Ok, so I had the opportunity to be a plumber’s helper this week in the field with Bear.  It was very difficult for me to sit in the passenger seat.  Riding to the job and then to lunch and then back to the office.  I guess I truly am a control freak.  I need to be doing something all of the time.   So what does a plumber’s helper do?  Well,  I was a gofer.  Go get the caulk, go get the silicone, go get some shims, unbox the toilet and take it upstairs.  Ok!!! Stop right there.  I will take the tank and the lid, but you are going to have to take the toilet.  Could I have taken it up stairs, sure I could have but at what cost?  I might have dropped it, (not likely), I might have hit the wall or the stair rail (more likely).

I was nervous, out of my element.  You see, this was not my first on the job experience but, my second trip on the job with Bear.  The first one did not go over so well.  I wanted to do a good job for him.  I wanted to impress him.  Married for 13 years this September and I still want to impress my man.  : )  He is a good man and I am so very blessed and proud of him.

Back to the story….  So we get to this job and we are installing 3 toilets at a machine shop.  We walked in to find out where the restrooms were that we would be installing the new toilets.  While Bear got started inside, it was my job to get the toilets off the truck and start bringing them outside the door and unboxing them.  I was, again nervous.  So I started stacking two boxes on the dolly to start rolling.  Let me, let you in on a little secret if you did not know.  Toilets do not come in a perfectly square or rectangle box.  They are kinda folded to fit so it did not really stack perfectly, but I was ready to pull back and press forward.  Right at that very minute Bear walked out.  I hurried,  so that he would not come to take over for me.  I wanted to do it!!!  I wanted to do a good job!!! he said WAIT not loud or angry.  Right then I pulled back and did not have my balance on the boxes and they toppled over.  I froze…. waited for it….WOW he could have exploded!!! but he didn’t.   I was embarrassed and all he did was shake his head.  He looked at me and said did you break them?  No, they are ok, I’m sorry I just wanted to do it on my own for you.  He of course took it from me.  I did the next two by myself, and took my time.

It’s not over the story gets a little better.  So we are inside cutting the wall and pipe (very loud).  He had some trash to get together so he had me pick it up and start taking it to the van and bring some tools back.  AGAIN, for whatever reason I was nervous.  I hurriedly picked up the trash bucket etc, and then tripped and dropped everything on the floor.  Can I tell you this office was very quiet……I giggled; it was all I could do….He said what are you doing?  I’m sorry honey, I am just so nervous.

That night we talked about it and he said it was hard for him to ask me to go and get things for him.  He said it did not feel right asking his wife to go get things.  His son it is ok, but his wife was unsettling for him.  We are a family business growing together, we are so very blessed.

When will the next on the job trip be?  Who knows?  Can Bear handle the help?   : )  Maybe it will be your home or business feel free to ask me to sit and chat over coffee while Bear does the heavy lifting   ; )