Kids are the best! Nothing makes me laugh harder than the cute expressions that come out of my four-year old. Last night, I was working in my basement office when I heard Sadie upstairs. She sounded stressed, so I ran up to the kitchen to see what was bothering her. She had her face and hands pressed up against the sliding glass door and was yelling:

“Stop Snowing! Stop Snowing!”

I asked her what was wrong, and she replied, “The snow is not listening to me and that is not very nice.”

She cracks me up. Only Sadie would think that she could control the weather. Sometimes I find us competing for the alpha female role at home, and a lot of times she wins. If you know me very well, this takes some serious effort.

One day after I came home from work, I noticed her hair looked cute. I asked her if Daddy did her hair that morning. She replied, “Yes, but he is only a boy.”

A few weeks ago, Sadie was whining because she was trying to roller-skate in our family room. (OK, before you think I am crazy, the skates have never been used outside.) She was frustrated because HER toys were in the way. I suggested that she clean them up instead of whining. Her response, “But, I am not a mom.”

She has been especially fond of Pinocchio lately, and asks to watch it on my iPhone, eight minutes at a time via youtube. This activity can keep her occupied for over an hour each viewing. (I am becoming especially fond of Pinocchio too, come to think of it!) The funny thing is, no matter how many times she watches the movie, she refers to Pinocchio as Uh-nocchio. We have told her over and over again that it is P-inocchio. Yesterday she said, “Mom, try again. It isn’t PA-nocchio, it is UH-nocchio. Say it with me- Uh-nocchio.”

Her favorite activity (next to watching Uhnocchio) is taking pictures on my iPhone. I have noticed the picture gallery growing on my phone recently. I now have over 50 pictures of her not-so-clean room (see above), 30-40 close-ups of Johnny, even more close-ups of Sadie, as well as about 10 pictures of our TV. Even as I type this post, she is busy taking pictures. So far, we have pictures of this post, her chair, the computer and the floor.

I heart her! Mommyhood is the frickin best!

Yesterday my friend and I went on a walking tour of our neighborhood. We visited with a number of our neighbors that have outstanding Richmond American warranty issues. We are excited to report that Richmond American has been very responsive, and has agreed to repair driveways, garages, drywall, stucco, porches, insulation, sprinkler systems, and other items.

While we were walking, our conversation turned to the sidewalks. Who is responsible for this eyesore? Is it Richmond American, Eagle Mountain or the Home Owners Association? There are huge sections that are spalling, cracked, chipped, and need repair.

A couple years ago, some moronic “repair” crew (I wonder who hired them, and further PAID them? C’mon folks, that was one frickin shoddy job!) came through our neighborhood and spray-painted circles around every cement problem. A few days later, a couple of inexperienced laborers came through and slopped some cement on top of the holes and cracks. Today, the cracks and spalling are worse than ever, and to add insult to injury, the spray-painted circles are still there, calling greater attention to them. There are approximately two to three of these “patches” in front of every home. What the frick? Who’s idea was that?

My parents have lived in a Lindon subdivision for almost ten years, and their sidewalks look great. This makes me wonder: Is this a Richmond issue or an Eagle Mountain issue? Perhaps both? I am curious if any other subdivisions have the same problem. Our sidewalks make our neighborhood look ghetto, and are a safety concern for kids on bikes, scooters and tricycles.

I took the pictures showing the cracks in front of my home. There are other houses in the neighborhood that are considerably worse. The sidewalk section adjacent to my driveway is spalling (the top is chipping off) but it is not as bad as the sidewalk shown below.

As responsive as Richmond has been regarding outstanding warranty issues, I am curious what their recommendation is on this.

Now that our houses are getting fixed, it would be really nice to have beautiful sidewalks as well. With all of these improvements, I might want to stay awhile! Can you say summer block party? Frick yeah!

With all the emotion I have in my soul, I have tirelessly embarked upon a journey of frickin artistic discovery. Richmond American, I dedicate this ode to thee.

For four long winters

I trembled on icy, frigid nights where heat escaped me.

For forty-eight unending months

I stumbled on our driveway, falling, trying to protect my Nordstrom shoes from gravel marks.

For one thousand, four hundred days

I wiped away tears of frustration over a dryer-vent that whipped through the air mercilessly, unable to be attached to the outside vent.

For 33,600 hours

I cursed the plastic covering our main floor fireplace, prohibiting its use.

For 2,016,000 minutes

I glared at my windows, wishing they protected me from heat and cold.

For 120,960,000 seconds

I swore I would never buy another Richmond Home.

Now, I shall change my song and begin a count anew.

Well, here we go! Below is the investigative report by Kelli O’Hara with ABC4.

In Richmond’s defense (who knew I would ever start a sentence that way!) the following items have now been fixed:

- Insulation. Apparently there was insulation between the garage and our floor, but there was a large portion of the attic above our master bedroom with ZERO insulation. Richmond American took care of this problem yesterday. Below is a picture of the contractor blowing in the needed insulation. (Thank you!) They also increased the amount of insulation (brought it up to code) above the entire 2nd floor. I am excited to report that our home was so warm last night! We didn’t even need the space heater in our room. WOW, What a difference!

