Francis Berger
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Say Hello to My Little Friend

6/21/2019

4 Comments

 
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I am taking my home renovations to a whole new level this summer, and this little orange beauty is going to help get me there. Never in my life did I imagine I would one day be the proud owner of a cement mixer, but well, here I am . . .  living the dream! 

I bought this cute little orange beast because I plan to pour quite a bit of concrete and complete some fairly extensive tiling work over the next couple of months. With rental fees being what they are over here, you end up paying the price of most tools and machines after only five or six rentals. Once I figured that out, I decided renting was out of the question, and I quickly ordered a mixer of my own.

Apparently, men who own cement mixers are highly respected and popular in these parts, as no one particularly likes paying rental fees for these sorts of contraptions. One of my neighbors quietly advised me to keep my latest equipment purchase to myself. According to him, if our fellow villagers catch wind of my mixer, they will be asking to borrow it day and night. 

To be honest, I would have no problem lending it out, but I very much doubt I will let anyone use it this summer. With all the projects I have lined up for July and August, this little orange baby of mine is going to be spinning and mixing from sunup to sundown, week after glorious week - assuming it does not blow up or fall apart first.
4 Comments
S.K. Orr link
6/23/2019 13:50:57

Spiffy looking cement mixer, my friend! And I suspect your neighbor is correct about keeping your purchase hush-hush. Certain tools and machines draw "friends" like flies. When I bought my first pickup truck years ago, I quickly learned that when people came up with a toothy grin and asked me what I was doing over the weekend that I should reply something like "Hauling a load of furniture for some elderly friends." Because if I said "Nothing, why?" the next phrase I would hear would begin with the words, "Well, I'm moving this weekend, and I was wondering...." So you may become very, very popular in your village if the word gets out onna skreet...

I envy your construction knowledge and skills. I cannot imagine what a concrete project manned by yours truly would end up looking like. Probably like a joint project between Mr. Bean and Basil Fawlty.

Happy pouring, my friend!

Reply
Francis Berger
6/23/2019 14:20:41

Thanks for that, S.K. Yes, pickup trucks have a way of raising a man's value in the eyes of others. If I owned one here, I imagine I could easily win a bid to become the village mayor.

Please don't envy me in any way. Yesterday I spent the day removing old cement tiles and a thick layer of old concrete from my terrace (I am redoing the terrace next week), and today I can barely move. Every single muscle of my body is stiff and sore. I have noticed that with each passing year it gets harder and harder to get into "construction shape"!

Reply
S.K. Orr link
6/23/2019 13:53:07

And I forgot to ask...is that a WORKING well in the background? Looks pretty sporty. I have well water, but it's a regular electrically-powered well pump sunk in the ground, nothing as picturesque as the drawn-by-bucket kind.

Reply
Frank Berger
6/23/2019 14:24:41

Yes, that is a working well with bucket and all. It sits at the edge of my side lawn/garden near the back wall of my neighbor's house.

I also have an electric pump in the cellar of the house that can draw water from the well into the house, but the pump is broken. However, I am planning to fix it in order to cut back on the water bill a little bit.

I have a solid little microfarm here, with a chicken coop, rabbit hutches, and a small barn with pig pens. Of course, I have no chickens, rabbits, or pigs, but who knows what the future may bring.

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