OMG this is for Glenn. I was thinking you'd be laughing if you were "a fly on my shoulder".
I am so sorry. (head down again)
We ran out of heating oil last night at 11pm.
I fell asleep at 8pm because I was dog tired and no one told me.
I woke up at 5:30 am to 48 degrees on the inside.
(I started praying.)
I ended up basically having a Chinese Fire Drill afterwards. (Please excuse my terminology, no offense intended.)
I ended up having to have an emergency oil guy visit in the am while it was snowing full tilt.
(still praying)
Wow, was he mad. He was really good though. He explained what was going on directly to me. He whupped me good though and my ears were stinging. (kept praying silently)
On the upside, he was a really awesome fellow.
He left nothing out in his directions.
He told me that he was notating this account as to the fact that I was responsible for following his explicit directions and I was all ears.
I got the whole history on the house, including the dummies that were before me. And then he went to town on me. I professed my ignorance from the beginning and apologized profusely. He told me that the first time is ok, any time afterwards is going to be a hardship in the future and if I thought the lecture I got this time was bad, I should brace for impact if ever this happens again.
Then he made me carry the heating oil up the hill, a very steep hill.
15 gallons in 3 cans. (oh my aching back.)
And then he replaced the filter and a fitting that was leaking.
He asked me if I liked being "cold". I just looked at him and winced.
He laughed and told me that the furnace needed to be replaced 10 years ago. I nodded and said "ok". (prayers, more prayers)
He then came up and gave us our bill. (PRAYER)
I thought it was going to be A LOT MORE. I asked him about it.
He told me that he wasn't going to blast me because he had just educated me and that I was going to be responsible for this furnace in the future, regardless. I shook his hand and said "thank you". (prayed for him)
We then paid the bill and he was running for the door.
I called out to him and tried to to give him $ as a tip and because without his help, we'd no doubt have had ruptured pipes and a giant mess.
He waived me off and then asked me if I was ready for the bad news.
I thrust the $ at him again and he yelled at me and asked if I was deaf. LOL
I said "ok" as I stuck the $ back in my pocket.
He told me that as soon as he left, I was going out to buy 2 yellow diesel cans and get 10 more gallons of diesel to put directly in the external tank.
(more prayers)
I told him that we are kind of stranded with no way to get around and he laughed again.
He hesitated for a sec and said, "you don't think I am coming back here tomorrow, do you"?
I said, "no sir".
He then says, "you got troubles, you do what I say or next time, I'll be busy when you call me". "Do you understand me, mister"?
For a second there, I felt like I was on an officer's quarter deck AGAIN.
"Loud and clear", I responded, "everything is 5 by 5".
He chuckled, nodded and left, (with a prayer).
I then started to walk. I walked for about 20-25 minutes in the worst part of the storm. It was actually pretty quiet, although I fell on the ice layer underneath several times. I just rolled with it.
I got to our local Lowe's and bought 2 yellow diesel cans, 5 gal.
I then started back out across the parking lot. It was a "ghost town" with no real amount of vehicles going anywhere. I couldn't help thinking that anyone with a quarter brain was inside their homes, safe and warm.
As I was going across to a local highway to walk to get to a station to get diesel, I fell on ice again. This time I cracked my head on a curb. I did a half roll and both my yellow "buoy's" went flying.
Someone drove by and screamed a primal "YARD SALE" at me. I laughed and picked myself up off the ground. I was a little woozy, but not bad. I've seen much worse on me before.
And then this guy in a 4x4 pickup pulled up to me, as I was picking up my cans.
Long story short, he asked to take me to get diesel and drop me near the house. I was shocked. No one acts like this in NJ. I was worried.
I just looked at him and asked him "why, would you help me"? "I am sorry, but I don't know you and I don't have much money", I bleated like an animal ready for the slaughter, almost choking out something that sounded like a cry of pain.
He just shrugged and said, "get in I don't need a reason".
So he helped me to the station and I got the 10 gallons more of diesel and he dropped me very close to the house.
I asked him how I could repay him and he said, "you'll see someone on the side of the road or otherwise and you'll know they need help". "You know what to do now, right"?
With that, he did a doughnut in his truck and took off with a cackle and that was the last I saw of him. (prayer for him as he sped off)
I then struggled with the cans, stopping frequently as I hauled them the remaining way home. I hauled them up the hill, stopping 4 times as my back was sending me "Morse code".
I took a short break when I go to the top to have a little cold coffee and to rest my back which was now trying to emulate a tap dance rhythm.
I went outside and drained each 5 gal of diesel into the external tank with a prayer and as I walked back to the porch.
It was strangely silent as I realized I was being watched yet again.
I prayed again and thanked him for the help that I had so sorely needed in my time of need.
And as I neared the front door, I heard something not verbalized but almost whispered as if by the wind, "Never, ever, during your trials and testings did I leave you. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you, just like today in the snow".
I said a prayer of thanks and choked back a sob and went inside.
May all of you be as blessed in your time of need.
Someone does listen, you just have to learn how to hear him.
If you don't like what I say, you can
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLqsfwRvYtU