 I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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OK, this little story, I'll try and compact it, leaving out the subtle nuances..if I can and still maintain the fabric that knits it all together. Last spring, one of my (23 year old)kids friend brings a car over, asks if he can use my garage to work on this "treasure". I said, sure but I need my garage back. "No problem, I'll have it done in a week!" Two months later I get my stall back and the car is moved (after much encouragement and gentle reminders it IS MY garage!) He moves it out into the yard. After a summer of encouragement and being told I'll move it after ..blah, blah blah..October comes when I was having my field dug up for a Geothermal heat system. "Kid, you need to move the car out of here, they are going to dig there..blah, blah blah.  So he moves it back over by my garage right in the area I move my snow in the winter (pay attention now). So since October I keep harping on him you got to move this car before the snow comes because this is where the snow needs to go.  Well, Christmas Eve Day, we are getting a snow storm of "epic" proportions, I get the tractor out and start plowing the snow that was rapidly building up. Now I am getting just a little steamed as I spend the first 1.5 hours avoiding the last half of the chore because there is a POS car sitting right in the middle of my way!  I snaps!, Enoughsk is enoughks, I cant's stands no more! (Uk uk uk uk uk!) I pull up to the POS and place my plow on the front bumper and beginning gently but firmly providing the vehicle with increasing rearward momentum and travel the 250 foot length of field to the tree line with reasonable ease and speed. The car comes to rest gently and I commence to spending the next two hours, entombing it with a four foot high by 8 foot deep bank of snow!  Seeing that this lad doesn't seem to be in any hurry to collect his vehicle, he now can wait till spring (likely April 30th before this will melt) or spend 10 hours digging to recover his vehicle!  Now I realize Christmas is about giving..but did I do a bad thing? It sure felt good.
Last edited by Fasteddy; 12/28/2009 10:39 AM.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....?
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Stickman Yogi
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Stickman Yogi
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Ya did something that made YOU feel good, so that's sort of like giving yourself the Christmas present no one else could!! We gotta remember ourselves too, don't ya think Eddy?
You'll be okay and probably won't go to he!!. But to make sure you should give us all a 20% discount for the next... oh, say 6 months just to appease the POS(?) Gods.
Live to love, love to live.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Check Pants
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Check Pants
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This thread is useless without pictures........<g>
It sounds like you fired plenty of warning shots over the bow, and action was needed!
Al
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Learned Hand
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OP
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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I dumped the OL again. good thing I didnt give her kids the wal-mart gift cards...I can use them to buy gas!
we should do this every weekend!
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Oil Expert
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Awesome!!! I was hoping you were going to go there with your story cause I was thinking, that's exactly what I would do. That's an awefully long time to take advantage of your generosity.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Adjunct
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Well done Eddy. Enough shots over the bow. Nice one into the hull. 
Keep It Between The Hedges And Sunny Side Up
2009 Triumph America
1997 Honda ST1100
1983 Honda CX650 Eurosport
1972 MGB Roadster
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Legally, you would be totally in your right to push the abandoned vehicle off your property. I would have had it towed away, too, and then if the kid wants it back it will cost him big time. Burying it in the snow is hilarious though. But now you gave him a reason to leave it there at least until the snow is gone.
Always remember to be yourself. Unless you suck. Then pretend to be someone else.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Learned Hand
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Eddy I'm on your side here. I go out of my way to be nice to people almost to the point of being taken advantage of. I would have done one more thing though........roll the windows down after moving it. 
Tony G
'03 America
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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I soooo understand this story. Ya did everything you could to give him warning and be helpful. Some people don't understand reason or a helpful disposition. My like story. A friend of my family, for quite a few years, turned on us, and became a contributing factor in finally pushing my first marriage off the cliff. (A LOT of story there...) Anyway, he was "storing" two trucks and a car on my families property, and I gave him a weeks notice to move them. He loudly denounced me and my intentions at our work place(he was working with me, at a job I got for him). I waited the week, added a couple of days, then called the local wrecking yard. They hauled his junk cars off, AND payed me three hundred dollars! Good riddance to this snake and his crap!
Fidelis et Fortis
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Quote:
Now I realize Christmas is about giving..but did I do a bad thing? It sure felt good.
Dwight beat me to this, but to answer your question; it really depends on what kind of car it is. 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Quote:
Quote:
Now I realize Christmas is about giving..but did I do a bad thing? It sure felt good.
Dwight beat me to this, but to answer your question; it really depends on what kind of car it is.
Sorry but a car is a car 
I don't do cars and so for me they are all the same . . . something to for my wife to drive and pick me up when I've had a bit to drink  anyway good one eddy 
My name is phil . . . I ride a TRIUMPH
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Oil Expert
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Just love that story pal. You did tell it better in this post than the email you sent me though. In fact a pic would be good but NO, the email isn't useless without one cos 1) you told it so well and we got a good pic in our own minds and 2) what does a big lump of snow look like? A big lum........right?
Mate, you didn't do a bad thing at all. This kid sounds like he's needed a good kick up the backside for a while I suspect and if I didn't mind a little flutter (bet) now and again, I wouldn't mind a few bob each way on the odds his father is either the same ie. A bludg*r or, not round much to teach him right from wrong. Is it his fault then for having no descent role model to teach him Not to sh*t on people who have done him a favour? Mmmm, maybe he has one now?
Whatever, you achieved a lot more than getting this sh*t off your liver. Great story bro. The kid really new how to push all your buttons and knowing you like I think I do, that's some serious button pushing. Well done and I wish there were more stories like em to teach some of the Gen whatever we're up to, to take responsibility for there own actions.
