I never heard this before!

Having played in the construction world for the last 30 years I have met the most amazing people. Some brilliant, some not so ……..well, let’s just say they are really entertaining.

So………

A friend of mine was building a garage on a residential lot in a neighboring state. I’ll give you a hint, it is a state that is home to bunch of cowboys. My friend is an outside sales lumber rep for a local lumber yard. Which means he sells lumber to contractors.

Of course, every lumber salesman knows how to use his products in a project, just like every sales clerk knows how to sew the dresses they sell in the malls. Wait a minute, clerks don’t necessarily know how to sew? Oh crap, that blows my theory.

Oh well, my friend might not have had the best understanding of building codes and decided to build his garage himself. He framed the basic structure and called the building department for an inspection. It was revealed that he had a couple of issues with the new building codes.

Building codes changed as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Building officials across the country now feel they need to build houses to withstand broken levies and hurricane force winds. The building department is now responsible to keep my friend’s garage from floating away as a result of a broken levy. It doesn't matter that the closest levy is 1500 miles away. We can’t not allow this building to float.

Believe it or not, thirty years in this business has taught me how to tweak a few rules and get the building departments to agree with me. I was asked by my friend to talk to the building department. I was happy to do it.

I was met by the receptionist at the building department. She informed me I needed to speak with “Dan”. She asked “Dan” to come to the front desk.

“Dan” looked like a man that lived in a state that prides itself for being home to cowboys. He was a slightly built man, not very tall. He was very well dressed. Clean shaven with a full head of snow white hair. He had on a new pair of Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots and a Rockmount shirt.

If you are not familiar with Rockmount shirts, it tells me a couple things. First, you are not a cowboy and second, you don’t own a Rockmount shirt. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

www.rockmount.com It is a great story and it will surprise you who wears them. What am I doing? This is not a story about cowboy shirts.

I introduced myself to “Dan”. ”Dan’s” reply, ”If we are gonna do a bunch of talking, I’m gonna need to go back and get my teeth”! Do you see why I like construction?

Our crazy lives!

Monner