September 10, 2022

It’s 5:04 am and my cell rings…the banner reads: Allen (April’s Contractor). 

I’m immediately irked that my ringing phone might possibly wake up my 4-year-old daughter whose snuggled in bed with me. I’m also premeditatively playing out the scenario of my annoyed husband grumbling at me for my phone going off in what seems like the middle of the night. How dare anyone interrupt him from his 8 hours of beauty sleep (insert eye roll)?!

In a whispered voice, as I sprint across the house to the office so no one can hear me, I answer. “Good morning, Mr. Allen!”

“I’m going to be there in 20 minutes. You said they’ll be up and the furniture moved?”

Let’s pause here…I’ve been trying to schedule Allen to remodel the interior of the Harvey home for WEEKS. After finally reconnecting with Mr. Allen, he calls me on a Thursday to let me know he’d like to begin work that Saturday. While I welcomed the idea of getting the work done ASAP, this home is tenant-occupied with adults who have special needs. I wondered if the sudden change in schedule would be alarming, but April did assure me she would make whatever timeline presented itself work. 

Allen had called me last night at 7pm CT to let me know he’d be on site between 6:30-7am the following morning. He also requested all the furniture be moved so he could begin work on the floors STAT that morning. 

I’m thinking to myself, you’re telling me this NOW? Our original plan had him showing up between 9-10am and starting work in the kitchen. How on earth was I going to communicate to April that the women in the house were going to have to move the furniture into the back yard BEFORE 7am tomorrow?!? Hindsight is 20/20. I should have told Allen that couldn’t be done. However, the people pleaser I am, I made a call to April, left a voicemail and sent a follow up text on what was being requested of us. No answer. No returned call. No returned text. I continued my Friday night with my family and prayed for the best!

So here I am at 5:04am on a Saturday morning, being asked by Allen if the furniture was moved.  

We hang up and I call April. Thankfully, she answers. We have a beautiful, mutual understanding of the bullshit that transpires on the days work is being done on the home. She quickly hangs up and calls the house lead to ensure someone is up to welcome Mr. Allen in the home. 

While I received an earful from Allen moments later…about the furniture, and how I told him "this," and April said I didn’t tell her "that"…we hung up on a positive note with Allen assuring me not to worry, he was going to take care of me. 

So at 5:14am that Saturday morning, the interior remodel of the Harvey home began!

As opposed to dwelling on how things could have been handled differently by both sides, I was motivated by the fact that: 

1.     My contractor showed up on the job ON TIME!

2.    He communicated with me about his timeline and expectations. 

3.    Changes in the plan were handled with kindness.

While this REI lifestyle can have you “on call” outside of traditional work hours, I wouldn’t trade it for the alternative. While my work in a previous life also had me up at 5:04am (catching up on emails from the days or weeks prior), the stress of the workload was different and bared an immense weight. The emotions this morning were very different. Motivated, excited and inspired to continue making positive changes for those less fortunate in the South Chicagoland areas.

This remodel has truly been a positive experience despite its challenges. Knowing that the updates to this home are providing a safer, cleaner, and more comfortable living space for these individuals has enabled me to see through the really hard challenges that have presented themselves throughout the journey. 

Check out a piece of the before & after photos to see this home’s interior transformation here! 

☕ Cheers! ☕