, I was the only one that had any status updates on my deliverables, while everyone else was laughing and having a good time telling everyone the 'reasons' they didn't have anything to show, and can you help me with that since you're done with your end?

I can see the cliff approaching - that point where there's so much to do that it's physically impossible to do any of it within the timelines given - and it's not going to be pretty.  :(

Sorry.  Just had to vent.

[Paelos]

Have they been paying you more as you took on more stuff?

If not, time to find a new job for sure.

[Viin]

You have to get good at saying 'no, I can't do that and do x y and z too.' If you let them pile it on, they will.

[HaemishM]

I am a master at pawning stuff off on other people. Trust me when I say, once you let it happen, it will never fucking stop until you are dead, or they are dead, or you tell them to "Get stuffed."

[Lantyssa]

Or a sign that a 90's rapper is staging a comeback.  

Licky boom boom down?

I got to see Snow hit by a glass bottle.  Also L7 played that show.  One of my favorite concerts.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Oh hai!  Guess who gets to keep working for another two weeks (thereby messing up the perfect plan I had to cover two month's end without a hitch)?

I love dealing with Finance and their silliness sometimes.  Senior level manager sits on a purchase order request since the 18th, no word or quibble or questions or anything out of her about why it's sitting in her queue (and this after tons of issues just getting the thing put in... seriously, the SOW associated with this PO was signed back in December and the other related PO took 4 months to get through the process) and now suddenly, it's an "after-the-fact" PO and why are we doing this and oh wait, must have meeting with division head to question this (said division head already signed off on this as her part of the approval chain since it's such a high amount) and look! this is almost past the time period and good gods, I feel like hurting this woman. 

Plus, a direct report of hers is my finance contact and this one just dumped a different PO req back in my lap (literally 4 hours before I was scheduled to leave today... I'm still here) saying that the SOW didn't have a defined date for the training and oh yeah, the quote is almost expired and we need a set date for this training and who can follow-up on this if you're out?  It's a training class taking place in the UK and my department is just paying for it!  I can't get a hold of anyone in the UK at 2pm on a Friday afternoon and expect signatures!  Stupid bint!

Not that I mind rearranging around my 30 furlough, but sheesh.. doing it because other people can't get their acts together is just rage-worthy. 

[Minvaren]

Trust me when I say, once you let it happen, it will never fucking stop until you are dead, or they are dead, or you tell them to "Get stuffed."

And oh boy, be prepared for some pissed-off folks when you start telling them to "get stuffed" after taking it for awhile.

MisterNoisy - your situation really reminds me of my last job.  I was doing the work of (Lantyssa - insert number here) people trying to just tread water for years, no time to ever take vacation or sick days.  Gradually (then all at once), mismangement had the company headed for a cliff, so they started kicking me to work even harder.  I snapped and managed to transition out before I fell completely apart.  Working on pulling myself back together these days.

Get your resume out there at least, and try as best as you can to take care of yourself.

[MisterNoisy]

Added bonus:  Today, I got out of the office to find that one of my coworkers in a company vehicle dinged my car with their door.  At least they didn't damage the paint, but there goes $100 or so getting that flattened back out.

[Rasix]

Wouldn't snow where he lives be a sign of the apocalypse?

Hah! Shows how little you know.  I see snow here at least twice a decade (never more than an inch I think).  It drives the super scorpions crazy.  Suckers start using tools. 

Actually it really sucks when it snows.  Wrecks my lemon tree. 

Going to take the weekend to think about things.  You know, like we wanted to do, until the sellers said TOMORROW BY NOON OR ELSE.  Another fun tidbit, the seller's realtor was offering to pay for minor redo on the roof himself but the seller said no.  I guess we hit some sort of nerve and the guy just lost it.  Or maybe they wanted to deal to fall through, whatever.  Time for cupcakes.

[Merusk]

My guess: They're majorly upside-down and can't make too many more payments. They want to get out before the next one comes due and thought they could force you with the threat.  The realtor offering to pay anything just smells of "I want out on this one, it's been on my books too long and is costing me on other prospects."

[HaemishM]

Yeah, I don't think you'll be too far off to just walk away from that deal. If the realtor wants to sell it that bad, and the sellers will not either come off the price or agree to repairs that are damn well required, you've probably got a portal to hell in the basement they haven't even told you the house has. 

[lamaros]

Or the owner is a massive fuckwit and even the realtor is bypassing their usual avarice in order to see the back of them.

[Chimpy]

If it doesn't sell in a week or two, make an offer 10k below what you were offering and see if they take it.

[Morat20]

Had the AC guy out nine days ago to investigate a reoccuring whine from the attic. A whine that only happened when the AC was on (but not always). Figured it was the fan up there. He came out, of course it wasn't making the noise. He checks everything, takes apart a few things, tightens a few things, and basically says "It seems to be fine. Everything checks out. I tightened a few things that can come lose and make noise, but unless I actually hear it I can't trace it down. So if it stays on, or comes back, call me and I'll try to trace it".

