Guess what? I don't speak Russian either.
This is how I felt when Oldest Daughter's boyfriend stopped by the other night to give me advice regarding a door I want to install for my office.
I've installed an exterior door and a screen door to but it wasn't easy and I'm sure that I made it more difficult than it needed to be just because of my ignorance.
What I wanted was this...I would tell him what I wanted for a door and he'd tell me height, width, and the best way to go about ordering and then installing the door.
What I got was this...lots of words like milling, rough opening, bead, drywall, plaster as well as much use of the tape measure as he outlined for me the bazillion different ways that I could install a door.
At first he said that I needed to have a rough opening and order the door based on that. He took out the tape measure, mumbled some stuff, and then waited expectantly. I figured that was it and asked for advice regarding how to make the opening rough.
Then he said that I might not have to do that and if the mumble-mumble-mumble was mumble-mumble-mumble I could get away with just using the opening as it is. Great! So what size door should I order? Well...you might have to use the rough opening after all.
He mentioned that he'd be willing to help me so I figured that I was all set. I asked him to join me at Home Depot and then we could look at doors and order one so that I was sure to get the right thing. He didn't commit to doing that and mumbled something about getting the specifications and then we could talk about them another time.
Honestly, I'm not sure where things stand now but when I told Oldest Daughter about my confusion she laughed herself silly and said that she should have been there to translate.
Posted by bbarton at August 15, 2005 04:41 PMIn college I had a math teacher who was a 73 year old Chinese man who learned to speak English from a French nun. Even if he hadn't been going senile, there's still no way I would have understood him.
As for the door, hire someone to order and install the door. It's so much easier.
Posted by: Chosen on August 15, 2005 07:45 PMlol!
that happens with my boyfriend and my parents, but its with computers instead, and once he leaves, i have to tell him what he meant and then i end up having to do whatever it was for them!!
is the BF's name Nick?
Posted by: heidi on August 16, 2005 11:42 AMKari - You're number one!
Chosen - That's my goal, to hire someone instead but it will have to be the BF.
Erin - I've been there on the computer geek side of things. I can fix anything and I know how to get them internet. LOL
Heidi - Nope...Ryan.
Posted by: Bob on August 16, 2005 01:09 PMmake the opening rough?? hmmm, sounds dirty. ;)
ahhh, screw it. forget the doors and put up cool hippie beads in psychedelic colors.... :) GROOVY.
Posted by: Dawn (webmiztris) on August 16, 2005 07:48 PMYes, the language barrier - I know it well...
Posted by: Caroline on August 16, 2005 08:29 PMBob, dude1? What's up? Where are you?
Posted by: kari on August 17, 2005 01:52 PMDawn - tell me about it! All I know is that it takes some stripping and then I have to bang at it with a tool. ;)
Caroline - Gotta love the language barrier, eh?
Kari - Stupid work! It gets in the way of my blogging and drives me crazy!!!
Posted by: Bob on August 17, 2005 02:38 PMWell, it at least sounds like OD found a communicator -- I mean someone who can commnicate to *her*.
Posted by: David on August 18, 2005 02:11 PMDavid - Yeah, it is good that someone besides me understand what she's saying.
Posted by: Bob on August 21, 2005 03:57 PM
Ha! First! And that's all.
Posted by: kari on August 15, 2005 05:19 PM