Bad week at Kirbyontheloose

 Why we need two ambulance services in Northampton

It was the way bad ghost stories always start, a dark stormy night. It had snowed all day, the storm was winding down, and everything was freezing solid. I was looking over my wife’s shoulder when she was making some changes in a family newsletter when I began to feel dizzy and upset to my stomach. I have felt this way before. So I asked her to help me get upstairs and in bed, and get the blood pressure machine. Two sets of error readings, a third reading of 55 over 28. A new world’s record. As my doctor later said, “These numbers are not compatible with life.”

I called 911, and about five minutes later, the fire department ambulance arrived. My wife looked out the window and said they were shoveling our driveway. A minute later they were in the house. One of the guys slipped a cuff on me, and asked me some questions to see how I was doing. I think they had to do with how oriented I was, like who’s the president and who are you and what’s your address and so on. I don’t know how I scored. They said the AmB-Care was a couple minutes away, and was better equipped to handle me. A few minutes later there were a whole crowd of people in my bedroom and I was answering more questions. Then I went down the front stairs in a chair, and pretty soon I was staring at the overhead lights in the ambulance. As my wife left the house to ride with me, one of the firemen asked her if she had locked the door. She had, but many people in emergencies like this go off and leave their houses open and pots on the stove. The story ended happily, and we were back home before midnight. When it was all over I had three liters of saline in me, and the command to see my doctor ASAP.

About three months ago someone was complaining to me that our fire department ambulance service was a frill and competing with AmB-Care.  I’m always ready to savage the establishment, but I thought I would check it out. I started out over at Dunkin' Donuts talking to AmB-Care people, who are frequently there refueling. Was the Fire Department taking away their business? Evidently not. One of them suggested I talk to the owner of AmB-Care, who is in Connecticut, and he said no, it’s an ideal situation, that the two services can back each other up. So there it was, and the story never got written, until now. Thank you, Fire Department, and thank you, AmB-Care. We are fortunate, hell, I am fortunate to have you both on the job.



Bottom falls out under blogger

I was sitting down at the keyboard early this week when there was a tremendous crash and I found myself lying on the floor. Our office chair, which I think we bought at Danco many years ago, had finally collapsed without giving written notice. One of the four spars that hold the casters had broken off. For two days the wreck lay in jumble while we thought about buying a new one. $99.00 for a piece of Chinese-made junk? Today I called Amherst welding and described the problem, couching it a bit apologetically as a job too small for them. "Not at all," said the cheerful voice at the other end of the line. "This is our bread and butter. Bring it over."

Amherst Welding, formerly Fran’s Welding. is almost in Pelham, but not quite. Enter their shop and you are back in the glory days of American machinery, Big blue Millermatic welders, a huge South Bend lathe, industrial drills and grinders. No unnecessary lighting, the Butler building grimy and romantic, a working man’s paradise. The boss analyzes the problem, asked where I was from.

“Northampton?” he said. “Well, let’s see if we can keep you from making two trips." Five minutes later there was the sound of a grinder, then the hiss and flash of blue light from the welder; a couple minutes later he was back with our chair in one piece, a nice clean weld securing the missing caster. $15.00.

This is the new age, everybody. We’re not rich any more, if we ever were. Repair, don’t replace. Put your money in the pocket of American craftspeople. It has always bothered me how average Americans became corrupted by low-cost imports. They ditch everything old, buy Chinese and are indifferent to the world of sweatshops that grew when American industries moved their equipment overseas. BUY AMERICAN friends, the jobs and equipment will come back.

Chair All Repaired