Day 445 Putting my foot in it.

26th October 2018

Sitting in the bookstore, Puff the magic dragon, playing on the radio, listening to a customer singing along was magic. For a short time there was a break of the shit Trump has been spouting. There is a pent-up anticipation for the mid-term election. The radio and internet is crammed with advertisements for candidates pleading for your votes, many hints at desperation. I still can’t believe what I hear, and that people actually believe, I thought Americans were smarter than that.

However as I was drinking my coffee, I viewed a guy talking to an empty chair, actually the chair I usually sit in. He probably was on his phone, but it looked so convincing, I did not want to sit there.

I have never classed myself as a salesman, I am more the victim, I once bought a car rather than leave a showroom with nothing.

Kelli left me in charge of selling one of the galvanised tubs, well not really selling it, just be around when the lady arrives. Simple task here I thought.

A car pulled up and a lady got out money in hand. I walked out from the garage and welcomed her and showed her the tub. She looked at it for a moment, and asked if it would be big enough for a Christmas tree to stand in. I had a tape measure in my hand. I told her it should be suitable for that. Then she added that the tree came with a base, and would that fit into the tub? I measured it, and said it should work for most trees, unless it was really wide. “It is really wide” she replied, the money was moving back towards her pocket. “Yes, but the base would not stick out too far in case someone could trip over it.” I replied, The money stopped moving, and came towards me again. ” I think it would work for you,….unless it was eight feet tall” I said. “It is eight, possibly nine or ten” she replied. Why didn’t I stop talking then?

Desperate not to lose the sale, I measured the tub again, “well it’s much wider at the top” these were the words of a person seeing defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

I had one last chance here ” you could always modify the base to fit, then add extra rocks for ballast”. I hoped that she didn’t sense the pleading in my voice.

Then she said the magic words, “I think I can make it work” and handed me the money. As she drove away I had to sit down, it was the most exhausting work I had done all day.

I also had a person arrive to collect a small table. I learned my lesson from the first episode, so said very little. That went smoothly, money in hand, money in my hand, pick up table, place in car, drive off, text book stuff.

Later that evening Cameron, Kelli’s son came round asking for help to make a mask for a party he was going too in a couple of hours.

He laid pieces of paper on the table, these had to be folded and bonded together to form a complex origami style mask.

I’m not sure how I got involved, but I saw him struggling, and the time was slipping away. I successfully managed to fold up the main nose section, for which I surprised myself. Gradually the mask took shape, the superglue doing its job of sticking the card rather than my fingers.

As soon as it was complete, Cameron took it outside to paint, bringing it back to show the finished result.

It reminded me of a character from Star Trek for which I had that pleasure to experience later.