I finished the baby blanket this afternoon. It's so soft and sweet. I love the color. You can find the pattern here. I just love it! I am excited to mail it to my friend. I may crochet him a pair of baby booties, as well. They look pretty easy and quick.
I love the variegated shell border. I had the solid blue yarn in my stash, but bought the variegated yarn to make it special. I love the Easter egg pastels next to the robin's egg blue. I think my friend will be very pleased. She does a lot of babysitting for her grandson. Her daughter is a nurse, and works long hours.
I had my septic tank pumped today. I had to hire a separate person with a camera to locate the tank. It was an expensive ordeal, but very worth it. Unfortunately, the camera person tried to overcharge me. I did some research on line, and showed him my calculations. Although he agreed to drop the price, and refunded me $700.00, I still was overcharged $600.00. It's unfortunate that some repairman will take advantage of a homeowner who is a female. I had called several companies, and they weren't responding.
In retrospect, I should have listened to my intuition, and insisted on a detailed, written estimate. He was acting like there were problems with two other tanks, and that wasn't true.
I did a lot of research on line, and found out that I had taken excellent care of my septic tank. The problems the man with the camera was describing were fictitious. I didn't have any of the signs that would indicate they were true. The tank was clean and dry, and the water level was normal. He told me that the tank was full of water, and acted like it was an emergency. It turns out it is supposed to be full of water. The men draining the tank gave me an honest assessment.
It was another lesson in home ownership. It's so important to do your due diligence. Fortunately, the tank is now emptied, and I have a new cap with a riser. It's easily accessible. It feels so good to have it done. I am so glad that I had that emergency fund. Next time I will schedule this with my other repairs. It should be fine for at least another five years.
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the blanket is beautiful,, its sucks that people take advantage of women but Karma will bite them in the backside we can only hope! Job done and you can rest easy knowing septic tank is good now for a while,,
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie. Yes, I agree. It feels good to take care of home maintenance.
DeleteThat's awful. I do industry on quotes now when we go work, so no surprises. Its sad to think there are still crooks out there who pray on women who live alone. The blanket is besubeaut and the scolloped edge is very clever. Love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tania. I will go back to the owner who charged a fair price with an itemized statement and ask for a refund. I asked for a written estimate and he put me off. Lesson learned.
DeleteThe baby blanket you have made is beautiful. What a lovely gift! Meg☺
ReplyDeleteThanks Meg. I love it, too. Can't wait to see a photo of him in it...
DeleteAck!! plumbing issues are the worst. Sorry that you had to deal with an unscrupulous tradesman...it always leaves you with a bad feeling.
ReplyDeleteThe blanket looks so cozy.. lovely, tactile and soft for baby fingers to explore. He will love it.
Thanks Jill. I am going to see if I can work it out with the first owner. Thank you for your kind words about the baby blanket. I love knitting and crocheting for babies.
DeleteBeautiful blanket! I love the color, too! Reminds me of cornflowers. Sorry about being over-charged. At least the man came down in price a bit! He will get his due from God when the time comes. Such a sorry state when people cheat others. Live and learn about getting an estimate. Even then, he might have still "surprised" you with the extra charges. We were cheated out of our security deposit almost 40 years ago when we lived in Texas a year. They knew we would not be nearby to ever take them to small-claims court. Still remember...ha... best to let-go! But it is hard. Andrea
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, Yes, it does look like cornflowers. I think the man who drained the tank will do the right thing. He has excellent reviews, and that's why I called him. He knows it's not good for his reputation to let this other guy take advantage of his customers. I have had excellent results in Small Claims Court. I think it can be worked out with a discussion.
DeleteSuch a beautiful blanket Stephenie, there is something very special about hand knitted items.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, Living Simply-Living Well. Yes, I agree about hand knits. The baby ones are so sweet.
DeleteI love the sweet baby blanket. It will be a treasure that will be kept in the family-no doubt. I am sorry to read about your home maintenance issues. Yes, women will be taken advantage of which is a shame. Good for you for standing up and calling foul. It constantly amazes me how people do not do routine maintenance on their home-their biggest investment ever!!! We are scheduling to paint the wood trim on our home for the 5th time in 25 years later this year. Some of our neighbors have NEVER painted and their homes look horrible. Not to mention that rotting, unpainted bare wood is a general invitation to termites around here. Tut-tut-tut. What is next for the crochet hook/knitting needles?
ReplyDeleteThanks Anita. Yes, those blankets are great for toddlers to carry around the house. Thanks for the support. It's a relief to have the septic tank done. I know what you mean about the painting. I need to have mine touched up, too. I am crocheting some baby booties right now. They are lots of fun. How about you?
Deletei had to have my septic emptied when i first moved here, OMG the smell was awful! the bloke said he didn't think it had ever been touched! it was FULL! he also commented something about he was glad he had an empty truck lol it only cost me a couple of hundred to get it done & he didn't even charge any extra cos it was full; i asked him how long before i have to do it again, he said if the bacteria stays good, with a family of four am looking at about 25-30 years; have been on my own for nearly 5 now so it may stretch that out further; not sure why they tell you 5yrs, unless your bacteria is non existent then you probably have to get it more frequently emptied. some men can be horrible, mind you if you put the word out that he rips people off he may change his game.
ReplyDeletegorgeous baby blanket, she should be pleased with that, you do such lovely items.
great post
thanx for sharing
That's interesting, Selina. I never had any problem with mine, but a couple of weeks ago the toilet wasn't flushing properly. Now it's working perfectly. I think with one person it can go for quite a while. Thanks for the compliment on the baby blanket. I love that pattern.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors you picked for the baby blanket. It's so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about the overcharging. If someone refuses to give an estimate, don't hire them at all. You are so right, some people try to take advantage when the customer is a woman. Sometimes I ask one of my male friends to do initial negotiations, but it's not always possible.
Hi Nil, I'm sorry that I forgot to respond to this comment. You are right about the written estimate. It is very important.
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