Dale here. I thought this subject would be popular since whenever I get together with other demolition guys we swap stupid stories. These are stories about ourselves, our employees and customers who have done some really dangerous and costly things.
Today I'll give you a couple of big blunders one work related and one to do with a home that I salvaged 14 years ago. These are both biggies but you won't be treated to my best work right away. I'm saving the worst and by far silliest screwup until last.
Sorry to dump on you guys but since this thread is meant to be cathartic as well as entertaining and instructive I'm going to start with the project that ended my marriage. My other posts will be much shorter and funnier. 14 years ago I got a superior quality house for free. I had gotten into the demolition business specifically to put myself in a position for this eventuality. The house was moved successfully to a beautiful yet inexpensive lot. I had it delivered and set on blocks 10 feet in the air to facilitate the construction of another story. I had my brother build this other story and including materials and labor it only cost me nine dollars per square foot for the 1100 square-foot addition. Sounds great right? And it was, but the whole plan was conceived with the idea of renting out a lower apartment which would occupy two thirds of the added portion. I went into the project with very little money but was able to get financing for the lot based on the fact that I was the proud owner of this house and that I had the $14,500 to have it moved. I was new in my business and did not need a financial rope around my neck in the form of a mortgage. The income from the rental would have covered the mortgage completely. But my wife was adamant to the point of sabotaging my efforts that she did not want to have any other family living in the house with us. We fought about this constantly and it became clear that there was no middle ground. There was also a constant battle during the process since I brought large quantities of materials and had numerous people involved with the building process. Although it went quite well financially she became consumed with fear. Fear of getting caught with a secret apartment, fear of what might happen if I became unemployed and most of all fear that somehow I was unqualified to do this and that the house would fall down. I built the thing with 2 x 10 wall studs insulated to R 35 and use plywood under the drywall in some areas to provide a sheer wall in the event of an earthquake. When finished it was a truly sound structure. But this did nothing to alleviate the fears of my now ex-wife who had absolutely no faith in anyone without credentials. She had come from a family where men wear suits to work and there is never any mud and mess. Manual work was for dumb guys. Houses are something you buy and then pay for for 25 years. In the country where she was born class is everything and it's largely tied up with your occupation and style of dress. This third world mentality is still alive and well in some families.
18 months after starting the project I signed the home over to her and she raised the children in it for the next 12 years. It was my only asset of any account so I effectively had to start over financially. I took care of all maintenance on their home for another decade. So for 12 years this 2200 square-foot house was occupied by my ex-wife and two daughters. Both of my kids had bedrooms which were 12' x 17'6" +18 feet of bifold closet space. There were also "spare" rooms which could have produced income. During this period I lived in various vehicles at my job sites so that I could afford to support my children and rebuild my assets. The basement apartment was never rented out. During this time my ex-wife worked as a cleaning lady and at other low skilled jobs which provide just enough to get by on. The house was sold two years ago for $293,000 and she was able to buy a three-bedroom townhouse in town for cash and still have 20,000 left over. At a get-together recently she complained that I haven't done enough for them. My oldest daughter who is now 23 pointed out that everything she owns is due to my efforts and that her meager income wouldn't have even rented them an apartment. "Mom, how many part-time cleaning ladies have a house that's completely paid for and an ex-husband who lives in a van but still sends money every month". She was told to shut up
I have since acquired a really good 7 1/2 acre property not far from the city and also have bought a tour bus which will allow me to phase out of being a full-time demolition guy. But this has been a Herculean struggle. I have lived at job sites and in various vans for 12 years. I live in Canada but have never heated any of these vehicles and have become quite accustomed to this lifestyle. I am currently developing this property and will spend next winter living indoors

But none of it had to go this way. I am a hugely productive and intelligent guy who's life and career was set back by at least a decade simply because I married someone who was not on my side.
So I had committed a marital blunder which turned into a home-building fiasco primarily because the true potential of the building was never realized. If you look at the various ways we can screwup in our lives marital blunders are right up there.
And now that I'm thinking of this I think I'll categorize potential screw ups and put them in order. You can chime in and add some or disagree with me on the order.
Ways To Seriously Screw Up Your Life!! 1. Serious injury--- there are many ways to hurt yourself badly while building and depending on the injury this can have lifelong physical and financial consequence. 1B. destroying your health with cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs or through obesity. This list could go on indefinitely but those are the biggies. 2. Marital error--- marry someone who doesn't respect you or who doesn't believe that you can do things and they may very well prevent you from reaching your full potential. 3. Reproductive error----I have a brother who has produced children with women he was barely interested in. Not too bright. 4. Create crushing debt----it's quite easy to fall in love with some bright idea you have but caution should be used if you're borrowing the money. Using credit to buy fancy shoes and vacations is surely a step down a slippery slope. 5. Involving yourself in a huge project that is beyond your means to complete. I better stop here so that there's something left for others to add
I think I'll leave the work stuff for another day since this post is already long enough to become a flagpole