- Garage ceiling. The drywall on our garage ceiling has been replaced, so there are no obvious signs of water damage from our leaky roof, now. Yes!

Today we are expecting:

- Fireplace repair
- Window seal repair
- Back porch repair
- Laundry room repair

UPDATE:  2:00 p.m.

What an amazing day! Our window seals have been repaired. Apparently there was an issue with a lack of weather stripping. (Read Richmond’s response to our leaking window request three years ago. They have a very different attitude now.) Richmond American went the extra mile and inspected/repaired every window in our home -not just the three we mentioned earlier. NICE WORK!

The fireplace was serviced, as well. There is no more plastic covering our fireplace, and I don’t feel a breeze anymore. They are also going the extra mile on our fireplace and are going to add insulation up in our eaves where there are some unintended vents. (Richmond, feel free to correct me if I explained that incorrectly.)

Our back porch is as good as new. It no longer sags. I don’t believe this item was mentioned earlier on the blog, but it was a safety concern. They replaced the steps and the support system, and even offered to paint it.

Finally, I have a normal laundry room! My washer and dryer both fit in the room comfortably now. In addition to having a professional contractor work on the vent, Kevin Jensen personally addressed this issue and worked some additional magic. End result- the problem was rectified and it looks fantastic. Thank you!

The only item left to be fixed is our driveway. I am pleased to report that Richmond American is going to fix every RA driveway in our neighborhood that is spalling. (Attention neighbors–  submit the request immediately. They are measuring the driveways next week.) Way to go the distance, Richmond! I am no longer hopeful; I am ecstatic and appreciative. Poli and Kevin, you two are frickin awesome. Thank you.

Good news!

I just got a call from Kelli O’Hara at ABC4. The story on Richmond American will air tonight at 10:00 p.m. Mountain Time. I am so appreciative to utahscams.com for making this happen. If you are aware of a scam in Utah, submit it to utahscams. It was this action that brought us the press of ABC4, and the attention of Richmond American.

Great news!

Richmond American is following through on their promises. Right now, Superior Insulation is busy insulating our home. They found a large portion of our attic (above our master bedroom) that did not have any insulation at all. Apparently there was no access to the attic above our room, so when the home was insulated, this entire space was neglected. Also, the rest of the attic was not at code, so they blew-in insulation to rectify the issue.

I was going through some old emails, and found correspondence from my husband to Richmond American over three years ago regarding the temperature of our home:

From:	Tim Gilson (timothygilson@hotmail.com)
Sent:	Wed 1/17/07 9:32 PM
To:	XXXX.XXXX@mdch.com

Thank you for your response.  I understand your explanation on the windows,
however, I feel that the cold air coming in through a couple of them is more
than a small amount.  I've lived in several houses, apartments, and condos;
new and old, and this is the first house where I've had to set my thermostat
at 78 just to keep the house at 68.  As you can imagine, it's taking a toll
on the gas bill.  On three of the windows (1 in the kitchen and 2 in the
master bedroom), you can place your hand in front of the window and feel the
cold air streaming in.  More particularly on windy days of course, but also
when there is no wind.  In any case, we'd appreciate you checking it out for
us.  The best time to stop by would be on Thursday morning around 8:30am or
Saturday (if you work on Saturday's?) in the mornings.  Let me know what
would work best for you.  If you cannot make it either of these times, let
me know and we can arrange our schedule.

Thanks again!

(Below is the email from Richmond American to Tim)

It is an expected finding to feel a small amount of around the windows.  The
windows have weep seals built into the frame to permit any condensation
build up to exit to the outside of the house.  The weep seals also allow a
small amount of air in and out.  Single hung and vent windows are sealed
with a dual felt and rubber seal.  The felt seal cannot keep out 100% of the
air, but is necessary to permit opening and closing of the window.

I will have to come and take a look.  Let me know when you are available.

--XXXXX

At the time, we did not know we had an insulation problem- we just knew our house was BEYOND cold and our windows were leaky. It is interesting to me that neither issue was ever addressed by Richmond. Our windows still leak (leaking is probably an understatement. The wind BLOWS through.) Instead of getting results, we received an email telling us why we shouldn’t be concerned. Absolutely ridiculous, if you ask me. It wasn’t until we had our insulation evaluated by SunRoc (about a year later) that we found it was significantly below code.

My question is, was it a policy for Richmond to ignore or dismiss warranty requests at that time?

What is their policy now? Poli Peters is delivering on his promises to us. Will he deliver to other home owners?

A bigger question may be related to Eagle Mountain City. How did our home even pass inspection?

As a reminder, if you have outstanding warranty issues, submit a request on their website, and reference frickinmom.com. AND- tune in tonight for the ABC4 Richmond American Investigation at 10:00 p.m. It should be really interesting (and you get to see my smiling face. What is better than that?)

