We had more fun with the window guy.
July was so FREAKING hot. Our windows were paper thin. The sun baked the back of the house every morning. The front of the house every afternoon.
She’s a brick…..house. Therefore, it was an oven. Every day of the heat wave, I died a little. We planned on replacing the windows eventually, mostly to save heating costs in the winter. Who knew summer would cause us to bite the bullet?
Anyway….we had new windows installed last week. After all my complaining about the house, one of our window installers came in, and proclaimed of our modest abode, “This isn’t a house, it’s a castle!” He was from the Czech Republic. His English was very broken. To him our house is a castle. I’ve lived in some un-castle like places, but even so…his comment had me feeling pretty crappy for all my moaning. He had an amazing work ethic and a tummy ache. I gave him Bentonite, and he just chugged it down no questions asked, without even looking at the label. It helped. It always does.(It is good for stomach upset, acid stomach, coats the intestines. Good stuff).
Anyway….this guy had a terrific sense of humor. We have a painting on the wall in our house, done by an elephant at a sanctuary in Thailand. He thought it was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard. (Of course he was complimenting it before he knew the species of the artist). To him it was, why rescue an elephant when people are starving? He said, “Why not just eat ephalant?” And yes, he said ephalant. I acted totally offended. Then, a few minutes later,…I pulled out one of my paintings from high school, and here’s what I said to him, “This one was painted by a frog!”
The look on his face was priceless. I cracked up, then he realized I was jerking his chain, and he cracked up. They left their tarps on the living room overnight and Jingle had diarrhea on one of them. He said, “The dog did a painting.” Poor Jingle. She had a bug, but is feeling much better now. I gave her bentonite.
Dude was totally striking a pose for these pictures. They are not candid at all. Which makes them even funnier. I don’t even know his name, and he’s long gone, but I wish all contractors were so much fun.
Thank you, Michelle, for beginning my day with laughter. What a delightful window-installer–someone who knows his job, has a sense of humor, and brings you summer relief from the heat.
Also Michelle, your painting is lovely. You have so many talents: writing, researching how to publish e-books, visual art. What more can you do, Woman!!!!
I am sure your family was a ray of sunshine (or maybe a cool breeze, given your summer weather) for him, as well. See what happens when you’re open and just being yourself? People bring you their best.
Here’s hoping the windows provide you with some relief.
I think you’re house has a castle vibe going on – and I know castles, I live in Scotland which has more castle per capita than anywhere!! 🙂
That is too funny about the dog did a painting.
He looks so cute! And hooray for the new windows!
When I was in Russia on a choir tour, I took pictures of my house and family with me to share with people there. At one dinner in a Moscow apartment, when I shared the pictures of my house (and this was before I had a real kitchen, and still had no garage), my hostess asked, “Are you rich??” I laughed like mad. “No way! I’m a writer!” But it brought me up short, a reminder of what comfort even those of us of very modest means enjoy in this country.
Something you don’t know about me…I have a THING for Eastern Block men. Yum yum yum. Even better when they have broken accents. I have all my life, starting with Mikhail Baryshnikov after White Nights… We have a huge culture of Russian and Cheks here, and they are often our service men. It makes Kory nervous because seriously, they don’t even have to be cute. They just have to talk… lol!
😉