[scottmandue]

I got the same problem, have a good friend I have known since high school... in fact I had dinner with him and his wife last night at the pizza place... I bought the beer (why is it every unemployed bum I know has a wife and I can't find a decent woman? But that's another thread).

Paid him to prune the tree in the front yard, he spent a day and a half taking six inches off it when I told him I wanted three feet... ended up paying him and then redoing it myself.

Paid him to paint the (small) front house, nothing fancy... I ended up paying for all the materials, doing all the masking, and half the painting myself... and he drug it out for two weeks... AND I paid him like $600. In retrospect I am thinking WTF I could have given a real painter $600, provided all the materials, had it done in two to four days, and spent my time cleaning the garage or watching TV and drinking beer!

Anyway live and learn, cheaper and easier to do it myself.

Don't get me wrong he's a great guy, funny and smart but he is overweight, doesn't shave or bathe regularly... his wife and I search the local papers for job interviews and I hope he has enough common sense to clean up a little on those interviews. Hate to think he is sponging off his wife (who has a job) but people do talk.

Sorry for adding my rant to your rant... misery loves company?