If you say you're going to do it...

Here's my rant--hypocritical though it may be.  Let me start with the hypocrisy.  I had agreed to provide food for an event in March.  Now, as it turns out, we will either be in or just leaving Hawaii on that date in March.  One of those plot shift kinds of things.  I have attempted to make the situation a little more tenable, but I feel terrible about agreeing to do something and then backing out.  That being said...
It was early last spring that we decided to have some repair work/painting done.  We contacted the company.  They came to look.  They gave us a bid.  They had another large job that they had to finish up first, and then they would do ours.  Apparently, the large job ran into some lengthy difficulties.  I contacted the contractor.  He assured me we were on the list.  I contacted him a month later.  He assured me we were on the list.  It is now the eve of the first day of October.  I attempted to contact him again tonight.  No answer.  Darn that caller ID thing.  Then it occurred to me.  He never mentioned what list we were on.  Hmmmm.
Early this summer, we decided to have a small paver walkway installed next to the garage.  We called a reputable company.  They said someone would give us a bid.  I called them again three weeks later.  Someone would give us a bid.  Two weeks later, I called again.  The contractor came to look and gave me a bid!  I accepted the bid.  The work would be done in the next two weeks.  Three weeks later, I call again.  This time, the original contact gave me the cell number of the contractor who had bid the job.  I called.  I believe he said he heard I had been nagging the original contact.  Hmmmm.  Three weeks ago, I called him again, and he wouldn't be there in the next week but the week after for sure.  Tonight, I contacted him again.  Day after tomorrow.  That would be October 2.  I am NOT holding my breath. 
Now, this is the thing.  I understand things come up.  I understand that complications can extend other projects.  I understand that my projects are probably quite small in terms of revenue production.  I understand all that.  DO NOT TELL ME YOU WILL DO SOMETHING AND THEN LEAVE ME HANGING!  I should have not needed to call (or nag).  I should have been kept in the loop in terms of time.  And by golly, that work should be done!  Annie may be right.  The sun WILL come up tomorrow.  But the painters and masons?  Probably not!