Hoping despite experience

This is round whatever with contractors. We have the worst luck in the world with hiring contractors for big house projects, but we keep hoping.

This time, we have hired people to build some new limestone retaining walls, to replace the old, rotting, too-short walls made from railroad ties. Our backyard is rather steep. It's the kind of steep that would be impossible to walk on if it weren't for the terraced areas made by the walls and this awesome set of old concrete stairs with a rickety bridge at the bottom.

The hill has been slowly eroding away from the foundation of our house for the last 25 years. The new walls should raise the level of the terraces to at least cover the bottom of the foundation, which is showing frightening gaps. If these walls aren't built, I could only assume that the house would fall down the hill at some point soon. So! More contractors! More nervous dogs barking at the strange, noisy people in the yard! More banging and yelling! More neighbors unhappy with the general state of disorganization that seems to always surround our house!

Here's hoping that this turns out better than the last few go rounds. It's sad when I find myself actually saying "but at least only one time ended in a lawsuit..."