Wednesday, March 12, 2014

It don't hurt to ask

 
Yesterday was move day. Barb and Jeff showed up at just the right moment to load the cycle with us. Jeff took Cissie on a ride on their tandem recombinant. Jeff had showed some enthusiasm for the motorcycle so Kadizzle insisted he try it out.

When the camp was folded up we headed down the road to do the laundry and dump the sewage at Jake's corner. Pulling into the area where campers are dumped we approached the doublewide where the dumpmaster lived and out she came. Bored and ornery Kadizzle hopelessly asked Mrs. Dumpmore “Do you get to dump free on your birthday”. Thinking this was just a joke Kadizzle waited for the answer. Mrs. Dumpmore said yes. Kadizzle was dumbfounded and asked if Dumpmore was serious she said yes, but she would need to see some ID with Kadizzles birthdate. At this point Kadizzle had to admit it was not his birthday, but soon it would be. Mrs. Dumpmore said that was not good enough.

This brings us to the point of the story. In Kadizzle's lifetime he has accumulated an endless list of life enhancements simply by asking. From discounts to free rental cars, from left over construction material to all kinds of useful items, the list goes on. There is nothing wrong with asking. Often you are doing someone else a favor. Once we needed firewood. Kadizzle asked the men constructing a bathroom in Zion if he could have the scrap lumber to burn. Sure they said, now they did not have to pay to have it hauled away. While the other campers were paying $5 a bundle Kadizzle was enjoying his cedar fire for free.

Just for asking we got a deluxe camping spot free with electricity in the Calf Creek Campground in Utah. Often a six pack of beer can work miracles. All construction workers are required by law to do anything for a six pack. When we built our house we need the yard leveled and graded. At the same time the street was being put in. Kadizzle asked the motorgrader operator if he would make a couple passes in the yard for a six pack. Of course the grader operator could not resist doing a good job, so he did serval hundred dollars worth of work for a six pack. Kadizzle needed concrete to pour the footings for his deck. Concrete is expensive when you have it mixed and delivered, but every concrete truck carries a little extra when the go out to pour. What do they do with extra? Usually it is a nuisance for the truck to get rid of. So you dig your holes and have everything ready for the concrete. Now you look around town for someone pouring cement. Offer the truck driver a six pack for his left over concrete, and now you have your footings. This has worked twice for Kadizzle.

On the second concrete mooch Kadizzle was working on the Pocket Park he was building in Hazen. Kadizzle needed a little concrete so he lined up the truck with the six pack lure. Waiting for the truck Kadizzle was gabbing with Shiny the local operator of the small art store. Kadizzle saw the concrete truck about to drive by looking for Kadizzle. Kadizzle gave his schreeching whistle and waved at the truck. The guy came down the ally and poured the concrete. It was like hailing a cab. Shiny had no clue the whole thing had been prearranged and told her customers all day long about how simply whistled and had concrete delivered.

Today's assignment is go out and ask for something. Kadizzle used to teach some management classes. Often he extorted the virtue of asking. At some point prior to discussing the miracle of asking Kadizzle would ask someone in the class if they had ten dollars. Without exception someone would pull out ten dollars and give it to Kadizzle. Kadizzle would take the money and just go on talking about some unrelated topic. Later someone was sure to ask “ What about that ten dollars Joe gave you?'. Now Kadizzle would launch into his lecture about how easy it is to ask and receive. Kadizzle would give the ten dollars back, and explain how important and easy asking is.

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