Some months ago Glen found a jet ski for free on Craigslist. Let’s be honest, it could have been years ago, they have stuff stashed in the woods and as long as I can’t see it fine.
Chris always encourages their interest and will hop in the truck with the tow trailer and pick up about anything. He and the boys enjoy it, I have several friends who can attest to this fact.
It has developed that Glen is a master negotiator and in his free time finds stuff on Craigslist and haggles people down. He will then go to his father and say hey I’ve got this really good deal on “whatever”. They show up and most of these people are very impressed (or embarrassed) that they were car salesmen’d by a 15 year old kid. Lately it has been jet skis.
We have never owned a jet ski, but the kid who will not study and is happy with a B average in his school work can tear one down and put it back together. This goes for small aircraft too. He has probably negotiated a few of those just for the fun of it… Maybe.
Fast forward to last night, it is dusk, I was told it was a 2 hour drive, turns out it was 6 hours round trip, I’m in the middle of a field in Auburn, AL with a family of what I called Mennonites that have a jet ski and trailer for sale for $75.
It was the exact same type Glen has had stashed in the woods. They handed off money and ratchet strapped the jet ski and trailer down while I talked to the guy about chickens (who his brother tended) and ducks (who his other brother tended) and turkeys (which with my enthusiasm I think he couldn’t tell me that they ate theirs), and a milking cow (his sisters tended) and beef cattle (which he sold his share and now his parents are making him get rid of his “junk” and he wants to move to Virginia 😳), and bees (which he offered to go get his other brother to talk about them, I politely declined feeling the dark and the eyes in the fields closing in on us). I swear as we were pulling out Laura Engles ran after us waving.
We got home about midnight, alive and I was only slightly bitter but what made it all worthwhile is today Glen and his dad are cobbling the two together and that thing fired up. The tune of Sanford and Son has been in my head all day.
Birdy On A Hill 