the oil tank saga

it's the end of an era....our oil tanks are gone!
(well, except for the one we use!!)

a year ago (or two?!!) the lines on our oil tank
kept freezing up. we kept runnin' outta heat!
thank god for the heating contract as we got to know
every furnace guy in our company!

bottom line: we needed a new tank.
ooch. HOW much?!

i looked at the furnace guy and asked him if we
could do it ourselves....

and our adventure began....

looking back, i can't figure out how i got a shot
at all these oil guys....but i grabbed plenty of
different oil delivery guys and asked for advice!!
one guy is in the middle of exactly what to do
when i stop him, drag him inside so i can take notes.

when he gets to the part about needing lentils i
look up at him. 'i know you're not talkin' about
the things i make soup with.'
he looked back at me 'you make soup with lentils?!'
it's then i found out that's what those cement thingies
are called!

it was so fun!
yo told me one day that he got such a tickle outta
watchin' out the window as i talked to these guys.
'you're so much smaller than them, and you have them
laughin' and havin' such fun!'

josh said his favorite part was when on that cold
blustery day with the wind whippin us so hard, that
big burly fork lift driver gave me a hug and told me
i could do it!

there was laughter and kindness and people supporting
us the whole way.....there was so much advice i couldn't
keep it all straight!

it's actually a basic job. easy peasy. once you know what
a lentil is and a float and all that stuff...
but everyone had a little tidbit right down to the paint
job of the tank. and every single person involved was
kind.

the boys told me they learned a lot thru that adventure.
they talked about making it fun, and workin' with people
and how it can be a positive. they told me i taught them
that.

they actually stopped me and told me that.
can you imagine? yeah, it melted me.

but what melts me more is this.....they see it, they
want to live kindness and goodness. and they do.
THEY are the ones who help people. they are the oil
tank delivery guys and the fork lift guy....
they're the ones who know what's goin' on and patiently
explain to those who don't know. they laugh and make it
fun and show kindness all the way thru.
and i'm not even sure they know it.
but i do.

yesterday we finally got rid of the last tank....
and today i walked and thought of the whole adventure with
these guys.....

no one ever had an oil tank as filled with love as i do.