Posted 18 August 2009 - 09:14 PM
Disclaimer - the following is incredibly dull, but it is messing with my groove.
Characters:
Me - Good old Hinter
Good Mate - a Good Mate
Ex-Landlady - a lady living with Good Mate
Machinery Lending Friends - friends with power tools
Places:
My Old House - the house I rented from Ex-Landlady, in which I lived for three months
Scenario:
I used to rent My Old House from Ex-Landlady. When I moved out I owed her £160 (plus change). She suggested that in lieu of payment, I could tidy up the garden in My Old House (which had been a jungle for years - long before I moved in). This I duly did, it took me about four hours and looked bloody lovely when I had finished. Ex-Landlady was very pleased.
I should have left it at that.
Problem:
As it only took me only four hours I suggested to Good Mate that I felt I was short-changing him, that I felt that four hours of gardening was not worth £160 (plus change). I told Good Mate that I would also do a days work in his and Ex-Landlady's garden to make up the difference. Then I would be happy (for not ripping off Good Mate), Good Mate would be happy (his garden is a bloody mess) and Ex-Landlady would be happy (for the same reason as Good Mate).
Ex-Landlady was working from home yesterday (Monday), so I dropped in to see what she wanted done and to agree timings. In my opinion there was a day's work to carry out, so I told Ex-Landlady I would take it easy and sort the garden out over the next couple of days, after all, who wants to get out of bed early when you don't have to. Bottom line - the job would be finished Wednesday evening.
"Great," exclaimed Ex-Landlady, "I will leave the back gate open so you can get in and out".
I decided I needed hedge trimmers, a strimmer and a petrol lawn mower (as flymos are shite - see earlier posts in this thread). I own none of these tools, but have two friends (my Machinery Lending Fiends) that do, and they are quite happy to lend them to me. Unfortunately, both were unavailable yesterday evening and so I could not obtain said tools. Having texted both Machinery Lending Friends, we agreed I would pick them up this evening (Tuesday).
"Oh well," I thought "instead of a couple of relaxed afternoons pottering about, I'll start first thing Wednesday and still get the job done." I then texted Ex-Landlady to let her know. I received no reply.
This evening I visited both friends, picked up the required machinery, dropped it at home and went for a pint in my local. Half way through my pint in walks Good Mate and Ex-Landlady.
"Did you get my message?" I asked Ex-Landlady.
"Yes," she replied, "but I don't want to talk about it now."
"Eh? Is there a problem?" I asked.
"Well yes, I left the back gate open all day and there is our canoe in the back garden and Good Mate's motorbike!". Then she told me not to bother with the gardening and stormed off to the pub's beer garden leaving me somewhat perplexed. Good Mate had made himself scarce by this point.
I'm afraid that is the end of my story, there is no big pay-off, no grand denouement, no heavenly chorus to finish it off. I am just hoping that someone could possibly tell me:
WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO WRONG?????!!!!!