This Building Is Alive SPECIAL EDITION: Refrigerators & Ole Slew Foot

So, here’s the deal.

The usual Monday post did not make it up yesterday. This was mainly due to the fact that the large refrigerator…the primary purpose of which is to keep the soda pop and milk cool and drinkable…was warm when I came down to open. Warmness is not conducive to dairy products.

Sounds like something that would take place on a  Monday…a major organ in the coffee house body taking a dive (if the espresso machine is the heart, I’d say the refrigerator is at least one of the kidneys). This Monday was the Monday after our 5th birthday party, which was a nice time. A nice time on Saturday and back to the art of maintenance on Monday. A very nice fellow we know recently spoke about maintenance. Listen to that below if you like.

[audio http://www.everydayjoes.org/images/songs for blog/June%2022%209am%20Darren.mp3]

Back to the refrigerator. A good guy came yesterday and battled with the machine for near 8 hours, only to have the machine claim victory with its foot on his chest. He told us what the fix would be and that it would cost $800. We told him we’d let him know.

Now, we’ll leave the story to Daryle Dickens, the executive director of Everyday Joe’s:

Let’s see, how many lessons can we learn from what happened over the past 24 hours with the large cooler?

First, I’ll bottom line it. It is working thanks to Greg spending about 15 minutes with it. Right now as I type this it is getting up to temperature. How did this happen?
Larry – who I know most of you know – came in this morning as usual to get his coffee. He saw that the fridge was not working so he got on the case. He walked over to Stone House and talked to Dan – the kitchen manager, long time friend of Joe’s, and all around super nice guy. Super Nice. Dan called his friend Greg Schmidt who fixes things for a living. From looking at Greg, you can tell he has been fixing things for a long time. I would venture a guess and say fixing things is all Greg knows.
Greg spent about 15 minutes taking readings and turning screws. Then he started to pack up, and the cooler was making the hum we all take for granted. He even ordered a part that the cooler should have but is missing. Some little thing that helps insure the compressor does not overheat and catch on fire. He is looking out for us in a way he does not need to. I asked how much we owe him and he said that is settled between him and Dan. Darren asks, “What does that mean?” To which Greg replies, “It means I won’t be leaving a bill with you today,” as he walked out the door.
The angel has left the building.
It is a story of community. It is a story of how Ole Slew Foot would not win the day. It is a story of 144 S. Mason. It is a story with many chapters.
Last night when the kid who just spent all day here working on the fridge was leaving he told me that he never works at places as nice as Everyday Joe’s. He ‘is not used to being treated so great.’ That is a story of our volunteers’ hospitality.

That is all.

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24

06 2008

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