Letter of the Day: You just wait

I am baffled by the difficulty of doing anything in Naples that is related to one’s home. In spite of all the construction going on, it seems almost impossible to find competent and punctual workers.

Here are two examples:

My wife wanted some cushions custom-made for a dinette set. She found the material, provided a pattern and got beautiful cushions — except that, in spite of precise instructions, there were no ties to fasten them to the chairs! It took five trips to the shop, and two weeks, to get the ties on right.

Even the store manager couldn’t believe it.

Both of us like to cook, and had the great (?) idea to install a state-of-the-art kitchen in our condo. We selected the best European cabinetry and top-of-the-line appliances.

We were told that after cabinet delivery, it would take a month to complete the job.

Seven months after taking down the old kitchen we still don’t have the new one in place.

The cabinets are up — beautiful German workmanship — but my wife has to stand on one foot, holding the door down with the other, in order to load and unload the dishwasher.

Also, months of opening large refrigerator doors without handles is proving to be an excellent finger exercise, and staying home waiting for workers, who do not show up, provides us plenty of (unvoluntary) rest.

So if you are planning a redo, be prepared to either lose — or acquire — patience.

Georges Pardo/Naples