things are sometimes more complicated than they seem

On Easter Sunday, DD, SIL and GS#1 came for dinner. We put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher - something we very rarely do (maybe two or three times a year).

Two days later we went away for a week. The day after we returned was FIL's funeral so we weren't home for most of the day.

The day after the funeral, I noticed that something didn't seem quite right with the floating timber floor boards in front of the kitchen sink. They moved in a most peculiar way. WM called the guy who installed the floor in 2007; it turns out the boards were literally floating. There was a puddle of water under them.

We called in a plumber; he sourced the problem to the 25 year old dishwasher and he and his off-sider removed the dishwasher for us.

WM called the insurance company. We are insured with one of the largest insurance companies in the state. They were helpful and had an assessor around within a couple of days.

The assessor looked at the floorboards and the skirting, took photos and left. He didn't open the kitchen cupboard or look at the walls in the space where the dishwasher had been.

WM was not satisfied. He called the insurance company again. It took more than a week, but eventually another assessor came. He looked in the cupboards and took more photos and left.

WM got a phone call from the insurance company. The claim had been approved and the work could commence. But the repair company had only quoted for a laminated floor ($30 per square metre) and we have a full timber floor ($80 per square metre).

Another assessor came out - looked at the floor boards, took more photos and left.

More phone calls ensued and finally we thought the matter was settled.

The joiners came in today to remove the damaged kitchen carcass and install a new one. We would be keeping the same doors, sink and benchtop because they had not been damaged. No problems.

Fortunately, WM is still off sick (I never thought I could say that!!). He noticed that they were about to install the new carcass but had not yet dealt with the damaged and mouldy wall board behind it! He spoke to the young guy who had been subcontracted by the repair company. He called his boss who tried to call the boss of the repair company - no answer.

So now, we have a dismantled kitchen cupboard, no sink and a young guy caught in the middle sitting outside having his morning tea while he waits for some idea of what is supposed to be happening!

WM could have managed this whole project much better than it has been handled!

What is the old proverb: "too many cooks spoil the broth"? Or is "too many chiefs not enough Indians" more appropriate?