Career path

["Disbrow Consulting" <diz@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

I have to be honest Simon.  I really like to get a  mind clearing work-out
when I can.  I like all of the things that I do for a living, but I like the
manual work too.  A number of very old sports injuries keep me from even
contemplating stone work as a full time venture.  I kind of think of it as
my personal dual therapy.  During the week I rest the body, and work the
brain. On weekends I rest my brain, and work the body.  It doesn't always
work out, but hey... it's a goal?

My early goal was to work like a dog and pay for my education, and masonry
pays very well here as opposed to working as a lifeguard.  If you are decent
you can almost always find work.  I do stone work because I like it, and
like to look at progress I make.  It's very different from what I do for a
living.   This weekend I capped about 8 running feet of  a short dry lay
retaining wall I am building on the property line.  I am always nervous
about flipping the mower and tractor when I drive around there.. so these
stones kill several birds.  This section of wall has a turf cap at ground
level.  Next spring I will be following my building by transplanting lilacs
to the edge of the wall as sort of an informal hedge.  It pleases me to see
that somethings I start, mother nature finishes.

I enjoy doing dry lay the best, but as in all things,  I may be laying my
last dry wall.  Modern people haven't been taught not to climb on and walk
on dry lay walls.
A standard wall is "horse high, bull strong, and pig tight".  I have seen
some driven into by cars, and the car comes out third best, but even the
best wall can't handle climbers and walkers unless you use massive stones.
Twenty years ago (or maybe a little more) John, my mentor, and I built a
nice standard wall in front of a nearby factory to make it blend a little
into the local environment.  The workers would walk on the wall and even
kick the top stones out for laughs.  John and I would stop and repair the
wall as we drove by for about five years.  After that we figured that if the
owners weren't bright enough to keep their workers off the wall, they
deserve. to have ruins.  Every time I drive past it, about once a week, it
bothers me to see if falling by the wayside.  Nevertheless, I am not going
to try to resurrect it again.... all follows these and comes to dust?   In
these modern times, and the risk of litigation, I don't believe that I will
build another dry wall.

Craig Disbrow, MBA, JD.
Disbrow Consulting
603 523 4259 (Voice)
603 523 4574 (Facsimile)