Hick is pulling out his remaining hair, trying to get reliable (paid) help for his flipping activities. HOS (Hick's Oldest Son) is only available during school hours, and then sometimes not, because he has morning appointments. Old Buddy hasn't worked for two weeks. Hick is a bit judgmental about the reason why...
"He's always got something wrong. Last thing, he said he had diverticulitis. He's always going to the emergency room. If he'd go to a regular doctor, they might find out what's wrong with him. He sent me a message on the weekend that he'd been to the ER three days in a row. They kept sending him home saying they couldn't find anything. He says they're messing with him. And he had to wait six hours one day. Then a couple days later, he says they figured out he has an inguinal hernia. But then he just texted me saying he has to go to a regular doctor first, before they'll do anything. And that now they think it's just his arthritis. He said he doesn't know if they have to operate to clean him out."
"Of his arthritis???"
"I don't know. They can clean up a joint."
"That's not recommended anymore for knees. Supposedly it speeds up the degeneration when you clean out the other particles from degeneration. It makes the bone bony-er on bone, or something."
"I don't know what's going on with Old Buddy. I imagine he's out of money by now. He's missed out on at least $600 since the first of the month, by not working for me. And HOS says he'll be ready, but then tells me he has an appointment that he hadn't mentioned all week. Between the two of them, I can't get much done."
"Well, HOS has to go to his appointments. I imagine Old Buddy will come back when he needs money."
"There's a guy down at the lockers who does carpentry work like me. I hesitate to ask him, because I have my vision, and that's how I want things done. HOS and Old Buddy do what I tell them. But this guy might have his own ideas. Maybe I could use him in Lap House, because I ain't done nothin' much there yet. Just tell him, 'I want to put walls here, and make a hall and two bedrooms with closets.' But I don't know if I want to ask him yet."
"I think HOS and Old Buddy will keep working. The other guy might not want to do it for $15 an hour."
"Yeah. I guess I'll wait and see."
Maybe Hick should only work them on our flips, and not on his other side jobs. Then they wouldn't get so burned out on working with him, if it was only three hours a day, four days a week.
I agree that Old Buddy needs to see a doctor to get properly diagnosed, he can't just keep ignoring internal pain.There are so many things that could be wrong in there. I wonder about the carpenter person if maybe he isn't getting much work and might consider $15 and hour just to help out.
ReplyDeleteHick thinks Old Buddy is a bit of a hypochondriac. After he gets "diagnosed," something else starts to hurt. I don't know about the carpenter person. He might be doing side jobs on his own, and not have time. I think Hick is worried about having complete control of what gets done in our flips.
DeleteHe is the owner (boss) so of course he has complete control, even with hiring that carpenter who then does as Hick asks, if he agrees to work at all.
ReplyDeleteHick has talked to the carpenter. More details when I get them.
DeletePoor Hick, it is hard to get good workers. Is 15/hr good for your area? I agree with River, Hick is the boss regardless and you have to follow what he wants (to a degree!) so the carpener person could still be a possibility!
ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of 2026, minimum wage in Missouri is $15/hr. Before that, it was $13.75/hr. Hick was paying Old Buddy $15/hr several years ago when he started working on the Double Hovel flip houses. He has not given a raise this year, heh, heh. For people doing odd jobs like Old Buddy and HOS, $15/hr with no withholding is good (enough) pay. I can't see them being any more reliable at $20/hr. It's just their own balance of work and life.
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