SQUEAKY CLEAN

This happened yesterday. It's only the facts. Nothing has been changed to protect the innocent.

Paradise Window Cleaners has taken care of washing our windows and screens for two years now. They do a fantastic job in a little over two hours. It would take me that long just to take off the screens.

Lots of people must like them, too, because we made an appointment well in advance. Their only availability before Thanksgiving was Saturday morning at 7:00 AM. So it was.

At 7:00 they weren't here yet. I'd called the guard at the gate the night before to insure that he would let them enter. Nobody gets by them, right Blaine? Blaine is a former grade school friend of mine who tried to enter after having not reached me by phone. He was turned away and thankful that he wasn't roughed up. (And I said this entry was completely factual.) But it is tough to get in. Not long ago our daughter flew into to Scottsdale, took a cab, and still was questioned for 5 minutes before they allowed her entry.

Anyway(s), I thought all bases had been touched. No washers at 7:00. "Should I give them a call?" my wife asked at 7:25. "Give them ten more minutes," I responded. And they showed up. With a story.

Jack Quinn, buddy of mine who formerly owned the St. Louis Blues, lives one street away. At 7:00 AM they showed up at his house as directed by one of the guards who added, "He said they wouldn't be home, but you were clean them anyway(s)." I didn't say that; in fact I had cancelled a church service project to be there for them and to decide if we wanted the inside windows cleaned as well.

The worker knocked on the door and received no answer. He started taking off the screens. He awakened Jack who asked what they were doing.

"Getting reading to wash your windows."

"You're not washing my windows," Jack responded and directed them to our house.

I haven't talked to him yet. Our daughter suggested a bow tied around a bottle of Windex for the other Quinns. I know they understand, but I don't want them angry at me. Once in awhile they get some of our mail when they're in Canada. True story for another blog entry.