In saying Dear Robert I don't mean Robert, you are so dear to me. I mean Dear Robert in a Dear John sort of way, as in Dear Robert, You're Fired! Robert is Doc's main maintenance guy, and was the one that was here checking our furnace when I got home last night. That's the furnace that was "all checked out" last night and the furnace that quit working during the night, on the coldest night of the new season....about 26 degrees. For those of you who operate in Celsius, that's brrr cold, below freezing.
Robert could be the poster child for the saying "Jack of all trades, but master of none." He knows how to do a lot of things, but often just doesn't quite finish the job. He did some paint touch-up last night also, but left the open paint can on the floor and the dirty paint brush in the sink. In the past, he has worked on the water heater, but forgotten to actually turn it on before leaving. There's always a tool left under the sink after he has worked on the plumbing. Sometimes when he starts a job he will leave to go get a part or a tool and not show up again for a week or so.
On the other hand, after an early call from us this morning (with teeth chattering) he was here by 7 a.m. asking why we didn't call him at midnight when we realized the furnace wasn't working. He'll climb the tallest ladder to replace light fixtures or even bulbs in our very high ceilings. He will search all day to find the exact match for an unusual bulb in the fixture above the dining room table. There's never a job he says no to. He likes Doc a lot and will do anything for him.
So, I guess he's not really fired, just on a short probation.
Oh, and Robert says the problem was with the thermostat, not the furnace. Just a coincidence? I wonder.
does robert have crossed eyes or a lazy eye?
ReplyDeletemy 'handy man' sounds exactly like robert except his name is marty and he was recommended by a friend of mine, and when i said to her,
WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HE HAD CROSSED EYES?
she said
DON'T THEY ALL?
Heeeheee! Not laughing at your situation, I'm chuckling because this is so familiar. We lovingly call our farm hands 'strongbacks'. They would do ANYTHING for us. They all have some kinda' issue, lazy eye, low mentality, twitch.... Gotta love the help! :o)
ReplyDeleteHope ya'll are warm a cozy and having a good morning.
Cocoa anyone?
Are you sure Robert isn't Belizean? You described the precise way a handyman works in Belize. They start and leave and you never know when they'll be back. How come it's so cold already? We're off to the Pacific Ocean to sit in the SUN. Do you feel slightly jealous? Sorry, I just had to throw that one in. Hope your heating is on and working.
ReplyDelete...or, maybe he's Brazilian. :)
ReplyDeleteWell next time call at midnight.
ReplyDelete