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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