Big-John! I could never forget those days, and you can't know how many times you have crossed my mind! How are you? Sorry bout the TCI thing, hehe. I do not think many up there are able to forget us, either. They had to postpone the job up there cause we all ran into each other before we met and got into a brawl in that little club in EastJordan, I think. Everyone was all busted up, couldn't show for work the next day...the only crews they had on the job!!! We all got that bonding crap out of the way real quick, didn't we? But I remember the safety meetings along the side of the road or in the easements, precisely at four-twenty! A person just didnot know what they might find in our IGLOO's , unless you worked with us, then it became mandatory, haha, what a riot. I forgot about Legg's, up in Cross Village. I have to go back, now, for sure.
The day of 'crazy woman hauling ass with your strand hooked on her car' was one of the worst work related incidents in my life. I have never seen such a thing before or since, that left survivors. Seriously, I have seen much less kill 'em. But that wasn't John, either. When her car caught your strand blocks down the raod, ,and it pulled through the clamps at fifity mile an hour, it through a lasso and caught you like a steer in the rodeo. The strand then drug you down the side of the road to the next pole where the strand had been placed in the bitch-clamp already. Like Peco's, riding a cyclone, or tornado, you went up the pole to the hardware before the lasso, or asshole, in the strand dropped you to the ground, but not before nearly taking your leg with it. I was working across the highway that day. No, I can't forget some things in my life. Some are good, and some are bad...you have the Honorary position of being at the top of both lists, and for very unique reasons in both! The backlash on your reels on the trailer sprung out like a ball of yarn and it grabbed your ground hand by the head, didn't it? He was even all wrapped up in the reels before it was all over...in what...three seconds? Three seconds of pure adrenalin charged hell! Yea, and the hospital...we always do make the best of it, no matter what it looks like. I guess we just don't have the good sense to know when we are whipped, so we get up and do it again! I am glad we never knew we were whipped, or we would never have made it. The Doctor's wwanted to replace your leg with some kinda titanium stuff and a stainless knee, but if I remember right you told them to give the old one a shot at pullin through. You owed it to that leg for all it had done for you, huh? Everybody wanted Big-John's leg, first the crazy lady in the car, (she still doesn't know what happened?!?!?!) she wanted it, then the crazy Doctors at the Hospital wanted it...I think they had a cash buyer, and I don't mean TCI's insurance company, and we can't forget all the beautiful women of Northern Michigan, all they wanted was leg, too, didn't they?!? I hope you still have it, John. You put up one of the best fights I have ever witnessed! Like a cowboy on 'The MOTHER of All Bulls'!!! It was good to see you at the hospital, rollin on out the door for a little while...Do you think the hospital staff really thinks 4:20 was time for your dailey walks? Talk about 'Busted Up?' GEEEZUS John, I think I would rather get shocked!, or burn then ride that pole like a bare back Brahma!, tied on by the strand! I don't mean to hash over it, but...I will never get over that one. I think I am the one who called Gary,and Emergency...Strange day, indeed.
Where are you, John we need to 'hook up' for I get to far away? I am on the Mississippi River north of St Louis. My number is in the profile. Let's get together. I think we should break all the rules, one more time, at least. Something we all took home from that day is this...Some days are shorter then others, and you do not get a second chance, sometimes.
It was good hearing from you, Bro'
thanks, Petergunn.
