August 29, 2007 - My temp gig

My Temp gig

Right now I'm working at a high school in Portland, watching the back door because the front door is closed due to construction. Today a man came in to give us some great news. He told me that he's going to buy the lot across the street and build a gym for the school. I called the front office for back-up.

He told us that he is a hops farmer and he sells Budweiser all of their hops. His great-grandfather bought the land years ago and started farming hops and sold the land/business to his son. Oh, and his mother was born in 1902 and graduated from this school in 1920. She moved here as a child, came by boat from St. Paul MN - down the Willamette. But, if her father (his grandfather) was already here, then why did she come from MN? Hmmm...didn't get to ask him that.

It seems that his company is going to buy the old train station downtown and turn it into a hotel. And he is also the person that started the 4th of July fireworks display at Fort Vancouver. We told him that the school has tried to purchase the lot across the street many times, but the owners aren't selling. This is a private school, so there are no public school issues that may muck up a land sale. He said that he has enough money to buy anything he wants, and for the right price they will sell.

Wow - with all of that money then why does he have such bad teeth? How come he wears a beat up leather jacket and crappy backpack? And why doesn't he have a phone number? Oh, wait - he's waiting for the 1-800 number to get hooked up. Silly me!