I like ping pong. I know calling it that belittles the game. But “table tennis” sounds so stuffy. And let’s face it; I’m not a stuffy gal. I loved ping pong growing up. I think the first time I really played was in 9th grade. Ping Pong was actually offered as a phys ed credit in my high school. I took it one semester and I was hooked. I wasn’t too bad either. I must have been pretty vocal about enjoying it because my folk’s actually purchased a ping pong table for our family’s lake cottage. It beat out television to the premises.
I played a lot with my friends and my sister’s friends and even by myself. It was the kind of table you could fold up half-way and practice for hours on end. I played myself sweaty. Especially because we didn’t just go to the cottage in the summer but in the winter too.
But that was a long time ago. In fact, when I think back on those years now, it seems like another lifetime of another girl. I haven’t played ping pong in 18 years or so. That was until last month when the roofer and I took a much needed vacation. The first in 11 years without kids. It was a short trip, a little cruise from Miami to Cozumel and back. It was glorious. Not fancy. But wonderful. Ours was always the smallest ship in the port… by a long shot. It also appeared to be the cruise ship of choice for spring breakers. I think we were among the oldest people on the boat.
I don’t know about the amenities on the other boats, but ours boasted not one but two tournament style table tennis tables. It is the first time the roofer and I ever played together. I don’t know why I was surprised that he was surprised at my skills (I desperately wanted to type “skillz” there). But he was. And I was. And that was OK. We enjoyed several friendly games in the sun and upon arrival home went straight to Craig’s List – on the prowl for a table to suite our family of five.
Ah, Craig’s List. The place to pick up just about anything you can imagine. From used retainers and deeply worn snowboards to the new-with-tags wedding dress and pristinely restored antique armoire. How the search for something as specific as a 2-piece five foot by nine foot ping pong table turns up ads for roofing crews, I don’t quite know. Well, that’s not true really. We all know. It’s the same way a search for a local sandwich shop turns into an extensive lesson on the history of bullet train construction across Asia.
So, here’s where our search for ping-pong tables landed us:
Roofing Crews Wanted! Crews of at least 6 or more members for Residential Tear Offs and Re-shingle. Experience with wood replacement, skylight installation, and attic insulation preferred. Must have honest principles and respectable/reliable transportation. Must have current Workmans Comp and Liability insurance. Looking for someone local in and around Washington Twp, Mi. If interested please call 586.XX.XXXX
And here too:
Looking for new crews for jobs coming up in the spring.
*Vinyl Siding & Hardi Plank Crews
*Roofing Crews
*Gutter Individuals
*Rough Framing Crews
*Window Installers
Must have:
*DBA
*Workman’s Comp & Liability Insurance
*Transportation
**Contact us at 586-XXX-XXX
These ads leave me wondering… I don’t know what I’m wondering about this. Or maybe I’m just too pooped to find the words. What I do know if this: Mike our worksite foreman has worked for us at least 7 years – maybe more. And Jason (who went to high school with the roofer and his brother), he’s been working for Ridgecon for a dozen years plus. So has Scott. And Nick, he’s just a kid, but he’s been with us for 9 years – which I can hardly believe. Then there are the younger fellas who work hard and move on. Or the college kids who spend summers with us – year after year working for tuition or books. One thing’s for certain, we’ve got a culture here that sticks. A camaraderie that customers and their neighbors notice. A team spirit and brotherly affection that they mention when they call for their estimate. We have a workmanship quality and ethic we can count on because the old timers set the pattern and demand nothing less.
I don’t even have to ask if the guys posting ads for roofers on Craig’ List can say that about their crews. I know they can’t. Not even close.
