I'll call him Bob because...
He wrecked his car one night and knocked out his upper front four teeth, and since he never worked steady, he never had any money in his Health and Welfare account so he had to pay for them out of pocket. He couldn't afford all four so he told his dentist to just put the two biggest ones he had in. They were so big and bucked and gapped, he looked like SpongeBob.
Bob was a great guy. He was a hell of a character. But he wasn't without his issues like all of us. His was a substance abuse issue. Liquor, pills, powders and herbals he didn't seem to discriminate. He was notorious. The job I met him on was a hospital we were building back in 2000 and the only reason he was there was because we were obligated to have so many people on hand, and the hiring Hall was empty.
Bob didn't belong on any crew. He just drifted around the job all day pushing the tool cart, getting drunk, maintaining his high and talking shit. He would drink a half gallon of rot gut Kessler's "smooth as silk" whiskey everyday. In a 24-hour period, not an 8-hour period
One day I'm waiting for the man lift when Bob comes staggering along and strikes up a conversation of small talk that I was honored to engage with him in. It was that typical how's your weekend type small talk and I was going on about my weekend when I see Bob slowly reach into his left breast pocket and pull out a pill and put it in his mouth and swallow it while he's otherwise focused on the conversation.
Out of curiosity I asked him what he had just swallowed. He asked me back, what color was it? I told him it was blue, and he said, oh, it was a Valium. You want one? I just laughed it off and said no that's the wrong direction for me. Then he countered with, how about a couple benny's (Benzedrine).
By then, the man lift had finally arrived. I thankfully declined his offering, got into the man lift and went on about my business
My God, he sure was a one of a kind character. ..a true philosopher. He passed away from hepatitis within a year of this anecdote . I know what you might be thinking. He drank himself to death, right? But according to Bob, it wasn't from drinking it was from a prostitute
...fuqn, "What color was it?" It makes me smile whenever it crosses my mind
RIP "Bob"
Bob was a great guy. He was a hell of a character. But he wasn't without his issues like all of us. His was a substance abuse issue. Liquor, pills, powders and herbals he didn't seem to discriminate. He was notorious. The job I met him on was a hospital we were building back in 2000 and the only reason he was there was because we were obligated to have so many people on hand, and the hiring Hall was empty.
Bob didn't belong on any crew. He just drifted around the job all day pushing the tool cart, getting drunk, maintaining his high and talking shit. He would drink a half gallon of rot gut Kessler's "smooth as silk" whiskey everyday. In a 24-hour period, not an 8-hour period
One day I'm waiting for the man lift when Bob comes staggering along and strikes up a conversation of small talk that I was honored to engage with him in. It was that typical how's your weekend type small talk and I was going on about my weekend when I see Bob slowly reach into his left breast pocket and pull out a pill and put it in his mouth and swallow it while he's otherwise focused on the conversation.
Out of curiosity I asked him what he had just swallowed. He asked me back, what color was it? I told him it was blue, and he said, oh, it was a Valium. You want one? I just laughed it off and said no that's the wrong direction for me. Then he countered with, how about a couple benny's (Benzedrine).
By then, the man lift had finally arrived. I thankfully declined his offering, got into the man lift and went on about my business
My God, he sure was a one of a kind character. ..a true philosopher. He passed away from hepatitis within a year of this anecdote . I know what you might be thinking. He drank himself to death, right? But according to Bob, it wasn't from drinking it was from a prostitute
...fuqn, "What color was it?" It makes me smile whenever it crosses my mind
RIP "Bob"
56-60, M
