You may recall my post about my ex and his so-called automotive paint job. You ain’t heard nothing yet. Hold onto your hats, boys and girls. I have many stories to tell.

I can’t recall the exact year, but I think it was around 1989-1990, and CP was laid off again. I was still doing Day Care in our home, working my ass off trying to keep us fed and the lights on. All the while CP sat on his ass doing absolutely nothing. When he did do something, it was usually just to go “shoot the shit” with his cousins. Even if he had a job to do for someone, like the van he said he could get running for the friend of a friend of his.

I don’t remember all the details but I do remember the van needed the drive shaft installed. CP had made a deal with the owner that if all of the parts were supplied then he would do the work for (I think) $100 and it would have been a great deal but it didn’t work out quite right.

CP got most of the work done but left the drive shaft laying under the van because he needed a bolt or two to install it. He told the owner of the van he needed the bolts, where he could get them, and how much they were. Just a few bucks apiece, mind you. CP waited a few days for the owner to bring him the bolts. He called him again and reminded the guy that he still needed those bolts. (I think the owner told CP to just get the bolts and he would reimburse him later.) This went on for months. I don’t know what was said in the phone conversations but someone was an asshole and I’m sure it wasn’t the owner of the van!

The drive shaft lay under that van for several months. CP waited for the bolts. One time, my Dad asked CP what he needed and how much it might cost. CP told him the bolts were just a few bucks apiece. Dad asked him why he didn’t just go get the damn bolts himself so he could get the job done. CP told him, “That wasn’t the deal. The owner was supposed to get all the parts and I was supposed to do the work.” So, the van sat there.

One Fall afternoon, I was cleaning up the yard. There were leaves and debris everywhere, including the driveway. I raked up leaves and then got the hose out to water the flowerbeds and rinse down the driveway. CP had a freakin’ conniption fit about me getting that drive shaft wet! I just stood there for a few seconds waiting for him to think about what he just said. Nothing. I said, “Do you honestly think it doesn’t get wet when it rains? Water flows downward and the driveway is sloped! Do you think the rain goes around the drive shaft?” Sheesh. I mean, seriously. The drive shaft may have been protected from rain falling directly on top of it but t’s not like I was aiming for it. I was hosing around the damn thing. Sure, I was getting it wet, but no worse than if it were raining. And it was already a bit rusty from sitting out in the weather for months!

CP never did get the bolts that were needed for that job. The owner came with a tow truck to get the van months later and never paid CP a red cent, regardless of the work he may have done. Serve CP right. He made his own bad reputation by the way he did things, or didn’t do things, as in this case.