‘Gizmo’ ~~ A Very Good Friend’

 I can’t remember the first time we met. What I do remember ~~ is an amazing amount of times that we worked together. And of all the people that I’ve ever met in my life ~ Mr. Gizmo ~ was not just a friend, nor a good friend ~ no, I consider Jim Towle to have been a very good friend! And I’m going to miss him.

There was the major plumbing crisis at our rental in 2008 ~ Jim and I, a week later completed a total overhaul. Or replacing our cold water pipes, along with Jay, where I would see first hand the true meaning of claustrophobia. Five minutes was all he could take under my ‘Army-man Crawl’ of a house. As well, along with Jay, they would repair a leak in our main water line. So many plumbing adventures ~ something of which we both noted our dismay and our mutual saying, “Haven’t I ever told you how much I hate plumbing”? But none of these adventures, or perhaps tragedies, would compare to December 2013.

The story actually backs up to March of the same year. Jim and Marna’s mother Marian had died. Jim with a couple traveling restrictions, and myself having just retired, asked if I would be interested and able to travel to Ketchikan, Alaska to assist with his mother’s house. To which I said, absolutely! But then, time would happen. Only a week before Thanksgiving I would receive a call from Jim. “Rick, is that offer to go to Ketchikan still good”? To which with a smile I replied, “You do realize that it’s Winter”? After a pause, I said, “Of course”!

Jim, Roger & Steve

Twelve days and more than twenty inches of rain, Marna, Travis and I, along with multiple calls to Gizmo for his guiding assessment & direction, completed an incredible amount of items off of the ‘to-do’ list. None perhaps greater than, you guessed it ~ a plumbing project on the bathroom. More than fifty years had passed and that pink, yes, all pink bathroom, had not been witness to a change. The main objective was to replace the shower surround. In the middle of that project comes the below, now infamous picture. Yes, I really do hate plumbing! But wait, for you my friends I now provide a special rate. Yes, all your plumbing needs for only $250 an hour. And wait, there's more ~ call now and receive your very own 'Ginsu' knives for only an additional $129.99 Ha!!

Ketchikan 2013

Anyway ... as fate would have it ~~ at the exact time that I was working on Jim’s house in Alaska, Oregon had one of only two times since 1982 where temperatures dipped below 10 degrees. Fortunately for us a neighbor was walking by and saw water leaking from our second story. Unfortunately for Jim (and Jay once again) his plumbing dismay was called into action. And I’m pretty sure that his thoughts were ~ ‘Haven’t I said how much I hate plumbing’ …

You’d think that plumbing was all we did ~ but fortunately, NO! There was his ingenious creation and fabrication of a part in the shape of a kidney bean in order to repair the drivers door on my 85’ Honda Prelude. Which he cleverly attached using aircraft rivets from his father's collection. Or the fabrication from a street sign (shhhhhh ~ don’t tell the County) of the plate which holds the ‘Tail Bag’ on my Yamaha FJR motorcycle. Or the seriously countless times when I called or visited to inquire some ‘Gizmo’ brain time. Outside of the brilliance of my own father, I don’t believe that I ever personally knew someone who obtained such a mind of genius. And how humbly he would dispense of his wealth of knowledge, to myself and whomever might ask the same.

Milling the Siding for our Garage 2011 

Wow! Where do I stop with projects. Gas lines and stove in our Rental (yes, with Jay). Or a complete overhaul of a porch at the Rental. Of course there were other projects at our own home. I’ll always remember his blue face spraying under the eves. Or our front porch, in which we laid marine grade plywood down. And there was our multiple week chore of a complete overhaul of our 100 year old garage. Steve would help as we removed the ‘tumor’ from the back of the house. With a chain wrapped around the roof timbers, Steve gently backed his truck up as the roof slowly lowered. Jim kept saying, “It’s ok, it’s ok”. As my face grimaced waiting for the moment of collapse. Once again, Jim was right, the roof remained intact. Whew! We even milled our own siding from wood purchased at the Yoder Mill, and routered the exact contour to match the siding on the house.

Rental Porch Remodel 2016

He was the 'Altoids' man ~ Indeed!

Somewhere along the way when the final act of the project was completed, we would say, “And now the ‘Fat Lady’ sings”. To which we would bellow … “Laaaaaaaaaaaa”!

So Jim … the final act of this side on heaven is now complete, and the ‘Fat Lady’ ... well, she gives her final bellow ………… Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa……….. 

 

Written on Travis' 37th Birthday January 28, 2022