The Beervirus Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2020 is over not a minute too soon. Don’t get me wrong, there were some highlights. Thursday AND Friday were paid holidays for me. In a construction career spanning more decades than I would want to admit, I have had no more than a few Fridays after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday. Oh, I have taken them off without pay and I have used vacation days, but very few days were paid.

Believe it or not, I was given a chance this year to work both Thanksgiving and Friday this year. The construction project I am currently working on is in the “finishing drywall stage”. The building must be kept warm. We have not installed working permanent heat sources (furnaces), yet. (Sheetrock dust ruins furnaces)

We have temporary diesel fueled heaters keeping the building warm that must be refueled daily. (Just like fueling a car, truck, or bus.) The difference being, we (me) cannot take the heaters to the gas (diesel) station, the diesel must be brought to the heaters, five gallons at a time.

Again. believe it or not, a disproportionate number of drywall finishers are our friends from south of the border. And, believe it or not, many of them do not observe Thanksgiving. And, believe it or not, almost all of them work the Friday after Thanksgiving. This is a conversation I had Wednesday afternoon.

Finisher: What time can I start work tomorrow? Me: The door will be unlocked, start when you want. You will be the only one here. Finisher: Will the heaters be on? Me: Yes, but they will run out of fuel. Finisher: Who is going to refuel them? Me: My guess, would be you. I will start refueling again on Monday. Finisher: It is only Wednesday, I need heat everyday. Me: Plan on taking care of it. Finisher: I will call Trent. He told me you will get fuel. Me: Tell Trent to kiss my (construction language) { Does that spread Beervirus?}, it’s Thanksgiving weekend, I’m off.

Speaking of beervirus, it finally hit the SIpes family. It didn’t actually hit the family, but it came close. One of the twins, called a couple of weeks ago to tell Grandma and me that one of her group tested positive for beervirus.

Twin: Anthony tested positive for beervirus. Me: What does that mean? Twin: I might have it. Me: Explain. Twin: We all sit in a car at City Park and do our school work together. Me: Who is all? Twin: Sneezy, Doc, Happy, Goofy, Sleepy, Grumpy, and sometimes Anthony (Dopey). Me: That’s seven of you. You can’t be in school but you can be in a car? Twin: I don’t think I should come home.

The kids conferred with one of their mother’s (who coincidentally is a doctor). The kids self-quarantined in a basement together, right through Thanksgiving. None of the other kids tested positive. Our twin really enjoyed the testing. Sticking a six-inch diameter scrub brush into your nostrils and scratch your brain is not only exhilarating but just a good time. These are not the twin’s words, they are mine. I can’t confirm the diameter of the brush, I had my eyes closed.

Our other twin scheduled themselves to work on Thanksgiving. Obviously, getting paid time and a half is better than spending the day not working and eating. It is no small wonder that kid is so skinny.

We got around to the Thanksgiving dinner around 8:30 PM. That made having Friday off and paid even more special. We didn’t do the turkey thing. We decided to make Thanksgiving more of a Northern Colorado regional thing and had a crab boil. (I am as confused as you are.)

We plan to do the turkey thing when Beervirus Twin gets out of the “hole”. I will be taking a vacation day or an unpaid day. Oh, well. At least it, I won’t smell like diesel.

I hope your Thanksgiving was great. If you had to or chose to work, I hope you received time and a half for your trouble. God Bless you guys.

Our online business is going quite well. Except for a small argument with a vendor, who wants to change our discounts. I want to tell them to kiss my (construction language) but I am concerned about spreading beervirus and, oh yeah, the yarn is a big seller for us. Buy Yarn!

Oh yeah, one of the restaurants that I built recently is heading up the charge to remain open during beervirus..

God love him!

Our crazy lives!

Monner