On The Skids

Friend of mine bought a new (for her) house, complete with running water … in the cellar. That’s not at all unusual around here and her problem is not serious; just a bit of a pain. She has a wet vac and a dehumidifier to take care of it and they should handle it.

Even if the water is all down at one end, there’s always the chance that the floor might be damp elsewhere. And “elsewhere” is where you store things, most made out of cardboard. Not many things soak up dampness quite like cardboard and that’s what we want to avoid. We need something to support them.

Sooooo, in the early afternoon when nobody is around the back end of the newspaper building where I am a columnist, I put together a posse: A mutual friend of ours, her husband and his pickup. Mission: To swipe eight skids (also known as pallets) and get them over to the house.

Let it be known that we’re not exactly stealing them. We’re just taking them without asking and trying not to get caught. They’re going to the dump anyway, and it’s probably better manners to ask. But then you have to go through channels and people have to ask people. It’s better just to show up with a truck when no one’s around, grab what you need and get out of there.

All I need to find are 32 bricks to put under the corners of the skids to keep them dry.