Ever feel like a build project was just doomed from the beginning? That everything that could go wrong, did? Your tools got swiped from the site, the lead-times for windows dragged out, and when they finally arrived…the supplier had ordered the wrong ones. You were stuck in a project that was over budget, over time, and overcomplicated.
But here’s the thing: you didn’t just have a bad project. You had an up close and personal encounter with Sabotage.
Gather around, and we’ll tell you the story of the conniving, mischief-making monster that’s plaguing builders and homeowners all over Southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.
Southern Colorado Builders, Beware
Imagine we’re sitting around a campfire on a cool summer evening. The fire cracks and pops as smoke winds slowly into the sky. The first few stars of the night are beginning to peek out. Your belly is full from your dinner of freshly-caught trout, but you’re not quite ready for bed.
“Tell me a story,” you say to us. “A good and scary one.”
We smile. “Are you sure? You might not be able to sleep tonight.”
You laugh. “I can take it,” you say. “Hit me with your best shot.”
We bend down and adjust the logs in the fire, then look up at the stars.
“Do you know the story of Sabotage?” we say quietly, even though it isn’t really a question.
You learn forward, ready.
And so we begin.
Sabotage’s Story
Many years ago, a lone sasquatch roamed deep in the La Plata Mountains. He was just what you’d expect: tall, hairy, big feet, reclusive, shy.
His favorite thing to do was wander through mountain meadows in springtime and lie down in the wildflowers—Corn Lilies, Veronica, Paintbrush, Bear Root, and Nodding Sunflowers—he drank in the stillness and breathed the mountain air, content.
But it all changed the day the builders came to his mountains.
Loud yellow trucks, belching smoke. Overturned earth. Constant yapping and bass beats. And the hammering! It never stopped!
It appeared the builders were making something permanent right in the middle of his favorite meadow. A cabin!?! Would there be loud, smelly people here all the time now, trampling his meadow?
They had to be stopped.
One night, the squatch crept down to the build site and tried to destroy the things the builders had left behind. He started with their tools: breaking hammers, hiding nails, chewing through compressor tubes.
Another night, he found a stack of papers at the site. Using a pencil he found in the dirt, he rubbed out numbers, replacing them with others. The next day, there was a lot of shouting and groaning from the builders.
Each night he roamed through the half-built cabin, looking for things to break, plans to change, items to hide. One day, he even found a flannel shirt someone had forgotten. It was a perfect fit.
A new word started circulating through the build site: Sabotage. The squatch heard it in whispers. He heard it on phone conversations. He heard it yelled at the top of a builder’s lungs when the front door wouldn’t fit. He knew they were talking about him.
He knew he was SABOTAGE.
Despite his efforts, the builders finished the cabin in his meadow. Enraged, Sabotage made a promise to himself. He would make those builders suffer for the rest of their days.
Sabotage’s Revenge
Disguised in his stolen flannels, a pair of canvas work pants, and some sweet aviators, Sabotage followed the builders down into the town of Durango. He watched where they went, who they talked to, what made them happy, and what made them angry.
It took time and a lot of mischief, but Sabotage finally learned what made the builders suffer the most. He was wasting time hiding their saws and bending their nails. If he was going to disrupt them from the ground up, he needed to get to their suppliers.
You’d be surprised at how stealthy a 7 foot sasquatch can be. Sabotage started with whispers in the ears of the salespeople taking orders. “That’s good enough,” he’d murmur in their ears. “No, they didn’t want 14 windows, they wanted 13. You don’t need to write it down.” He’d hide their measuring tape so often that they’d stop offering to measure. He’d spill water on blueprints so they couldn’t be sure if the number said 17 or 19. He’d even sneak into their computer systems and swap out products and dates.
Finally, he’d found success. The builders were beside themselves with all the mistakes. Their timelines were shot, their budgets were bulging, and the people who had hired them? They were LIVID. His revenge was sweet.
These days, Sabotage doesn’t go into the La Platas much anymore. He prefers life in town. He even got himself a custom trucker hat with his name embroidered across the front. If you look close, you might see him walking down North Main, grabbing a cider at Eso Terra, or relaxing on a bench at Oxbow Park. He even won the costume contest at Snowdown a few years back!
What Will You Choose?
We pause and look at you.
Your eyes are wide.
“Is it really true? Is that what’s been happening to me?” Your lip quivers.
We nod slowly. “It’s Sabotage.”
“Is there anything we can do to stop him?” you ask. “Anything? I can’t keep living like this!”
“There is one thing,” we whisper. “Work with SoCo Wood & Windows. They’re so meticulous and detailed that Sabotage has never been able to stop them from getting it done right the first time.”
It’s like we see a light turn on in your mind. A grin spreads across your face as you stand up and stretch. “I’m gonna hit the sack,” you say, a yawn forming. “But tomorrow, I’m calling SoCo Wood & Windows.”
Out in the distance, we hear a sasquatch yowl in frustration.
