Asphalt Gypsies

I thought I showed admirable restraint and self-control.

The Asphalt Gypsies hit the area yesterday.  At least 4 different guys running around with "a truckload of asphalt left over from a job down the road". The black pickup stopped by our house.  I saw a red  one with some name of the side at the gas station.  There were at least 2 white ones. I don't know, they might have a good product at a good price. I've never been in the mood to play games with them when they showed up.

I had an irrigator nozzle plugged, the flood nozzle that hangs down from the end .  The only one you can get to without climbing a tower or getting a ladder. So I shut the system down and go get the 966 to work on it.   I'm out in hottest day of the year so far with a tractor in the muddy end rows of the field standing on a wet tractor fender, water soaked shirt and pants, dripping off my hat, water running down my arms, trying not to fall off while removing, cleaning, and reinstalling a nozzle, when this guy pulls up on the road.  He stops, (doesn't get out) rolls down the window and hollers something I can't hear for the tractor running.

Now students, let us visit a few of the basics in Salesmanship 101 and the sub-course dealing with farmers.  Naw, probably not necessary at this point.  You already see how this is going to turn out.

I finally make out "Do you own this farm down the road?  Want to asphalt the driveway?"

I didn't take the time to say what I REALLY thought.

But as he drove away I thought of how I SHOULD have responded.  I'd have said "I'm kind of busy but my wife was just talking about that. Go down the road here to 2200. It's a couple miles.You go past the gravel road that has the sign that says "Road closed during wet weather" another mile or so farther to 2200.  Then go south to the 2nd house on the right."

By now Steve  is going "Where?"  Because you see, there is no 2nd house on the right.  If he follows that road until it ends there not only is no 2nd house, there is no other house.  And the one on that road is unoccupied.  By the time he got back out of the Wabash River bottoms I'd have been long gone.

I did think about saying "I'm kind of busy, but my wife and I were just talking about that.  Go down here around the corner to the first house on the left and talk to her about it"  But I was afraid Cheryl would figure out it was me that sent him ...