One without the other...
Whenever the lovely homeowners travel, two tasks are always left to be done with they are away. Actually now a few more inconvenient tasks come to mind that completely take the fun away from house sitting and increase the liability of it. This might be why they only ask a family member to house sit, but if you are a friend housing sitting with a similar story please share in the comments below.
Repairs and rebuilding
There is going to be a Wedding at this house in November. The owners decided to enhance the outdoor beauty by redoing the outdoor Fogao Alem. The couple getting married are close friends of mine and really appreciate the extra effort.
Delays in projects to start, to progress, and to finish are expected. I doubted they would come at all but, of course, 24 hours before the owners return they begin. Thankfully the chickens weren't freaked out with all the noise, thankfully they kept it somewhat contained so the garden wouldn't be touched. Then the thankful consideration ends. They did delay until the hottest point of the day, but they're the professionals. Assuming they know starting a project at 10 am will lead them working well into the afternoon.
An afternoon which also happens to be on the first day of summer. The weather was almost bearable. It was cloudy for most of the morning and its true heat shined in the afternoon.
All that to say, the guys put up an umbrella, made sure to have water, ice, and stay cool as need be. When the owners are home they usually cook for the guys working on the house. Thankfully they weren't expecting that, but they did try. Which is very awkward to respond to when there isn't any food in the house and they see your lunch.
The frustration
They leave their water containers, the fast food to go boxes, and our glass cups out after they leave. They don't just leave them outside. They leave it in several places, like the garage with their soda can, in the back next to the hose, and on the outside sink. It appears they forgot them as they were working and as they were packing to leave. If it had been just one forgotten item in one place that would make sense, but THREE!!!
Constructions guys are messy, fine I'll get over it. The worst is these guys are family friends. They can be extra thoughtless with their thinking and actions. It's not okay. For example, before suggesting they eat some of the fruit that is outside, I noticed they already grabbed some. Before I arrived, Saturday Morning, they called the house owners to ask if anyone is feeding the chickens, not because they didn't have food, but because they were making noises.
The chickens act up. The owners plan projects when they are away. The stories would feel endless, but they arrive soon and that means I can sleep in my own bed soon.