I can almost hear Rod Roddy, the late great announcer for “The Price Is Right,” calling out what we just won. Hmmmm … first off, TPIR doesn’t give away new houses and second, he’s dead. So that new house we ended up with? A lot like our old one … it just looks brand new.
There are some professions in the world that must be so rewarding. Jobs which result in such joy, such happiness that people practically (and in some cases, actually) hug you in glee after you’ve performed your craft. The surgeon who saves a loved one’s life. The lawyer who defends little David against the big bad corporate Goliath. The firefighter who rescues the family dog from a burning home. As a general rule of thumb, construction trades don’t fall into the “I thanked God the day you were born!” status. Oh sure…you do your job well and people are thrilled at what you did for them, but genuflecting? That’s reserved for the likes of Steve Jobs, Ron Popeil and Oprah (come on, you know we’re all blessed to live in her lifetime) – all people who change our lives in ways we may not even realize. You have a contractor do a major renovation, and you’re almost as happy to see the crew of workers finally pack up for good as you are with the job they did.
A little more than an hour later Byron and John were all wrapped up, and Cori was fighting the strong urge to hug them. We settled for more of a Billy Crystal/Carol Kane send-off from The Princess Bride, standing in the driveway, waving happily as they drove away, “Goodbye boys…have fun washing the castle!” With that, they were ready to bring joy to another dirty home owner…assuming it’s the house that needs the wash – Stewart Housewashing can clean only so much.
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