Rick the Painter
(From Larry Hill)
This was a phase, so to speak, that allowed Rick to eat and have pocket change. He expressed to me one day that he was broke and needed to find a job of some sort. I told him about my father-in-law needing his house painted at Lake McQueeney and wa-la, a two year career as a house painter.
He once had a job, painting one of those huge old homes north of downtown San Antonio. By this time in his soon to be, short lived career as a house painter, he had taken on Bonnie as a partner. This was a very large job for a paint contractor, but for Rick, it was gigantic. He decided that brushing it would be out of the question, so he rented an airless paint sprayer. This was one of those that you used with a (5)gallon bucket of paint and it didn't take anytime at all for the 5 gallons to disappear via the sprayer. He set it up, plugged it in, but was not holding the gun when he flipped the switch. Some hose came loose and by the time he could catch the end of the hose, the bucket was empty and the next door neighbors house, windows, car, and landscaping were all gold oil base; and an ugly gold at that.
Nobody was home at either house when he called me and asked me if I had any ideas on what to do. I asked him if the owner knew how to get in touch with him. He said "Nope". I asked him if he had any other jobs lined up. He said "Yep".
I don't think either Rick, Bonnie, or I drove down that street for a long time after that. He had the best of intentions, just had no idea how to operate an airless sprayer. I have often wished I would have had a video (8mm) of that event up to and including the arrival of the next door neighbor that day. I'm sure it would have been hilarious.
Bonnie was the rock that Rick needed to give him his first real direction in life. It was her that guided him into a 30 year nursing career. This was the profession that WAS Rick. Most of his later years as a nurse, he only cared for very ill patients, most of which had little time left on earth. I could tell from talking to him about it that it did get to him at times, but he kept with it. He was a very giving person that gave his whole to people he didn't even know and cared for those patients and their families in times of need. God will bless him for that.
