I don't speak Spansih very well

[Jess from VA]

Just the basics (and sentences learned in Jr Hi like... Would you like to go to the library or, How old are you? or, Allow me to introduce you to my friend Juan?  Which don't come up much).  

So this morning in steady light rain, I see some hombres busting up half a driveway to a house right behind me and down one.

I detour my daily walk over that way, and see a nice pile of jack hammered up concrete, and think some of that would be perfect in the ditch I dug across the bottom of my back yard for water drainage (instead of the occasional big lake back there).  The ditch and drain work fine, but it is a perpetual mudhole (short of drought).  The ditch is deeper than the drain and a bunch of flat concrete chunks on the bottom would not impede the system and would not disappear into the mud like gravel.  And would let me work back there without ankle deep mud.  

So my first question to the worker is Habla Ingles?  No senior.  But he gives me a Co card and indicates I should call.  I do, and another guy shows up and he has as much Ingles as I have Espaniol.

We make a tad more headway, but it is quickly decided tomorrow someone will be by who I can talk to.

It's headed for a landfill (where I assume they may have to pay by the pound to dump), and I want 15-20 big pieces for free (or nearly so) (which should reduce the cost to the landfill) (though I suppose it's possible they could be paid something for it).  I'll do the work myself, except yanking the pieces off their truck right beside my 4 foot fence and pitching them over (corner lot) is better than me and the wheelbarrow and the 80 yards.

Then someone put a beat up but sturdy wood shelf unit out for free to a good home, and my tape measure said it's exactly the right size for a spot in one of my sheds for storage.  It's already home and in service (with the wheelbarrow).  

Who says dumpster diving isn't fun?   And it breaks up the monotony of the walks.  

[Oss]

during my morning walk I pass by a house owned by the contractor who built all of the houses in the neighborhood south of Chappaqua Rd.  By far its the biggest house with a garage area alone big as some houses.   I met the man, now in his 80s years ago when I stopped to talk to him and we compared notes on 50s cars  He had a 58 GM , a real boat but clean.  He also had owned an Olds like mine and we reminisced about how it was driving those behemoths.

There is a big pile of stone block just outside his fence which has been there for years  Maybe a hundred or more in stacks just weathering year after year

So today I asked his son in law, since the gentleman was away, if I could buy them or if he would just have me take them as Bonnie has commanded me to enlarge our big garden.   They would be perfect to outline the fence line and to walk between rows of beds

I just would not feel right taking something even outside his fence line as it is not my way

Hope that I get a call to come and get it soon.  Hope you get your stone as well

[old2soon]

     Time was-long time ago-most any construction site was happy to see some scrap disappear! Kept the contactors clean up Requirements not so burdensome. BUT these days with so many frivolous law suites spring up near everywhere I can understand Why those contractors don't want anyone around AT ALL! But Jess I don't know the going rates in yer neck of the forest but offer em 40  50 bucks to place it in that ditch for you. Might even need to throw in a case of beer! RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

Dennis, if they were to offer to do the work (it would only take a half hour for a couple guys working slowly) for reasonable, I would happily pay them cash.  But if they seek to take advantage, I will do the work myself.  I like the work.

Your suggested prices (and a little more) are reasonable. 

I never see any of these Latino men drink beer or any spirits, at least during the workday.  Never not once.   

They are a hardworking, family oriented, polite and courteous people (who are especially loving and kind with their children) and I like them a great deal.  (The vast majority of our No VA Latinos are El Salvadoran, not Mexican or other).  This goes back to the Ollie North Iran-Contra-Sandanista days, and many were allowed (lawful) immigration from that country, and the DC/VA/MD area probably seemed like the good place to go.  There's plenty of money and work here, and they do a tremendous amount of it.   

[Jess from VA]

Evan, good story, except the part about being commanded by the wife.   

Seeking permission is the way.   

[Rams]

A few years ago I had a home in KY reroofed.   The crew showed up as it was supposed to and got right to tearing off the old shingles.   About halfway through the tear off I had noticed that I hadn't heard a single word of English (or American). 

It was easy to recognize who the crew chief was so I walked up to him and asked how things were going and when the project would be finished.   He told me late tomorrow he expected the job to be completed.

Great, I said.

I then stated that I had notice that I hadn't heard any English speaking people on his crew.  He told me that they were mostly new to the country but all had green cards to work.

I said OK.   That's good to know because the gent that lives across the street is considering having his roof redone and Oh, by the way, he works for ICE.

My crew finished for the day but, the funny thing is, a completely different crew showed up the next day to finish the job.   I didn't ask why but, I think I know why.   

Rams

[Jess from VA]

Well, they were back at work early, and I walked over again, and the concrete truck driver was a fluent translator.

