Aw shit, I must look like or be the bloody Messiah of home Hearths in his eyes atm.
Decided to spend a while and split extra firewood and stack it in a place where it will remain dry just in case we cop about of wet weather like we had a couple of weeks ago.
Just getting in to 'swing' of things with the pound hammer and the log splitters and Evangelfool BEGS to be permitted to enter on to my premises.
I responded with, " If you HAVE to, but NO preaching and garbage like that also I have been doing this a whole longer than you have so do NOT start giving me advice either."
"Oh," he says with a face like a petulant child, " I just checked out my wood-burning Heater in my Lounge-room and I found a big hole that has been burned into one side of by the fires I had going during last winter, any idea what I can do to fix it, you know how to weld don't you?"
I sat and thought for a minute or so and then it occurred to me, "time for a little spare cash to earned and saved away for a "rainy day" here my friend."
Now, when his mother bought the house for him, he put in a used second-hand, modern wood-burning heater BUT decided to REMOVE the fire bricks from inside it to, " give him more space for a bigger fire which means more heat produced," but ity also means that the modern steels they used in his REQUIRED the fire bricks both as a shield against the heat, etc, from the flames and a form of reflective material to send the heat evenly from the fire-box.
So, I to;d him to wait until I had completely finished MY job and carted and stacked away the fire wood, then I'd have a shower, have a hot cup of tea and a bit of a rest, then, if it was still daylight I'd come and have a look BUT my services will cost him REAL money, cash on the barrel-head money, no I.O.U.'s or the like, REAL cash money UP Fron and at a rate of $35 per hour or part thereof and ANY inference or unneeded, unnecessary, unwanted drivel or advice etc, from him would incur an extra penalty of $30 per instance to also be paid in CASH on the spot.
At last sighting, all I heard was " Okay, I agree to ALL your terms, I have to go out and do some grocery shopping, so if I'm back before it gets too late and cold I'll ring your phone so you know that I am home," and off he toddled.
LOL, life does have a sense humour some times, he can ring my number all he likes but his access to my phone number is BLOCKED so now he MUST wait until I am ready and can show and prove that he has the CASH money there and available to be able to have me give my verdict and suggestion as to how, IF possible, to fix HIS mistake.