otto

The company was a partnership. Both of the owners were in their mid to late 30’s I think, looking back.

Miles was the business head. He was good with people, he could get along with any one. This was before floor stores did carpet. Carpet had just gone from narrow pieces that had to be sewn together to make a room sized rug to “broadloom” a full 12 feet wide give or take 3 inches! If you wanted carpet you went to a furniture store.

They did linoleum (the real good old stuff). Armstrong’s line of vinyl floors (that came in 6' wide rolls) was new and they did a lot of that. Armstrong also had a line of 9 by 9 floor tile. I'll talk about that material soon.

They did plastic laminate on cabinet tops, and real rubber base. Ceramic tile was being imported from England and the floor stores were putting it in. Before that there was not really a good shower product. These tiles, and the way we installed them was not too good either, but that has changed too!

But that real rubber base shoe was something really good. You could put it down and no one could see the joins. They mitered the outside corners in a classy way.

As I write about these products, I realize how far we have come, and not all to the good.

Otto was the one I worked with mostly. Quiet, introverted, Otto just wanted to work and do good work. Both of the partners were superb craftsmen.

Miles died just a few years ago. He was in his late 80’s I believe. Otto always had a heart issue. His blood pressure was too low. He told me about it as we worked, but I don’t remember anything much that he did about it.

After I moved away, I would stop and visit Otto every time I was in the area. He had a VW convertible that he had converted to a dune buggy, doing a very fine job of it all. I admired the car and wished he had hacked a sedan and not a precious convertible. he laughed at me!

One day he was with his wife at their cabin, and some curtains needed to be installed. Otto had just been to the doctor, the doc had given him medicine (I don’t think there was any surgery) and gave him strict instructions to not put his hands over his head!

Wife was pushing and making a fuss, and finally, Otto said “I am not worthless yet." He stood on a chair put up the curtains and died. It was over that fast.

I still miss him. He was a good guy. As you can imagine I was not impressed with Wife.

Not long after I started working for them, wife came on the job and began really ragging on me. I was not finished with the job and most of what she was ragging abut was to be done later. I boiled inside.

When I next saw Miles, I asked: “Do I work for HER or YOU, cause if it is her, I quit.”

Miles laughed “no you work for me.”

“Good, tell her.” I demanded. He must have. She would chew on Otto until he would grit his teeth and tell her to go away, but she was ok with me after that.

But I must go back to how I got the apprentice position.

Otto was a good man. I owe much to him. He had a life full of pain and sorrow, and he went way way too young.