That shouldn't be a problem
Jun. 26th, 2006 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hrjThat's what the folks at the flooring store have kept telling me about my preferred deadline. Back on the 10th when I first talked to the salesman, and I gave him my time-frame, he said cheerfully, "That shouldn't be a problem." And even though it took them until the next Thursday to get someone in to do measurements, when I told the measurements guy that I wanted to get the job done before the end of the month, he instantly assured me, "That shouldn't be a problem." And even though it then took an entire week for them to translate the measurements and specifications into a contract for me to sign, the salesman once again assured me that getting the work done by the end of the month, "Shouldn't be a problem." I pointed out that we were only a week shy of the end of the month. He said the scheduling people would call me the next day, or Monday at the latest, and it shouldn't be a problem. Today I called the scheduler and inquired after my contract and she said they were still processing the paperwork but she'd get back to me. (Still processing the contract? Four days after I handed them a check?) I mentioned that I was getting a little antsy because -- although everyone had assured me that it wouldn't be a problem to get the job done before the end of the month -- the schedule was looking a bit tight. "Oh," she said. "Nobody told me about that." Then she repeated that she'd get back to me. Well, the end of their work day passed with no call, so I left another phone message, apologizing for badgering them, but reiterating that I was hoping to get the work done this week -- which everyone had said shouldn't be a problem.
There's this problem with the word "should". Notice that it's in the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used for many grammatical and semantic functions, but a significant number of them share the feature of being irrealis states. That is, subjunctive statements quite often indicate a state of affairs that stands in contrast to actual reality. I'm coming the the sneaking suspicion that my houseguest on Friday will be sleeping on the couch in an otherwise bare living room. Not a tragedy, but not quite what I'd offered.
This evening's progress was to box up the music books and sheet music and remove them from the room, then unbolt the music bookcase from the wall and make sure that all the wall-mounted bookshelves that had been using it as a bookend are stable enough to work around. The bookcase will have to sit out in the back yard while the work's being done, I think. Remaining countdown: sewing machine, lamp, and misc. oddments on the sewing table >> move to various available surface tops in spare bedroom; drafting board serving as sewing table >> still up for grabs, can move temporarily into back yard; computer cart with computer >> slips into the remaining available space in the spare bedroom; printer cart >> probably into the laundry room; television >> don't want to move it far, I think there's an available place in the spare bedroom; couch and loveseat >> out into the back yard on the way to the dump, but not until the last minute.
There's this problem with the word "should". Notice that it's in the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used for many grammatical and semantic functions, but a significant number of them share the feature of being irrealis states. That is, subjunctive statements quite often indicate a state of affairs that stands in contrast to actual reality. I'm coming the the sneaking suspicion that my houseguest on Friday will be sleeping on the couch in an otherwise bare living room. Not a tragedy, but not quite what I'd offered.
This evening's progress was to box up the music books and sheet music and remove them from the room, then unbolt the music bookcase from the wall and make sure that all the wall-mounted bookshelves that had been using it as a bookend are stable enough to work around. The bookcase will have to sit out in the back yard while the work's being done, I think. Remaining countdown: sewing machine, lamp, and misc. oddments on the sewing table >> move to various available surface tops in spare bedroom; drafting board serving as sewing table >> still up for grabs, can move temporarily into back yard; computer cart with computer >> slips into the remaining available space in the spare bedroom; printer cart >> probably into the laundry room; television >> don't want to move it far, I think there's an available place in the spare bedroom; couch and loveseat >> out into the back yard on the way to the dump, but not until the last minute.
