Y'see, Darkmatter has really said what matches most of the situation. John is a local businessman, has lived up here since 1977 (less than a mile from where I live, interestingly enough - and that's considered pretty darn close), and has a very good reputation as an honest contractor, excellent work ethic, superior quality of work, and "a really nice guy." He didn't build that reputation without being nice to customers. HHandbasket has been telling me for months that she thinks he's sweet on me, but I see it as fostering a customer for the long term. We've moved from the Sacramento area where we are unfortunately familiar with crappy workmanship, poor customer service, and being overcharged or just left hanging. The city of Sacramento's population is 411,718 and that's just in the city limits. West Sacramento is 49K and some. The surrounding smaller communities are part of the "greater Sacramento area" and there are plenty of people for businesses to sell product or services, and building a personal relationship ain't important.
It is, up here.
A telling point: When I asked him if he could scare up some people (burly guys) to move the rest of my heavy furniture inside the house, he was shocked to learn that's what was under the tarps. "All this time?? Oh, no, you need to get that inside!" He checked it all out, sat and considered some options for a while. The tree guys probably wouldn't be interested in just an hour of work. The laborers who do other work, like lifting and hauling trash, they also expect at least a four hour stint of pay. John does most of his own lifting, dragging, and other amazing work with just levers, clamps, The Magic String, ladders, and power tools, but that furniture needs at least three guys to move it. He thought about it for a bit longer and then said, "I don't have any guy friends I can ask..... All my friends are women."
He's sixty years old and ..... well, there are no "ex" Marines, are there?
I'm fifty-eight. He'll say something funny and I don't just laugh, I giggle.
He always brings his own coffee (black, sweetened with honey) with him as he works. He always repsonds with "OH, no, I'm fine" when I ask if he'd like some coffee, or water, or a diet soda. He accepted a dozen eggs, once, but doesn't eat eggs very often. (He's been losing weight on some sort of all vegetable soup plan, which he makes himself.) He did just recently buy a big-screen, HD TV after having seen mine on when he worked in the house on projects. His dad just loves it. Well, he does too, but now his dad can actually read things displayed on the TV screen.
He does have an ex-girlfriend, with whom he is still friends. He was really pleased to be able to give her the abandoned robin's nest with the egg in it; he asked if I had plans for it when we took it down from the electrical box on the side of my house (after the robin stopped attending to it). Noop. He said she's made something really nice with it as a Nature Thing to sell in her "little curiosity shop." I told him I have a hummingbird's nest I'll give him to give to her, too, when I find it...... in the boxes...... somewhere. But nobody's getting my preserved dragonfly!
I did call him one time after I knew he'd taken his dad Down The Hill for a medical appointment. We chatted for nearly an hour. We usually chat on the phone for a bit each time I call to say I'm ready for some more work to be done.
I'm thinking it's just nice to have a "handyman" who does great work and makes me smile when I'm around him. Going on the dump run was a gentle adventure - kinda bumpy during the drive in that flatbed.
But interesting nonetheless. I don't chatter much. At one point, he asked if I knew any jokes and I had to admit I have a "one joke buffer." The last joke I heard is the only one I can remember when challenged to tell one. The last one told to me just pushes any other jokes right out and I got nuthin'. If anybody's just told me a joke, that's the joke I remember. Pretty lame when the last joke I heard was five minutes earlier and HE told it to me. And I will remember that joke until the next one I hear... but I will probably STILL screw up the punch line.
I'm much better at telling real stories of events (got a zillion from the 9-1-1 Center years) or observations I've made of people, places and things. Those things are funny. I LIKE jokes, I just can't tell 'em.
Now, back to our regular programming, fer goodness' sake!