A Rip and Time.....

Okay, I couldn't resist.....Here we go again......Back in time...

And the reason for this is not that I need to relive that time in my life, it's just that since I've started writing about my working past, I can not let these stories pass away without being revealed. There was clearly some pretty incredible moments and some unbelievable shit that just begs to be told.

Back to the past!

Now you might think that the title has something to do with my mind going back in time (again) but that's just a play with words and it has everything to do what actually had happened one day......Let me tell you about it.

I was in my early twenties, full of energy and vigor. I worked because I had an apartment and bills to pay. I didn't work because I loved to work....who does? at twenty or twenty one? I did however love working outside and I enjoyed working hard. Not only was I totally in shape, and fully tanned, and my shoulder length hair was bleached by the sun, but I enjoyed learning and knowing how to do more and more with my own hands. I also enjoyed the experience of working with my Dad, and the mostly crazy people that worked on his crew.

Working with my Dad was probably the hardest job I have ever had. 

My Dad's thoughts were that because I was his son, I had to give more than anyone else at a lower wage. He treated my brothers the same way, so I know that I wasn't singled out.....it was just his old Italian ways rising to the surface. We mostly worked Monday through Friday, and believe me that was enough. But every once in a while he would (always) ask me and a couple of the others if we wanted to work a Saturday.

Never did get to see Bruce...

Most of the time I had no problem with working a Saturday.......but this one particular Saturday, I had made plans with some of my friends to spend the weekend down the shore, Seaside Heights and Asbury Park. Someone's grandmother had a shore house, and I really didn't want to miss out on this opportunity to finally hang out with my friends. Plus we had tickets to see Bruce Springsteen at the Stone Pony.


When I mentioned my plans to my Dad, he did understand, and promised that we only needed to work a half a day. He tantalized me by telling me not only would I get paid a full day, and he would pay me cash when we finished. Well, how could I resist?.......as long as it's REALLY a half day, my Dad promised it would be!

Saturday, I awoke to a perfect summer morning, 

 

I went outside to wait for my Dad to pick me up while sipping on my first cup of coffee, and I remember thinking what an amazing weekend this was gonna be as I gazed upon the cloudless sky. I couldn't wait to get to the job so I could get started on this fantastic weekend that was planned!

Just as I was thinking this, my Dad and his brand new shiny red GMC pickup truck pulled into the driveway.

Brand new Truck!!

Uncle Paul was with him and as much as I thought of all the things that could go awry, I forced myself to stay positive and happy. We said our "Good mornings" and headed off to the job.

It seems that my Dad had billed for two chimneys that weren't quite completed, and that was our mission....to finish the two chimneys. This was going to be easy, as each chimney was only a few feet from completion, and we kinda figured it should take about two hours each.

I mixed the cement in the machine that was a few houses away from the houses we were working on. My Uncle and I pulled the material up the scaffold, and my Dad got going on finishing up the first chimney. It took him exactly two hours to finish this one up, and I was even more excited to get to the next one because that one was going to take a little less work, and I would be free to go down to the shore. I stayed behind to "joint" up the brick, while my Dad and Uncle Paul went to the next house to start sending the material to the top.

I heard a yell.....then a crashing sound......

Seems that Uncle Paul didn't correctly tie off the clay flue, and the rope slipped through, and the flue came

These are clay flues...

tumbling to it's smashing death. Now this was a disappointment, because there were no extra flues, and I know my Dad.....there was no way he was not going to finish this chimney. Sure enough he told Uncle Paul to go to the Mason Supply store which was about fifteen minutes from the job. He jumped into the two week old truck, and off he went.......

One hour.....One and a half hours.....we did all we could on the chimney.......

Both my Dad and I were pissed off, but for different reasons. Mine was obviously personal, and I just knew that somehow I was getting screwed, and not getting to the shore! My Dad was worried that Uncle Paul had taken off to the "city" that he had done on occasion......

"But how could he do that??!! that son of a B....!"  Dad yelled

"Maybe we can do the porch instead" he said to me. I was not very happy at all because we were approaching the forth hour, and we should have been cleaning up to go home......But we didn't even have a truck!

It was now almost two o clock, I was a complete mess because I knew that my friends surely had left without me. I had swore that when I saw Uncle Paul I was going to Kick his ASS!! I couldn't believe that he would leave us stranded on a job site!! He completely ruined my weekend, and he was going to pay for it this time! Since this was in the days before cell phones we were really in a pickle, and being on a new home development, with very few homeowners yet, things were looking pretty bleak, just for us to get home.

My Dad went up the road to ask a homeowner to use their phone to call Mom to come and get us, and I was cleaning up the equipment. Just then, I see my Dad's truck turn the corner. In a way I was relieved, but in a much deeper way I was furiously mad. I couldn't believe that he would do this selfish thing.......but what exactly did he do? where had he gone for hours?? Oh I was gonna find out for sure!

The pickup truck pulled into the driveway, right next to where I was cleaning out the cement mixer. Uncle Paul stepped out and with a painful look on his face he exclaimed..

"Holy shit Dominick what am I gonna do, you father's gonna kill me!"

I concurred...."Yes Uncle Paul, but since he's looking for a way for us to get home and not here right now, you'll have to settle for me killing you this time!"

But he looked really worried, kinda like a five year old who knows he's gonna get a beating and runs around in circles, then pees his pants in anticipation of a beating. He exclaimed that he wasn't joking....."What am I gonna do??!!"

 So I asked, "What do you mean? what the hell are you talking about?!" I wasn't in the mood for any games, especially guessing games!

" I smashed the truck!" he sputtered out.....I looked at the truck and didn't see a scratch. I just thought he finally went over the edge..

"What are you talkin about?! I don't see anything wrong with the truck?!!" He pointed to the drivers side..."look over there....."

I expected to see a scratch, or maybe a small dent, but no.......there was a hole from the back of the cab all the way down the side of the truck to the tail light! it was huge!!

I looked at him and laughed "Well Uncle Paul, you did it again! If I were you I would start running now because when my father sees this, I think this time he's REALLY gonna kill you!" I was no longer mad at him, how could I be....he was about to be killed by my Dad.

And sure enough, just as I said that I could see my Dad coming around the corner. I knew he saw the truck because he was sprinting towards us. My Uncle's face turned a powder white by the sight of this, and  it even scared me. My Dad did not take it well.......He completely freaked out, so bad that he punched a nice size dent in the hood of the truck. I'm pretty sure that he hurt his wrist after repeatedly banging it on various (solid) objects.

The yelling was over, and the "story" was that while at the mason supply yard there was a steep hill, and somehow the truck swayed into a concrete truck that was parked on the side.....I personally didn't believe it.

Turns out I was right........years later the truth came out at a family picnic. Seems Uncle Paul went to one of his buddies houses, where they did a little partying, then decided to see how the new truck would handle some local dirt roads. Unfortunately, the poor truck wasn't built to withstand....TREES!!   

 

TIP OF THE DAY: 

CUTTING A CLAY FLUE.....

If you ever have the need to cut a clay flue....(you never know..)

SEE!! Here is a nice way to grow your herbs!

and you don't have access to a diamond blade saw or a Demo saw, I'm gonna go old school on this one. 

I was taught to cut a clay flue with sand!....Yes....that's right!

Mark out the area to be cut.

Fill the flue up solid with sand.

Pack the sand down into the flue.

 Then with a chisel and a hammer, lightly, tap around your designated mark on the flue.

Follow the mark, and lightly tap the chisel.

Work your way around the flue, it should take around three times around.

You will actually hear a hollow snap, you have cut the flue the old fashioned way.

 

See you next time......from beyond.........