Drivin big trucks on a job site.....But I'm only 14!

On a housing development, almost anything goes.....

I'm gonna go back to working with my Dad again. I do this because I had so many memorable moments, and they really have to be shared. Let's go back to the summer of 1972, with the air filled with wonderful music from artist like Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Stealer's Wheel, etc. It was such a great time to grow up in this country.
I always worked with my Dad during the summer months, mostly because it was dangerous staying home with my Mother, and he insisted that I should learn the trade......Thanks Dad! I really did love it, because I got to do things that the average 14 year old could never do. One of these most awesome things was driving my Dad's trucks around the job site. I would somehow always get into trouble, by getting the trucks stuck in mud (about 100 times), or once I drove through a garage door on one of the model houses.

But this story is about how my Dad got to pay for a new paint job on a vintage Cadillac.

My Dad, was a mason, and usually had a large crew. He wouldn't spare one of his "paid" men to go get material or fill the 50 gallon drums with the much needed water, that was my job, and I was happy to do it. I actually learned to drive a truck at the age of 9. I was taught by one of his men, believe it or not his name was Spoon, or at least that's what we called him. I loved that guy! So this one beautiful summer day, my Dad tells me to get Big Red and go fill up the four 50 gallon drums with water. He didn't have to tell me twice.

Same truck, but not red, hence the name Big Red!

I'm not a big person (tall), and when I was 14 I was pretty small, so picture a kid who was barely big enough to reach the pedals, and had to stretch my neck to see over the dashboard, while pressing in the clutch and shifting gears. So I swiftly jump into Big Red, start up that big engine, and off I went to the fire hydrant that was three blocks away. As I came up to the fire hydrant, I noticed a car was parked pretty close to it. So I was going to be extra careful as not to do any damage to this nice car. Me and Big Red were at the top of this really big hill and I was going to back up to the hydrant. I stopped the truck, put her in reverse, stretched my neck to look out the rear view side mirror. As I was backing up I thought I heard a whistle.....the construction kind. I stopped, stretched my neck to look over the dash board, but didn't notice anything. So I continued to back up. I heard this whistle again, but this time louder, if that could be possible. As I looked over the dash board, I noticed the job superintendent, waving his arms frantically. I think he was looking at me? But as any 14 year old would do, I continued to back up to the hydrant to make my Dad proud of me that I was useful. I heard the whistle a third time, but this time the super was not only waving his hands but he was running towards me. Okay, now I knew he was trying to get my attention.....but why? I stopped Big Red, put on the emergency brake, and lifted myself out of the window a bit to see what was going on. Well, I believe that I soiled my pants, because all that I saw was the back end of the Cadillac under the truck!

Oh My GOD......Dad is gonna kill me for sure this time! 

  I frantically put the truck into first gear, drove up about twenty feet, turned her off, jumped out and ran into the woods! I was out there about twenty minutes, wondering if I knew the way home because I was NOT going back! Just then the job super found me and told me to go with him. "Don't worry, these things happen.....oh wait, no they don't but don't be afraid, I'll talk to your Dad" I  come out of the woods to see my Dad talking to the Owner of the car, and when he caught sight of me, I believe I soiled my pants again!
I was really surprised that he didn't kill me, he didn't even hit me. But he embarrassed the crap out of me (not that I had any left). He tells this guy...." I keep telling him to stay out of the trucks, but you know kids....they don't listen!" He turned to me and scolded "If I EVER see you in my trucks again, I'm gonna break your neck!" That, by the way was his favorite saying..... Luckily the only damage to the car was that the license plate scraped a strip of paint off of the trunk. But as I was told, the rear tire was mere inches from the bumper.
The following day I was still shook up from yesterdays incident, and as much as I absolutely loved to drive the trucks, I just wanted to stay away from driving for a while......Then Dad yells over to me....Dominick, get Big Red, go to lot 7 and get 30 block!....... I soiled my pants AGAIN!!

TIP OF THE DAY:

We  want to build a nice wall out of landscape block:

Now that Spring is here, lets spruce up the yard. One of the nicest things to do is to build a small round wall around a couple of trees. You go to the local home improvement store, and you figured that you'll need about fifty or more of these blocks. You pay for them, go into the parking lot to your car and realize that you like your car too much to put these heavy block in the trunk....not that it will fit either.

One of the coolest things is that you can rent a truck there too! And the best thing is that it's only about $19.00 for the first 75 minutes. I actually do this at times when I need to carry a heavy load, it saves MY truck! HAPPY SPRING!!

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