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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Why Did You Tell Me That?

A couple of weeks ago I was down the road helping a guy set up his new incubator. He had never set eggs before and wanted to learn everything there was to know about hatching eggs.
When I showed up he started in with the questions and I fired back answer after answer. I told him he might want to write this stuff down because it is a lot of information.
Two minutes in I knew I lost him. You can tell when you loose someone while instructing them because of the blank stare and constant nodding of the head, he was not writing it down.
 After a few more minutes I asked him if he got it and even though I knew he didn't he answered yes. We shook hands and he walked me to my truck.    

This guy is a junk collector. He is hired to clean out old barns, houses and whatever else that needs to be cleaned up. I have gotten several good items from him in the past and he has even cleaned up some of my junk piles for free. (If I'm throwing it away you know it's junk)
When we got to the truck he told me about a big barn he was hired to clean out and also said he was going to have a sell at the barn and wanted me come by and pick out what I wanted before it began. We ended our visit with me telling him to let me know when the sell was because I would like very much to come and look at all the tools he said was in there.

Yesterday he came by. I gave him the three dozen eggs I had promised for his first try in the new incubator and I asked him about the date of the barn sell.

Without blinking he said, "Oh, we had it yesterday". He continued, "We didn't have a good turn out because of the weather so we ended up giving it all away, but I thought about you and didn't have your phone number to give you a call."

I felt my heart sink and asked what all he gave away knowing good and well I really did not want to know.

"Everything, table saw, miter saw, a truck load of hand tools, every kind of garden tool you can think of, a complete wood shop just about, antiques, old guns and you name it, it was in there but I did think of you and I knew you would want this stuff".

"Why did you tell me that? Why didn't you load your truck up and bring it here if you knew I would want it? Why didn't you tell me the sell was yesterday? Oh my God dude, you could have woke me up in the middle of the night for this"  I started ranting, getting more and more angry.

I had to just go in the house because I was feeling really sick. He did not have a clue, it was all junk to him.
I almost asked for my eggs back.

26 comments:

  1. MDR, buddy - you SHOULD have asked for the eggs back! it really gets my dander up when someone asks you to teach them something, you take it very seriously, give your time to teach them and then they don't take it seriously. as for his not telling you about the sell day, nor setting aside things for you that he thought you might like - that would have jambaloney in a right fit!!!

    this guy is not your friend. deal with him civilly if you must in the future, but this is not a friend.

    dang nabbit - now i'm mad! your friend,
    kymber

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  2. Kymber - No need to get riled up over my mess. I never really looked at him as a friend anyway but even though, I still would have set some things aside if I knew he was wanting them.

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  3. I think I would rather have not known about it at all. I know it would drive me nuts now every time I talked to him. Just me but man.... I sure feel your pain!

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  4. thats just awful I know just how you feel sorry for your disappointment

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  5. Sci - I know, I shouldn't have even asked.

    Mom - Oh well, you loose some and you gain some, but this one was a big one to loose.

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  6. Blow him off next time he asks for help. He apparently isn't going to ever help you. ARGGGGGG!

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  7. sista - I just ain't that way. The guy is a little slow and clueless. Even though I really don't like him that much, I will help him if he needs it but I will voice my opinion about the matter. He may not be a friend but he is still a neighbor.

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  8. Speechless, says it all........

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  9. All I can say is, I understand.

    - Genevieve

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  10. Oh my, I would agree ... clueless seems to describe him well. And yes, I know many of those people, they just take everything with a grain of salt and don't understand needs or wants of others.

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  11. Thank you G

    It sure was HHBL

    DGW - It would not have been that bad but he said he knew I wanted the stuff.

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  12. You did a wonderful thing by helping him. And for the stuff, I know what that is like, I have had that happen before and it was a friend, but we have to truly believe that God placed that stuff where it really needed to be. I know it hurts, but God knows what He is doing and when He wants you to have that kind of stuff, He will provide :-)

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  13. Those are some good thoughts Kelly and I also want to think all that stuff was rusted, rat infested and not working so I wouldn't want it anyhow.

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  14. Some things make you sick but you have to realize some people exaggerate also. To some people 'giving it all away' means selling it for a little less than what they expected. I learned a long time ago, believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see. You have to think did his story really line up with what you know.

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  15. Duke, that is why I am thinking it was probably all junk anyway and he had to give it away because he could not sell it.

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  16. there is a really good chance that the moment when you realized he was "lost" while explaining about the eggs and all, he was drawing a blank on everything from that point on. there are folks that are like that everywhere. when i was a kid we used to call people that did that "indian givers"...cause if they did actually give you something they would be taking it back the next day...or changing the story. be a good neighbor and suck it up...i bet he is known for doing this to others and one day it will come back to haunt him. i went junkin again last week and came home with a huge enamel washpan..perfect for soaking the feet after a long day or doing dishes. also found a gorgeous wooden rack with six handturned dowels for holding my waxed paper, foil, and plastic wrap/food saver bags.

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  17. I read this entry earlier today, and I really had to step back and wait to say something because I was so mad for you. After thinking about it a while, you just have to let it go. You are in no worse condition than you were than when you woke up, so it's a good day, despite all the happenings. I think the best you can do is offer him your number and tell him to call you next time. Let it go from there. If he calls, he calls, if he doesn't, oh well.

    I've been through this a couple times with friends, and even with family. At the end of the day, all you can do is let it go and get on with life. Don't let your anger fester, and know that you'll receive other bounty in your days ahead.

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  18. Anony - I agree.
    Nice score doing the Junkin.

    SFG - Agreed

    Gorges - He was never a friend, just a neighbor.

    TF - It's done and over with. I am a little wiser now but not harboring any anger. It is not worth it.

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  19. MDR, I'm sure my feeling on this are the same as yours. It kills me but ya just can't fix stupid. All you can do is just let it go.

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  20. mmpaints - It is good to hear from you. Thanks for the comment.

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  21. It happens to me and even others all of the time. I think Kelly summed it up to the tee. There will be other things come along.. You will get them.. Then you can sit around that day and wonder who is mad as the dickens because you got it and they didnt! Right?

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  22. Darrell - Like I said, You win some, you loose some, but this one was a big one to loose.

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