Construction, and Stuff

I live in a 70-year old house.  It's a nice place and all (small closets aside), but occasionally there has to be work done.

Yikes. Every time I ask people to "touch" this place, $3,000 flies out of my pocket.

Then the actual work begins, when they are REALLY, REALLY  billing.  

Are these headaches related to all this?  I ask myself.