ALSO- they are measuring driveways between now and March 12. If your driveway needs replacing, contact Richmond American ASAP so you can be included in this group of repairs. To submit warranty issues, go to RichmondAmerican.com/homecare, and submit a customer service request, or call 801-743-7440. The Home Care Specialist for our division is Kevin Jensen. You can also ask for Poli Peters, who is the Director of Construction for Richmond American Homes. Again, for some extra leverage, be sure to mention that you were referred by frickinmom.com.

Is Richmond American mending their ways? I am cautiously optimistic. Wait a minute; I hate that phrase. I can’t believe I just used it. Last time I heard it, my infant son was on life support. When a pediatric intensive care physician said it, I wanted to sucker-punch her in the throat. I mean, really. Cautiously optimistic. What does that mean, anyway? Are you optimistic, or not? Moving on…

On Monday afternoon, Poli Peters, the Director of Construction for Richmond American paid me a visit. He came with a clipboard, an apology, and a vow to fix all construction problems. He followed me room-to-room, taking copious notes while I ranted. When we were done, we sat in my family room (next to my wind-tunnel fireplace blocked off with plastic) and reviewed his list.

He promised to send me an email on Tuesday listing the problems, agreeing to fix all issues. Did he? Yes, or at least he agreed to have them inspected. Richmond American will fix the first five items, and will send contractors to inspect the fireplace, windows and insulation.

Email from Poli Peters

Mrs. Gilson,

It was a pleasure meeting with you yesterday.  I appreciate the opportunity to correct a few over due repairs. Here is the list we went over for inspection/repair.

Repairs:

1. Replace the driveway and overlay the front porch and steps. (Will be done in the next 3-4 months depending on the weather)

2. Drywall damage in the garage.  (I will schedule for this week, we will also inspect the ceiling for insulation at this time)

3. Back patio/stairs sagging.  (Not a warranty item but more than happy to fix.  Paperwork is in process.  I will schedule with you ASAP.  1-2 weeks)

4. Install flush mount dryer vent connection.  (Paperwork in process.  May need drywall repairs when complete.  1-2 Weeks)

5. Adjust Front entry door.  (RAH will complete at next appointment.  This is a minor adjustment that will take minutes.)

Inspect:

1. Drafty Fireplace @ living room.  (Paperwork in process.  Will schedule ASAP.  1-2 weeks)

2. Drafty windows (X3) Living room, master bed, master bath.  (Paperwork in process.  Will schedule ASAP.  1-2 weeks)

3. Insulation in attic space.  (Paperwork in process.  Will schedule ASAP.  1-2 weeks.)

4. Insulation in floor system above garage, below master.  ( I will inspect at appointment with the drywaller for above repair item #2)

Please let me know if you have questions regarding the work.  I look forward to completing these items for you.

Sincerely,

Poli Peters
Richmond American Homes
Director of Construction/Home Care/QA

So, that’s the good news. The bummer? Everything we paid to have fixed ourselves will not be reimbursed. We are basically S-O-L. However, I know that Poli doesn’t make this policy, so I won’t hold it against him, personally.

Today ABC4 came to my house again. They brought Al Rickard with All-Points Inspections with them. He toured my home, went over the issues and offered advice. He encourages all home buyers to have their home inspected prior to purchase- even if they are buying a new home.

While Kelli O’Hara with ABC4 was at my home, Poli called. (Talk about timing!) I thanked him for working on my home issues so quickly (on camera) and asked what my neighbors with warranty issues should do. He said to submit a request on Richmond American’s website, and promised that he would personally look into each problem. I am starting to think Poli is the bomb.

The question is: What is going to happen after Monday at 10:00 p.m. when ABC4 airs their story? Will there be so many unresolved warranty requests that Richmond American cannot address them all? Will they make good on all of their promises?  For now, I am cautiously optimistic. There I go. I said it again. Frick!

So, I thought I would take a break from the Richmond American drama and tell you a little story. The moral of this story: Make sure you are texting the right phone number- especially if you start using multiple exclamation points and all caps.

I woke up this morning to my phone buzzing, alerting me of a text message. I picked up the phone and read:

Hurry! Call 407-843-0924 Charles re: job when you get a chance. Don’t forget!

I thought, “Who the frick is Charles?” So I write:

I am sorry, Charles who? I think you may be texting the wrong phone number.

In less than a minute, I receive a reply:

DUMMY!!! the RECRUITERS name is Charles!

I have to admit, at this point, I thought about pretending to be the appropriate party, and telling her I wasn’t going to call Charles, and I was enjoying my time off. I thought this would be pretty funny. But, I was worried that the party on the other end of the text would have an aneurysm, so I wrote:

Ummm, you are texting Lori Gilson. Are you meaning to text someone else?

Then, to give myself a giggle, I added:

Who is the dummy now? 

I thought I might have gone too far, and was regretting the dummy question, when I received the following:

PAT!!! R U INSANE? IT’S ME, EILEEN. THIS IS NOT COMPLICATED!!!

At that point, I called Eileen. Now THAT was a frickin fun conversation! I love texting.