Staintune Pipes, K&N Pods, 45 pilots, TBS needles and 145 mains.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Learned Hand
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Picture added..it really is buried....ooops! Gave me a good chuckle because I didn't really look at it much..after the deed was done! I am sooooo mature! 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Loquacious
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Quote:
Now I realize Christmas is about giving..but did I do a bad thing?

My immediate answer would be yes......... But if you look at it technicly; you gave him a free garage for 2 months and allowed it to be on you property for 9 months but most importantly; as a caring father, you moved the car for him so he didnt have to endanger himself during a storm 
So my answer would be NO! 
Erwin 05 America
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
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If it was in Iowa it would be an old Camaro or Firebird with a blown motor, bald tires, ripped upholstery and rust.
We all like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists. But when push comes to shove most of us are sheep who do what we are told. Worst of all, a lot of us become unpaid agents of whoever is controlling the agenda by enforcing the current dogma on the few rugged individualists who actually exist.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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You can always de-ice it for him if he moans. I suggest using petrol and a match 
Too old to die young, too ugly to leave a good looking corpse
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Eddy, you said Christmas is about giving. I think you gave, big time. You gave about 15 cubic yards of snow. Quite a gift!
'08 America, AI removed, National Cycle windscreen, bags, tach, dresser bars
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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HAHAHAHA, that is one great story man. I think you were patient enough, more than me anyway. Has the guy seen his "treasure"? he really needs to dig for it now!
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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I don't think you did a bad thing Eddy. I had an acquaintance that left a bunch of items at my apartment and constantly drug their feet about getting them. So I just put the items outside on the sidewalk and told them that if they didn't come and get them, anybody and their mother could take what they want. Needless to say, they came and got their stuff. So I would have put the car out to the curb and put a for sale sign on it. If it sold, just keep a cut of the money for rental space and give the rest to the kid. Hope everyone has a Happy and safe New Year. AmyLee 
AmyLee
'02 America, Cardinal Red, 2018 Speedmaster
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Check Pants
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Check Pants
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That's not a baad thing at all Eddy, Maybe the kid in training to move to Alaska or Montana. "Old rigs on blocks in back/side/front yards for years & years" is a standard landscape accent in these parts.  . I think that figure skater who had her competition whacked on the knee started the craze  jh
"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Don't forget that old saying: Happiness is a tractor that can push a junk vehicle 250 feet, then bury it alive
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Eddy- You are more patient than I, but I appreciate your approach and methods. Keep us informed if the POS moves it when the snow melts. 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Quote:
Now I realize Christmas is about giving..but did I do a bad thing?
Not a bad thing at all.
You gave him a valuable lesson. You gave him the chance to become reacquainted with a modern, primitive hand tool, mainly a shovel. You gave him a chance to get his lazy ****** up from in front of whatever video game system has a hold on him and maybe work up a sweat and try to avoid that myocardial infarction that's looming on his horizon.
And you gave everyone here a few yucks.
Merry Christmas to you! 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Learned Hand
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Well you guys really encouraged me and I have had a few off thread replies as well, if I am twisted? There a re a lot of other twisted sisters too! I have decided to step things up. My son, whose friend this was, has a messy room, and needs to move some things of his own, not big as a car but he too has been hard to motivate. I was thinking....maybe I will say, "Boy, this stuff..here and there? Maybe you should consider the parable of "The car and the snow bank." 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Eddy - what have you started here? You are encouraging the many grumpy old men on this forum to implement a zero tolerance policy in family relationships. Tolerance probably wasn't their strong suit to begin with!!! 
Cheers, Richard ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 09 America, Staintune Pipes, K&N, Breathe, Hagon Nitros, AI & O2 removed, tune 20184 (modified), MTX-L a/f gauge
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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When it thaws out just a bit, you should put a copy of this thread on the front seat. Give him something to think about after a hard day's work of digging out his car. My bet is he'll be grateful that burying it in snow is all you did. Here in Florida, we'd use sand. 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Check Pants
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Check Pants
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Quote:
You are encouraging the many grumpy old men on this forum to implement a zero tolerance policy in family relationships. Tolerance probably wasn't their strong suit to begin with!!!
Eddy's our hero,
In the coffee shop, it's what's referred as instilling self-discipline, leading by example, Yute can learn any younger, pride, respect; in other words "This hurts me more than it hurts Yute". 
j h
"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Learned Hand
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Well, the boy showed up at the house the other day and my oldest son asked..."So where is your car?" The boy immediately got this part fearful, part puzzled look on his face and said, "I don't know?". The oldest respond, in contained hysteria, it over by the trees!  Kids looks at me, and God bless him, said, well I guess I was warned. He then said I'll just get a truck and move it, (he has not yet seen it) I told him with all the paternal care I could muster, you'll need more than a truck to get it out! We all had a good laugh and he had a good lesson. I feel so bad... because I think it was so stinking funny!  OK, now I have learned my lesson. I'll sit down now. 
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Stickman Yogi
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Stickman Yogi
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I'm liking the way this turned out... it is a pretty darned good true life story with all the human elements to make up that of story to tell for generations. I'm thinkin' anyway. If ya can laugh about it, that's all that matters!
Live to love, love to live.
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Eddie, since you now have room in your garage, do you think I could use it for a little project I'm working on?
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 Re: I did a bad thing....? A Christmas Story.
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Sure you can! Can I live at your house in Phoenix for three week! I should warn you though, it has been near -20 the past few days. Oh,, can I use your bike too? 
Last edited by Fasteddy; 01/03/2010 10:41 PM.
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