I woke up this morning before the sun came up, hopped in my heaterless ’64 F100, and drove an hour away in freezing (for Texas anyway) temps to an estate sale. I got to the sale early thinking I had to beat the rush to get what I wanted. I arrived at 8am to locked gates. For the next two hours, I froze my *** off while listening to This American Life on my phone. By 9:45am, however, other people started to arrive. And instead of waiting patiently like I was, they jumped the fence and wondered right on in.
Now, I’ve never been to an estate sale before. I didn’t know if this was kosher or not… and since we are in Texas and people shoot people in Texas for trespassing as well as lesser offenses, I decided to call the folks responsible for the sale and confirm the sale’s open time of 10am. A fired-up woman answered the phone and I told her my predicament. “All I want is that drill press,” I said.
She answered back by telling me she was stuck in traffic and running late. “Those people are trespassing,” she said. “Don’t you do it too.”
“Yes man,” I answered – assuming I was about to lose the press to some hardened and well experienced estate sale veteran. Fifteen minutes later, she arrived with wild eyes and a pissed temperament. “Ya’ll back away from the gate and let us through!” She screamed. Being that I was first inline, she seemed to be yelling at me. I complied, quickly. “Are you the guy that called?” She asked through my window as I backed my truck out.
“Yes mam,” I replied.
“Your drill press is in the garage,” She said. “Out of principal, it’s yours.”
I couldn’t believe my luck. She literally gave me the drill press! As I was loading it up, I overheard her talking to another picker (that’s what we call them now, right?). She was explaining the circumstances of the sale and mentioned that the widow was hosting the sale and that her husband had passed a few weeks back. With that news, I lost my deal of the century and handed over $50. “Out of principal,” I said.
Anyway… Check out my new Craftsman 103.23140!
. Even if the slow speed pulley hadn't been on it, that price would have earned a 
on all the kudos to Ryan! 
