Permit Day

Last week was kind of a turning point. We had hired the structural engineer, whose gibberish meant precisely jack to me but I figured would answer all of our Plan Reviewer's questions, and had the completed report and the revised drawings (which jay did beautifully) in hand. On Tuesday, I headed over the VOP on my lunch break to hand-deliver the package and get a turnaround estimate. After waiting 20 minutes for our reviewer to be available, he informed me that it should take him about a day to review the plans - apparently, he needed someone else's help with it (his words, not mine) - and if I hadn't heard from him by Thursday morning, to give him a call.

So, that's just what I did. I called at 12:30 Thursday and left a message with the receptionist.

Then I called again at 3.

Once more at 4:30.

Then, it was Friday.

I called at 11:00. At 12:30. At 2:15. At 3:30. He was in a meeting, on the phone, away from his desk, washing his hair.

At four I decided to become a stalker.

Headed back to the village. Waited in line 10 minutes. Told the receptionist I was there to pick up my permits as I hadn't heard any information to the contrary. She spoke with our reviewer, who said he hadn't gotten them done yet. (I might mention that the way this office is set up, the office walls are only 4 feet high, and I witnessed this entire conversation). When she came back to relay the message (it was like when a girl at school gets mad at you and won't talk to you unless you have a go-between). I had decided that wasn't good enough, and told her I wouldn't bore her with the details, but I would sit and wait for our reviewer to become available.

4:15. 4:27. 4:40.

4:46 - He's finally available. And since I had forty minutes to plan out my complaint, I managed not to get too excited. He apologized over and over - "you're right, eight weeks is unacceptable" - "I do apologize for avoiding you" - and promised we'd have our permit Monday no matter what.

What do you think happened?


Yeah, that's what I thought too. But then, miracle of miracles ...

Well, here it is, at long last. Our work permit. And it only took two months and three days to receive - quite contrary to the VOP's stated "two to four weeks" for review.

I suppose now we'll have no excuse for not busting our assess every weekend. SIGH. At least maybe mine will get smaller with all the work - two birds with one hammer and all that. :)

- Jen