“Jim Class” is a feature that airs within The HomeFix Show. Writen by original charter show listener Jim Forrer from Caldwell Idaho, Jim shares his observations, life experiances, and lessons learned in life. Joe Prin reads these at various times in most of the HomeFix Shows. Here is the original written text.
The Staff Of Life
Kids playing around a condenser unit prompted a call to install a 6 ft. chain-link to secure the area. The manager of the labor camp was pleased with our work and called back a couple of weeks later with another proposed project. The school and day care had a small playground situated adjacent to the street and driveway. Understandable, this close proximity was quite dangerous for the ‘little ones’ , running, jumping and gallivanting at all times of the day.
I measured and located the area’s boundaries, figured the total, and handed in my bid. The manager was not there, so I gave the paper work to the woman in charge of the school. She said to start as soon as possible. I told her that I needed the signature of the camp manager. In response, she said that he didn’t know which way was up, so she signed the work sheet. The upcoming Thursday was the agreed time to start.
I picked up the supplies early Thursday and was on site by 9 am. The posts holes were all punched out by 11 or so. I had planned to take a lunch, but everything was going so well, that I just kept on working. Being that it was late July, I knew it was going to get really hot before I got done and it did. I hand mixed concrete and set all the posts. All the while doing this, the women working in the daycare kept checking on my welfare. They would bring out cold water for me and ask if I needed anything. “ You must stay hydrated “. Women are like that. They want to mother you.
The next day was a horse of a different color. By 10 am, I had completed two of the three sides and was in the process of cutting the line posts to height on the last line. My truck was parked only about 20 ft. away. I heard a loud noise coming from that direction. I looked up to see three men in and on my truck, picking up my hand tools and filling their pockets. One guy was in the cab picking up whatever he could find in the jockey box. The two on the flatbed were tossing things all over the place. I put my mouth in gear, puffed out my chest and confronted them. My bravado was bolstered by my little friend, a 7 lb. # 2 heavy duty Ridgid pipe cutter. Now, mother always told me [ never sneeze into the breeze ], and here I was, blowing a lot of hot air. One of the men jumped off the flatbed wielding MY hammer. He looked quite formidable and was definitely not a ‘ girly ‘ man.
Just down the street, a couple hundred feet, was a small convenience store. At this same time the Eddy’s delivery man looked over and yelled, ‘leave that man alone – and get the heck out of here’. Now, what magical Harry Potter powers Eddy had over these guys, I’ll never know, but they dropped everything and took off. That I was greatly relieved is an understatement.
I finished the fence, turned in my bill and headed out of there looking over my shoulder until I closed my front door.
I never found out who that Eddy guy was, but he sure saved my buns from being toast. To this day, the only bread I eat is Eddy’s.