A Bit About Jack

I started to tell you a bit about Jack yesterday. I met Jack when he was working for the contractor we hired to strip all the chestnut woodwork in the house. Like I've mentioned before, they were in my home nearly every day for more than six months, so you have to be comfortable with them. All of the employees did a fine job, and I don't have a bad thing to say about any of them.

Their boss on the other hand... well, he was a class A jerk. And worse. I don't even want to tell you all the stuff he did, and said, and the nonsense he pulled. He was so far out of line, he makes Jen's Cabinet Guy look good.

Just when the project was wrapping up, he kept finding things for them re-do. Even when I looked at something and said it was fine. And as a "gift" to me he insisted on stripping the exterior trim work of the front door. So, at long last, when that was done, I was really ready to see the last of him.

I would have loved to fire him, but they had woodwork in various stages stripped and refinished in nearly every room in the house. I don't know if we could have ever found anyone to come in to complete the job, and it would have just been too much for me and mom. We'd probably still be sitting among the drop cloths, sucking our thumbs, staring up at the purple painter's tape all over the walls.

But back to Jack. He (thankfully) no longer works for the jerk. He now does repair work for a couple of furniture retailers in the area, as well as independent work. He's kind of hard to pin down, but his work is top notch quality, and I think his prices are more than reasonable.

Jack has a workshop in a garage behind his house, where he does most of the repairs. Unfortunately, his house is in a rather nasty section of his city. Since December they have had two break-ins, one of them in broad daylight, and his wife was threatened, Jack has been mugged while talking to his neighbors in front of his house, and, most recently, his car was broken into. So, he's thinking it is about time to move. Too bad the market sucks right now. I really feel for them. I don't like to think of Jack being in danger. I just keep picturing him puttering around in his wood shop, and someone coming in to rob him. He's just such a genuine, nice guy. No one should have to live in fear like that. I pointed out that one of the houses on my street is up for Sheriff's sale in August. Not that I have an ulterior motive, of course.