So 40 minutes of no luck yesterday was replaced with 3 minutes of success today, and I could take all the big chunks of concrete I wanted.  They had to load up a pickup by hand, and everything I took saved them work.  I backed my Promaster 2500 right up to the pile and bucked a big pile of the largest chunks in the 4' side door, drove around the corner to my 4' solid wood backyard fence line and bucked it over the fence.  Rained all day yesterday, so it's a big mud hole now and I'll wait for it to dry out before laying it down in my drainage ditch floor.

I'm 71 tomorrow and this was a bit hard on the old body, but I'll live.  I like the work. 

[TTG53#1717]

Feliz cumpleaños a la mañana

[Jess from VA]

Feliz cumpleaños a la mañana

Gracias, mi hermano.

Although birthdays come and go at my house with no ceremony, celebration or fancy food. 

I don't mind getting old, but see little reason to make anything of it.

At this point it's like.... so you lived another year without doing anything real stupid.  Cool.    

[da prez]

  I never could understand why someone tries to ask in another language if someone speaks English.
  My wife and I have been to 44 countries. I can get my face slapped in 12 languages!

                                               da prez

[Jess from VA]

  I never could understand why someone tries to ask in another language if someone speaks English.
  My wife and I have been to 44 countries. I can get my face slapped in 12 languages!

                                               da prez

During my overseas service, I learned a number of foreign swear words (mostly because I heard them all the time, nearly always by menfolk).  They used them all the time.  But when someone asks if you speak any of their language you should refrain from using them as your examples. 

In my 10 summers with the Greeks painting Detroit steel mills (getting through school), only Greek was spoken on the job, and the language was always colorful.  For several years I thought one Greek word was my name, until one of them told me it was a common insult.   

[Jess from VA]

Well, I got all my concrete chunks down in the drainage trench this afternoon (dat chit is heavy).

I had thought to let it all dry out first, but the trench bottom wasn't exactly flat or level, and the concrete chunks are only flat on the finished tops, so the smarter thing to do was lay each piece in there in wet mud and wiggle and work them around (and stomp on them) to get them to lay as flat as possible, with minimal (ankle/knee twisting) wobbles.  One by one.  A few extra let me stack them double at a couple spots, so when everything else is submerged I have good (dry) footing to work down there.

It wasn't as much fun as I had hoped.   

But it's done, and is a big improvement, and unless you walk right up to it, it's almost invisible.  And it should also help the water that collects in there drain more quickly under the fence. 

[RP#62]

nor spell it.
 

-RP

[Jersey mike]

I know it’s a bit late to the topic but we have a concrete recycling location near us, well really 3. One is the county dump where I believe tipping fees are $100.00 a ton and is open to the public.

Another is our township where it can be dumped for free provided you’re in a private vehicle…not a vehicle with commercial plates or signage.

The third is a private recycling place who takes concrete at $15.00 or $20.00 p/ton and a one ton min.

[Bret SD]

I never see any of these Latino men drink beer or any spirits, at least during the workday.  Never not once.   

They are a hardworking, family oriented, polite and courteous people (who are especially loving and kind with their children) and I like them a great deal.  (The vast majority of our No VA Latinos are El Salvadoran, not Mexican or other).  This goes back to the Ollie North Iran-Contra-Sandanista days, and many were allowed (lawful) immigration from that country, and the DC/VA/MD area probably seemed like the good place to go.  There's plenty of money and work here, and they do a tremendous amount of it.   

Jess, I agree.. had some different Latino workers for many years. They work hard, show up on time, take care of their families and are very honest. Over 28 years, I had only one bad apple to deal with.. quite remarkable is what they are. I treated them very well, they respected me as I did them. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

nor spell it.
 

-RP

In fairness, his spelling flaw was in English. 

[Jess from VA]

I never see any of these Latino men drink beer or any spirits, at least during the workday.  Never not once.   

They are a hardworking, family oriented, polite and courteous people (who are especially loving and kind with their children) and I like them a great deal.  (The vast majority of our No VA Latinos are El Salvadoran, not Mexican or other).  This goes back to the Ollie North Iran-Contra-Sandanista days, and many were allowed (lawful) immigration from that country, and the DC/VA/MD area probably seemed like the good place to go.  There's plenty of money and work here, and they do a tremendous amount of it.   

Jess, I agree.. had some different Latino workers for many years. They work hard, show up on time, take care of their families and are very honest. Over 28 years, I had only one bad apple to deal with.. quite remarkable is what they are. I treated them very well, they respected me as I did them. 

The other thing about these folks I like so much (mostly men, the women are generally at home) is that they always seem to be happy, smiling, upbeat and easy to laugh.  No matter how hard the work.  It's infectious just being around them