Off to court

It’s been a tense couple of days as the F has been negotiating with the first contractor on how to close out this part of the unfinished project. Not surprisingly, he’s become very defensive and trying to turn the blame on us (mostly using the defense that he gave us a second story, which we didn’t ask for, but that doubles the square footage of the building and therefore should double the price). The F is today going to try to get him to sign a contract agreeing to pay us back $12,000 at $300 a month and if he doesn’t, or then doesn’t live up to the agreement, we take him to (small claims) court. It’s all futile - we’ll never see a dime. It fills me with rage. Also, he has a bunch of stuff out there, next to my $400 stove, and I’m a little afraid he’s going to go out there and fuck everything up. Burn the place down? Sigh. What a mess. It’s been very stressful. I would have been bolstered by the fact of the new guy starting in a week…but it turns out he can’t start for another month. Goddammit. 

In good news, both boys tested negative this week, so we get another week of school. Somehow we made it through school reopening with no class closures or quarantines. I still expect this to end at any time - next week could still be the one where we all catch it. But I’m grateful we’ve made it this far. 

I asked the boys what they want for their birthdays, and I think I finally have a plan I can live with. My big fear regarding the boys’ birthdays this year is, having been isolated for two years, not knowing who their friends are anymore and not knowing who the parents are. And with covid still going, what if no one shows up? I think we’re past the “invite everyone you know” phase, and since the boys want the trampoline place we used in 2019, I think I’ll just do that. Have a dual birthday still (for cost & sister’s visit reasons) but have the boys just invite a few people (the people most likely to prioritize it and actually come) and have a small version with maybe 10 or fewer kids rather than a giant group. I like the no fuss aspect of it and the reduced cost, and even better, it’s what the kids really want for their first birthday back. I’m hoping by mid-March numbers will be reduced enough that people will feel safe. This whole “emerging back into the world” is weird.

I’m plotting to get B an Apple Watch for his birthday. Some of his friends have them so I don’t feel out of step, and it looks like I can get one free with the addition of the new line (don’t know what that will cost, though), and we need it if the kids are going to start walking home from school around that time. They’ve been asking about walking home lately - I’m glad it’s something they want to do and not just something I want them to do. But they must have a way to get a hold of me. It’s going to be profoundly weird the first time I don’t have to get in the car to go pick them up and they just magically show up at the door.