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Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardward, Retail, Auto Service - Part VIII - Fraido takes a little trip to St. Louis? - Date with fate - post 26 - Why won't you be the boss?
This entry was posted on 12/9/2010 1:30 AM and is filed under Jobs of Bob.
I had already been approached about, asked about, considered for, and pondered the pros and cons of the shop manager's job. That job that had remained unfilled for over a year. No one was crazy enough to take it. Fraido and his shaved head, bowling ball size biceps, friendly demeanor, and...Tourette's liked the ladies. But for all the macho attributes bequeathed to Fraido by the good lord and nature, the one thing he did not have and that was essential in the modern world of...ladies...was a...car.
The damn shop stayed open late so the assistant shop manager was often already gone home at closing time. Therefore, one of us guys had to keep an eye on things. It quickly became evident one did not have to work out there long to garner some seniority. Be careful what you wish for. Each night the cars repaired and not yet picked up, and the cars to be repaired the next morning were parked in the area next to the shop. Their keys hung patiently on a peg board over night in the office. At some point I began to notice Fraido would often slip into the shop office momentarily before we locked up. One night I was in the office finishing up some task, in pops Fraido. Not willing to wait for me to leave first, in a brazen performance, he shrugged at me and looked at the key board and said, "Corsica, too utilitarian. Mini-van, too White-boy. Ahh, Cadillac, I got a special date tonight." He snatched the keys and was gone. The next day, a fellow came in the shop and was chatting with the assistant shop manager. "Wow," the man said. "It sure is easy to lose track of my miles these days. I usually keep good track of my mileage on this Caddy. But it seems like there is an extra 600 miles on it." "It adds up fast don't it?" our rub assistant manager said. Later that night I passed by Fraido while he was zipping some lug nuts on a wheel. "What the fuck did you do, drive to St. Louis?" I said wryly. "I love jazz and the blues," said Fraido with a pleased smile. Then the Tourette's kicked in and he went, "Whoop-Wup...b-b-b-b-bu-bu-bu-bluuue Caddy." I smirked and asked, "What the fuck would you do if you broke down?" "I got the Triple A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A, b-b-b-baby!" Note: This blog "Jobs of Bob" Category does not list the jobs chronologically - I write about the experiences as they pop up in my memory and I often revisit an older job. Go to the Cooldadiomedia Web site and the Jobs of Bob Page for an ordered chronology. Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Sergeant First Class Scott James Brown, 33, Windsor, Colorado (formerly of Brookfield, Wisconsin) died in Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, May 18 2007. Brown was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Brown had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. His Humvee was hit with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire as he was riding on the passenger side of the vehicle. Two other soldiers in the vehicle also died. The Journal Sentinel also noted Brown's wife had recently got out of the military. Brown went to Brookfield Central High School, in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He has a son named Taylor who was eleven years old when Brown died. At the time of Brown's death, his son lived in New Berlin, Wisconsin with his mother Kristen Leedom. The Website denverpost.com noted Brown was on his third tour of duty in the Middle East. His earlier tours took place from February 2003 through January 2004 in Iraq; and from July 2005 through November 2005 he served in Afghanistan. He was supposed to attend drill sergeant's school after a brief stay at home with his wife, Delilah Brown, in December of 2006. But, instead, he was sent back to Iraq. Brown joined the Army in March 1998, and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in December 2000. He was due back from his current Iraq tour of duty around January 2008. An obituary posted on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Web site notes Scott enjoyed outdoor activities like camping, fishing, and four wheeling. His favorite football team was the Green Bay Packers. He enjoyed driving his Jeep on the beaches of North Carolina and he loved the mountains of Colorado. At the time of his death Scott Brown was survived by his wife Delilah Brown; his son Taylor; and Taylor's mother Kristen Leedom; stepdaughters Cassandra and Victoria; sister Debbi Brown-Hood; brother Michael Brown; stepfather Lory Ferguson; and, mother Lynne Brown-Ferguson. He was preceded in death by his father Vernon Brown. Sergeant First Class Scott Brown was the 75th Wisconsin military service person killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
99,004 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,794 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,432 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1413 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
830 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,992 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,469 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
103 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
27 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
145 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.
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