I just got out of the shower. It is 82 degrees outside. It is hotter in my house NOW than it was when it was 104 outside. It's five degrees over the temperature I set -- the one it had maintained all day. The air seems to be blowing room temp, and it's now...8 fucking 40.

WHY DOES THE GODDAMN AC HAVE TO BREAK AT NIGHT OR ON WEEKENDS?

Last time? Fucking Easter Sunday, when the high was almost 100 and humid to boot. between that and the myseriously clogging shower (works fine for ten years, now runs slow. Constantly. I can bring out professionals who clear out all the hair and gunk, and it works...three months before it backs up again. I hate my house some days).

Edited to add: Yep, temperature climbing. AC definitely not cooling. On the bright side, company I called in 9 days ago? Sending out on-call guy as soon as he's done with his current task. Because he was JUST here and he did a full inspection and found squat wrong. Apparently that's enough to come by in the evening without additional charge. Fixing it is, of course, another matter.

[Merusk]

Maybe you'll get lucky and it's just the capacitor.  Those things are always the first parts to go.  I've had to replace 2 in the last 10 years and it was exactly like what you describe.  Turn the blower on then go outside and see if the condenser fan is turning on as well.  If not, I'd bet that's  the problem.

Next time it's going to be the first thing I check and I'll replace it myself.  $240 to replace a $50 part is robbery.

[ezrast]

Had to hit three people who didn't really deserve it with a felony conviction today because the woman's shitty public defender couldn't be bothered to tell her to, you know, not completely confess to the whole thing while under oath. Fucking jury duty.

[Paelos]

Had to hit three people who didn't really deserve it with a felony conviction today because the woman's shitty public defender couldn't be bothered to tell her to, you know, not completely confess to the whole thing while under oath. Fucking jury duty.

I guess drugs. Was it drugs? I'm going with drugs.

[Salamok]

Or the owner is a massive fuckwit and even the realtor is bypassing their usual avarice in order to see the back of them.

My guess is the Realtor has finally realized that they might be liable for the sellers nondisclosure of certain items.  It is flat out against their entire being to pay for a dime of anything out of their commission, shit the ones in Austin have even taken to charging a $300-$400 "customer service charge" on top of their normal 3%.  Also every week that the property doesn't sell is another week they get to hang that for sale sign out on the lawn (aka free advertising).  The sellers agents only concerns are don't lose the listing and don't get sued, I really don't think they care how fast it sells as long as they are the ones to sell it.

[Morat20]

Maybe you'll get lucky and it's just the capacitor.  Those things are always the first parts to go.  I've had to replace 2 in the last 10 years and it was exactly like what you describe.  Turn the blower on then go outside and see if the condenser fan is turning on as well.  If not, I'd bet that's  the problem.

Next time it's going to be the first thing I check and I'll replace it myself.  $240 to replace a $50 part is robbery.

Well, if the condenser fan is the bit I think it is, it's still under warranty. (Replaced two years ago). Upstairs attic motor is I think the source of the reoccuring whiny sound. Which is not, I note, happening right now.

Freon and voltage and stuff was all dandy ten days ago. Capacitor sounds great  -- he can fix that off the truck. :) Which means AC an an hour. Otherwise he'll scope it and be back tomorrow as soon as he can grab whatever part broke. AC in Houston isn't something you can put off, not in the summer time. 

Thank GOD this didn't happen even two days ago.

[ezrast]

Had to hit three people who didn't really deserve it with a felony conviction today because the woman's shitty public defender couldn't be bothered to tell her to, you know, not completely confess to the whole thing while under oath. Fucking jury duty.

I guess drugs. Was it drugs? I'm going with drugs.

2nd degree burglary. They were pulling some scraps of metal from an abandoned building that was later demolished because it was considered hazardous. If a squad of lemurs had looted the building nobody would have ever noticed, much less cared, but since it was poor people they probably get jail time.

[Paelos]

I was way off.

[Morat20]

Maybe you'll get lucky and it's just the capacitor.  Those things are always the first parts to go.  I've had to replace 2 in the last 10 years and it was exactly like what you describe.  Turn the blower on then go outside and see if the condenser fan is turning on as well.  If not, I'd bet that's  the problem.

Next time it's going to be the first thing I check and I'll replace it myself.  $240 to replace a $50 part is robbery.

Good call, Merusk. It was the capacitor. All told, roughly 200. Which is not a bad price for 11:00 PM at night. He should be done in the next ten minutes.

[Selby]

It was the capacitor.

It really almost always is.  The only time I've had this problem and it wasn't was when the fan tossed a blade and bound up.

[Merusk]

Well, I had a similar problem (in addition to the 2 capacitors) when we first moved-in and it was because one of the drywallers had put a nail right through the coolant pipe.  Took 3 weeks to bleed out entirely.  The fucked-up part was the tube was 1" off the stud.. so the drywaller wasn't even close to getting the nail in the right place when he fucked-up.

Good to hear it was a simple fix.  No AC is hell in high-heat. Houses just aren't designed to cross-ventilate well anymore.