Part 1....This is a long story
Once upon a time in Monroe, WA, there was a little country and western boot store in the parking lot of the Safeway. I can't recall how I found out about the nail pounding contest, but I was there, Mr. Macho I'm Gonna Kick All Y'All's Asses.
This was at a time in my life I was invincible, late 20's, framing God, blah blah. So I saunter into the boot store. There was a few prizes, I think first place took $250, 2nd got $125. I waltz up and say "I am here to win the nail pounding contest!" No not really, but that's what I was thinking.
So, the young naive lad leads me over to the contest area, inside of the store. There on a pair of sawhorses was a 4x6 piece of southern yellow pine. I immediately thought "oh ****!"
Then....the bomb was dropped.
The promotion was put on by none other than Stanley.....yes THE Stanley Co. Well, they were promoting THEIR hammer. The hammer was a 20 oz. flat faced hammer (no waffles to you rooks), handle was steel and about 12" long. The man in the Izod shirt says I must use the hammer for the contest. I meekly protested but new he was going to say something wimpy like "rules are rules"
Sigh
So Mr. Pink shirt man tells me I need to pound 6 nails into this piece of petrified wood and hands me the nails. 6 of the finest made 16d smooth head spikes I've seen in my lifetime. They are quite beautiful. I'm thinking "how many times is the head going to slip off and you pound your thumb Rambo?"
But I'm determined. He says "GO!" And off I go pounding merrily along. "Tink, tink, tink, tink".....15 hammer blows later I've succeeded with my first nail!!! The thing is not petrified, it's titanium!
I whip through the 6 nails as fast as I can and end up with a time of somewhere around 30 seconds. Humiliating. Disgusted with myself, I lower my head and start walking away.
Blondie yells to me "hey....you got first place!" I'm befuddled.
Contest was lasting a month, I think there was a week to go. A long week it turns out to be.
Next day I tell the boys what I did. I've got no problems, none of them really were interested in this thing after I told them *cough* how tough it was. Heck....why let the competition in?
The last day, I call up....I'm still in first.....it's late in the day....I'm a shoo in...I've got it.
Following day at work, I'm telling them all about it. "Yeah, I must've won....no one else got there"
Marv ol' Marv ol' pal......"hehe well....it was on my way home, figured what the heck...."
Once upon a time in Monroe, WA, there was a little country and western boot store in the parking lot of the Safeway. I can't recall how I found out about the nail pounding contest, but I was there, Mr. Macho I'm Gonna Kick All Y'All's Asses.
This was at a time in my life I was invincible, late 20's, framing God, blah blah. So I saunter into the boot store. There was a few prizes, I think first place took $250, 2nd got $125. I waltz up and say "I am here to win the nail pounding contest!" No not really, but that's what I was thinking.
So, the young naive lad leads me over to the contest area, inside of the store. There on a pair of sawhorses was a 4x6 piece of southern yellow pine. I immediately thought "oh ****!"
Then....the bomb was dropped.
The promotion was put on by none other than Stanley.....yes THE Stanley Co. Well, they were promoting THEIR hammer. The hammer was a 20 oz. flat faced hammer (no waffles to you rooks), handle was steel and about 12" long. The man in the Izod shirt says I must use the hammer for the contest. I meekly protested but new he was going to say something wimpy like "rules are rules"
Sigh
So Mr. Pink shirt man tells me I need to pound 6 nails into this piece of petrified wood and hands me the nails. 6 of the finest made 16d smooth head spikes I've seen in my lifetime. They are quite beautiful. I'm thinking "how many times is the head going to slip off and you pound your thumb Rambo?"
But I'm determined. He says "GO!" And off I go pounding merrily along. "Tink, tink, tink, tink".....15 hammer blows later I've succeeded with my first nail!!! The thing is not petrified, it's titanium!
I whip through the 6 nails as fast as I can and end up with a time of somewhere around 30 seconds. Humiliating. Disgusted with myself, I lower my head and start walking away.
Blondie yells to me "hey....you got first place!" I'm befuddled.
Contest was lasting a month, I think there was a week to go. A long week it turns out to be.
Next day I tell the boys what I did. I've got no problems, none of them really were interested in this thing after I told them *cough* how tough it was. Heck....why let the competition in?
The last day, I call up....I'm still in first.....it's late in the day....I'm a shoo in...I've got it.
Following day at work, I'm telling them all about it. "Yeah, I must've won....no one else got there"
Marv ol' Marv ol' pal......"hehe well....it was on my way home, figured what the heck...."