OMG..this is a theme with me and my frustration is growing...

First is the siding...aside from the construction delays, the guys ran out of caulk, specially made to match my siding color..I think that was in March. My contractor ordered it and still had no word...Siding went on but some caulking still needs doing (did I mention we had a tropical storm this past weekend?)....

No word..So I ordered it from Lowes in June....Been on the horn with the manufacturer several times, they have my local Lowes order in their records but are rationing orders, said ti was to go to my Lowes first week of Aug...

I googled around to find other vendors who might have it and ...found ...Lowes...at 90% less than what I paid...So I ordered it!

Got an email Monday that it was here for pickup..I go the store and....nada...Called today, and they say Aug 30.

I have a house painter on the hook to do my trim painting and odds and ends trim work but won't start till the caulk is here.

To treat myself I ordered a Solo Stove with the grill top. Stove came smashed...Sigh..Turns out their RA ticket is only triggered if I NOTIFY them that I sent it (means I have to pack it up, drive to a shipper etc.)...so I told them I sent it back and have a receipt for delivery, got a new order to come (supposedly today)...Grill top?

Doh! "We forgot!"

I have a few books I want to order.. I am taking my list to my NEW local downtown bookstore to order. I am so done with online ordering..

You?

Been seeing shortages for all kinds of stuff, but it's all trivial things that don't affect me significantly. I can switch brands of coffee when I can't get my usual stuff and live without the other things.

Our governor is timely in his responses to the COVID situation, so my state isn't in jeopardy of scarce health resources, the one shortage I worry most about.

All in all, I feel pretty lucky.

I have three big light fixture jobs lined up, but I can't get most of the fixtures until October.

To be fair, I did have one good experience.

There was to be a local classical music concert on the pavilion near my home. Those sling chairs suck and hurt my back.

I was looking for old school webbed lawn chairs like my parents had..the ones from chains are made in China and get terrible reviews (fail after one use!).

So I ordered from a US company in Florida that makes the chairs I remember...They are on Amazon but I looked them up online and ordered direct (I figured it would save them some fees.)

Chairs came as ordered just as I expected, free shipping...Concert was canceled due to tropical storm.

But still now I have a pair of light weight chairs I can throw in the car or carry to events. Lawn Chair USA even has frames for sale if you want to web your own, and repair kits for chairs that need help...Just like the old days...Use, repair, reinvent. Love them!

The thing that bugs me is hearing "but COVID...." as the excuse for bureaucratic delays for processes that are driven by people, not supply chain issues. We've been dealing with COVID for almost 16 months (!) so far. You'd think people would have figured out how to modify their processes so they continued to function. A bit of a lag is understandable. But things like passport processing, visas, DMV licenses, etc., are now "on hold" for over a year.

Remember my Koehler toilet that was supposed to take 12 weeks?

It showed up ten weeks early.

Fingers crossed, I can't think of things that have been on huge delay. But, I haven't been ordering much.

Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade has been hard to come by. But that's been 18 months or so.

I am having some demo work done in my basement but have instructed the guys to save the studs as they are still too expensive. When I finished the basement I did it all with screws not nails so it should be pretty easy.