Mexican Muscle is Back. Is He Typical?
My neighbor's house was fixed up beautifully by a half-hearted remodeler named Tony. He helps out a little, but mostly he just signs the paychecks. Friendly guy, proudly showing me all the work his guys are doing to the house.
He recommended his worker Billy, who is Mexican.
Is this all typical for Mexican muscle?
He gave me Billy's number, who said he would send me his brother Romay (sp.?) but it was Antonio who showed up, half an hour late. At the rate of 8 bucks and hour, oh well, that's 4 bucks I saved. He doesn't have a car, and public transport made him late.
He says that his English, on a scale of 1-10, is a 1.
Antonio set to work with gusto, even before being handed the tools. He worked tirelessly. No breaks except lunch. There were 2 layers of carpet. Someone had used drywall screws instead of carpet tacks to install the second layer of carpet. It is hard work to yank it up, and then there's hundreds of screws to remove. There are staples, too.
(There comes a certain time in an old house's life where it loses its self-respect. It's beauty gets neglected for so long that something simply must be done. But all that its poor self esteem can justify is make-shift work. This is why there were drywall screws in the lovely hardwood floors, only a hand-held shower sprayer, wallpaper on the kitchen and bath counters, wallpaper on the toilet tank and wallpaper on the window sill, and the same lavendar paint used in half the rooms.)
Antonio got most of the screws, most of the staples, most of the carpet tacks. Then I asked him to sweep the attic and patch up the 3 holes in the plywood floor where the AC ducts used to go. He decided to patch first. He really did a good job. I thought I would just lay a big peice of wood over the holes. Instead, he cut back to expose the studs and made the patches go in level with the existing floor. He not only patched the few little duct holes, but scrounged up some board to patch some big holes, too. I think he was trying to stretch the job so he wouldn't have to clean up there.
I praised him mightily for his work, and paid him in cash. Then he came down and watched me mud and tape a drywall corner. He asked for the tool, and tried to smooth out my joint. He mashed so hard that he wrinkled the tape and removed all my mud! I thought he would be messing with the wrinkles then, and looking sheepish. No! He was looking pleased! I shook his hand, got his number, and told him I would call. When he left, I fixed the mud, and looked pleased.
I like him. He can haul rocks and do exterior painting for me. I'll save the fiddley, precision stuff for myself. Cheap Mexican muscle is great! Is this what Jesus meant when He said, "I was a stranger and you welcomed Me?"
He recommended his worker Billy, who is Mexican.
Is this all typical for Mexican muscle?
He gave me Billy's number, who said he would send me his brother Romay (sp.?) but it was Antonio who showed up, half an hour late. At the rate of 8 bucks and hour, oh well, that's 4 bucks I saved. He doesn't have a car, and public transport made him late.
He says that his English, on a scale of 1-10, is a 1.
Antonio set to work with gusto, even before being handed the tools. He worked tirelessly. No breaks except lunch. There were 2 layers of carpet. Someone had used drywall screws instead of carpet tacks to install the second layer of carpet. It is hard work to yank it up, and then there's hundreds of screws to remove. There are staples, too.
(There comes a certain time in an old house's life where it loses its self-respect. It's beauty gets neglected for so long that something simply must be done. But all that its poor self esteem can justify is make-shift work. This is why there were drywall screws in the lovely hardwood floors, only a hand-held shower sprayer, wallpaper on the kitchen and bath counters, wallpaper on the toilet tank and wallpaper on the window sill, and the same lavendar paint used in half the rooms.)
Antonio got most of the screws, most of the staples, most of the carpet tacks. Then I asked him to sweep the attic and patch up the 3 holes in the plywood floor where the AC ducts used to go. He decided to patch first. He really did a good job. I thought I would just lay a big peice of wood over the holes. Instead, he cut back to expose the studs and made the patches go in level with the existing floor. He not only patched the few little duct holes, but scrounged up some board to patch some big holes, too. I think he was trying to stretch the job so he wouldn't have to clean up there.
I praised him mightily for his work, and paid him in cash. Then he came down and watched me mud and tape a drywall corner. He asked for the tool, and tried to smooth out my joint. He mashed so hard that he wrinkled the tape and removed all my mud! I thought he would be messing with the wrinkles then, and looking sheepish. No! He was looking pleased! I shook his hand, got his number, and told him I would call. When he left, I fixed the mud, and looked pleased.
I like him. He can haul rocks and do exterior painting for me. I'll save the fiddley, precision stuff for myself. Cheap Mexican muscle is great! Is this what Jesus meant when He said, "I was a stranger and you welcomed Me?"
posted by Anita the Sandy at 5:38 AM
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