DEAR PAVERS, SOMETIMES YOU ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH

ABOVE AND BEYOND: STEVEN FROM BUNNINGS AT MT GRAVATT

Have you ever been so impressed with someone's customer service you felt compelled to write about it? I was last night. So let me start with thank you Steven from Bunnings at Mt Gravatt, who served us last night.

Now I will go back and explain why and how it was such good service. Slowly, slowly I have been working on the backyard. Three pallets of grass, a veggie patch that seeds have turned into seedling, fruit trees, pineapple plants, the list goes on. The yard is not only turning into a yard that will produce a lot of fruit and vegetables, it is (hopefully) a yard that is beautiful and relaxing.

My next goal is to build the paved area near the veggie patch, that is currently a muddy playground for Jarvis and his cubby. I have already dug out the area so next step is a small retaining wall. In theory I know how to build this, thank you google. But having never done this we will soon see if I am successful.

Off to Bunnings to get the wood. First trip, unsuccessful. Too long to fit inside our car. Three phone calls over the next few days and Susie and I went last night to get the wood and courtesy trailer. We get the wood, but not the trailer. I was not told once in the three phone calls to bring my drivers licence. Drive home, pick up Justin, Jarvis and licence. We figured we needed Justin's muscles to lift the wood.

We all go back to Bunnings, this time we got helped by Steven. Connect first trailer, load wood, test lights. Not working. Off load trailer, connect second trailer, lights not working. Steven runs back inside to get another cable. He actually did run and not dawdle.

Second cable, lights still not working, so it must be our car. Bummer, we cannot hire a trailer without working lights. So at 8pm at night we are all standing around the Bunnings carpark trying to figure out how to get the wood home, when Steven offers to drive the wood to our house in his ute!

So out of the goodness of his heart Steven loads up the wood into his ute and drops it off at our home, plus helps carry it to the house. Wow! How is that for amazing customer service?

I phoned Bunnings first thing this morning to tell them what amazing customer service we got from Steven last night, the woman on the phone was very 'what ever' about it. So not having Steven's last name or no way to contact him I am putting a huge thank you out there for him.

If you ever go into Bunnings at Mt Gravatt and get served by a young blond Steven tell him the crazy Lesbian lady with the red hair and Asian baby thanks him. Oh yeah that is another story for another time.

 The area that is to be paved.

 Beans are growing.

 Washing on the side.

 The yard is now completely grassed!

One of the boards of wood that caused so much grief.

DIRT AND GRASS

On Friday I think Jarvis thought he was in heaven. What is better than a garbage truck or the postie to an almost two year old boy? A dump truck full of dirt and a semi filled with grass.

This guy looked like Santa to Jarvis.

Delivery was meant to occur around eleven. Yeah I guess that sounds like 7am? Lucky for me the dirt and grass was delivered onto our driveway and I had to cart it all up to the back of the house and lay it. 

Around 11am, Dad came to the rescue and came over to help. Who knew grass was that heavy? We had to get it done by the end of Friday as it was blocking in my car. Note to self, move car first next time.

The grass was laid, and I learnt a few things. When I lift heavy weights I am an old lady grunter. Do not allow an almost two year old loose with the hose on a huge pile of dirt. Wet dirt is even heavier than dry dirt. Laying grass is hard for two OCDers like Dad and I, grass must be neat! And do not lay down on new grass when you are the only adult home, a small child will not pick you up and carry you into the house and put you in the shower. He will however jump up and down on you as if you are the new yard toy.

 They could have left some on the truck, or at the very least carried up for me?

Jarvis stood waving to the empty semi for ages, long after it had driven away. 

DEAR REAL ESTATE/PEOPLE WHO OWN OUR HOME

This is an open letter to the Real Estate who mange our home, and to the people who own it

This house has become our home. I have loved it greatly in the eighteen months that we have lived here. I believe this shows in the care and love I have given this home. From the internal renovations I have done, such as painting bedrooms, painting door frames, repairing screen, and sewing and replacing torn blinds. 

To the external, which I have also done a lot of work. It was a massive task cleaning up the back yard (with a huge amount of help from Dad and my little sister), I cleaned away the pool site that had been a safety risk to anyone entering the back yard, landscaped, planted grass, and built two huge edible gardens. In the front yard I have dug up and landscaped the front garden beds.

I believe all of this work is a sign of how much I love and care for this house, even though we only rent it. I believe it is very reasonable to ask that we do not have to live in a house that floods every time Brisbane has heavy rains.

The downstairs, Jarvis’s play area and the office/sewing room has yet again been further damaged from this week’s rains, and will continue to do so until repairs are done. I am aware that plumbing and drainage need to be done to rectify the situation, but surely it is not too much of an ask, to not have a cupboard that turns into a waterfall each time it rains?

I am also aware, that we have now asked over a dozen times for this repair to happen, and as of yet we have received no response, other than from the Real Estate telling us they will inform the owners. 

Thanking you

Your tenant, Julie

Below is an example of just some of the work we have done to the property.

What was the backyard.

What the backyard is now