My Job in a Man’s World…

 

Job update.  It’s going really well.  I’m totally getting the computer program that we use.  I’m still slow because sketching something on a computer is totally different but I get it.  The speed will come with repetition and learning short cuts.  I wanted to learn the long way before I cheat with the short cuts.  I want to be able to do this right, then make my own short cuts.

I had a really steep roof on Tuesday.  I talked one of my teammates into going with me.  He’s like a mountain goat on roofs.  A 12/12 is the steepest slope and this house had them.  He walked the ridge of the 12/12s and took pictures for me.  The back of the house was 7/12 and that’s the steepest I’ve been on.  I think I’m getting my roof legs under me.  I was nervous but did okay.  It became easier the longer I was up there.

It’s funny because anything over about a 6/12 steepness will make your calves really hurt.  My butt and calves are going to rock by the time summer comes.  It’s crazy.  You can still feel the burn even after you’re off the roof and driving away!  It’s the angle of your feet on the roof.  It’s steep so you’re holding on and climbing with your legs.  We’re usually up there about 30 to 45 minutes so by the time you get down, you really know you’ve been up there and gotten a leg workout in.

The scariest part of the appointment was when the roofer fell off his ladder and flat on his back on the concrete patio.  It was super scary.  I had forgotten my roof boots in the van so I was about half way to the car when I heard a terrible racket and a scream.  I ran back over there to make sure it wasn’t my buddy.  When I rounded the corner the roofer was on the patio flat on his back like he was making a snow angel.  The ladder was down and it barely missed a glass patio table set.

I asked him if he was okay or needed an ambulance and he told me he was okay and that he just needed a minute.  To his credit, he got back up and moved the ladder to the grass and climbed it again.  I got my roof boots and changed my drawers and climbed up there too.  I was super nervous after that but I sucked it up and climbed.

I got a million dollar house claim this week in College Station.  I have one College Station zip code and it happens to be where the very fancy country club golf course is located and it has the steepest roofs in College Station.  I have another teammate going with me.  The insured has an interior leak so I’ll get to go inside the house too.  I get to see how the other half lives.  I’m actually excited about that one.  I’ve never been in a million dollar house/mansion.  The land and homes in College Station are very reasonable and the cost of real estate is not high, so this really is a mansion and not just some random little old house in an expensive market.

I have to give credit to my teammates.  There is one other woman, Angela, on our team and the rest are guys.  She and I started at the same time and are new to roof claims.  Our territories back up to each other and to two of the guys territories.  The guys have been super helpful and have been more than willing to go out with either one of us.  The roof on the million dollar home has all kinds of steepness to it.  12/12s and down to 8/12s.  It will be the steepest I’ve gotten on and I recruited a different teammate to go with me.  I’ll give you a report next week.  I think the gazebo in the back yard will be the only one I’m comfortable on.  It’s a 5/12!!

The rest of my territory is mostly rural.  In fact, I took one of my buddy’s claims the other day outside of Huntsville in Pointblank, TX.  I left my house that morning and drove to Bryan (1 1/2 hours).  I did my first appointment there and then went to Pointblank about 60 miles away.  From there I went home.  All in all it was about a 200 mile round-trip day.  I was super tired when I got home and still had work to finish, but I better get used to it.  Most of my territory is about an hour and half from my house.  I’m getting to know the Bryan/College Station/Navasota area really well.  Let me know if you need A&M gear!  I’m there a couple times a week!!

All for now.  Wish me luck on the million dollar house.  BTW – the owner is as nice as pie.  I need to find out what he used to do.  He’s retired now but seems very down to earth.  Well, as down to earth as a dude living in a million dollar mansion in rural Texas can be.