Well, last year I had the lawn mowing guy, a former roofer, go up on the roof and install three vents. He did not like my ladder and it's missing and bent step (one of each) and made a fuss of it. "I won't climb that ladder again", he said. Fair enough.
Then Brooks and CJ came up to build the porch and CJ had to use the ladder to build the roof and he didn't like the ladder either. Same reason(s). One bent step and one missing step. But he used it anyway.
The lawn guys came by while the ladder was leaning against the house. "You still using that killer ladder?", he asked. As a matter of fact, yes I am.
He told me one of his customers had given him a new extension ladder and that he would bring it over for me. He would rather give it to me than see someone break something on the "Killer Ladder". Today he fulfilled his promise and brought the ladder over. Now I had two.
So I wrote a cardboard sign saying, "FREE LADDER" and put the ladder and the sign down at the end of the driveway on the highway. I knew it wouldn't last long and it didn't. Twenty minutes later a pickup stopped and made off with my ladder. I left no fine print about the minor defects.
One person's trash is another person's treasure. I guess Norma was not sentimental about her Dad's old ladder. Beach has a hard time throwing away obsolete or broken items, and he stores them underneath the house; when too much collects, we call a man who loves junk, and he is thrilled with old broken lawn mowers, yard equipment, and any pipe leftover from plumbing a new bathroom. All those "old" electrical adapters we've had for eons and took up space in the workshop, we left with Maria and Alejandro in Cuba. They were glad to get them. We even left them four flashlights which had piled up in the shop. They will come in handy during hurricane season and any blackouts. We are so spoiled here in the US when I see how elated people are when you offer them these things. Some things are as small as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, deodorants, jars of peanut butter, handed-down children's clothes, cereals, and packaged vegetable seeds.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that at least some of the tips I gave you on adapters, converters, etc worked out. Was there anything you did not think to take and wished you had with you? How did the cash safekeeping work out, or was there a place in your room to keep it?
DeleteI am like Beach. I never throw anything out. However we suffer from lack of storage space so some big stuff (like the ladder) just has to go. And no, Norma had no attachment to it.
DeleteYes, thanks for the tips, particularly, the adapters and converters. It made possible the use of Beach's I-Phone for an alarm clock. However, as you know, the crowing roosters became our alarm clock.
DeleteWould you believe that we wished we had taken more toilet paper!! Ha! No joke! We took three large rolls but also had a couple of boxes of tissues and were a little worried for a while. Cuba really has a paper shortage, among other things. Beach injected a little humor and told me one morning that during the night he had dreamed of his Grandmother's Sears & Roebuck catalog she would use in her outhouse. Anyway, we managed to leave behind (no pun intended) two boxes of unopened tissues. We managed to carry the other things you had mentioned such as an ample number of tubes of toothpaste and other hygiene products. Roly loves peanut butter, and we gave him a jar of Jiffy flavored with Canadian maple syrup. Next time I will carry a lot more jars of peanut butter. Roly made a comment about needing more shorts with cargo pockets (which are easy to wear and use in his business) and admired Beach's cargo shorts which he had purchased at Costco. Beach's shorts would have been too large for Roly, but the next time we visit I'll take him some if he has not already purchased the shorts in Canada.
There was no place in the room to "stash" cash. However, we felt comfortable with our hosts, and no one had a key to the door but Maria and us. Also, we hid the cash in a locked computer bag which was stored between a lot of things and out of sight, and Beach wore a money belt for cash during the day.
By the way, if you and Norma and family are visiting Cuba again in the immediate future, I think you will see a great deal of improvement and will be pleasantly surprised. There economy is certainly on the rise, but I hope it is not moving so fast that repair of the infrastructure can't keep up.
My grammar teacher has rolled over in her grave -- "Their" not "There."
DeleteIf it was an aluminum ladder they are worth a bit of money at a metal recycling place. Maybe that's what the guy wanted it for.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if that is what happened to it. I would have taken it down if I had a way to get it there without imposing on friends.
DeleteIn the Plants if the Safety Rep saw the slightest damage to a ladder it was scrapped. Your's wouldn't have been around long.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Yes, we threw many ladders away that were in much better shape.
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