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Saturday, May 25, 2013

My connection to The Man Who Skied Down Everest

I'm sure some of you noticed the news item a couple of days ago that spoke of an 80 year old man who reached the summit of Mount Everest. We think it's an interesting story, not only because of the man's age, but because of the history of the story...and my connection to it!


This 80 year old man has been on top of Everest before. Once at age 70, and again at age 75. But he was also up there in 1975, at age 42 during an expedition where 8 people died. Much of the ascent and descent was filmed, and a documentary was produced that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1975 called "The Man Who Skied Down Everest".

Okay, this is a pretty distant and strange connection. But reading this story brought me back to 1980 (I think!) when I was working a short stint as a vacuum cleaner salesman!

I had a call to do one evening in a fairly ritzy section of the city. I showed up on time, and did my demonstration. The couple I was showing it to had been drinking a little bit, and there was lots of laughter and having a good time. I saw a lot of awards  being displayed, and I asked what they were for.

"Oh, I'm a film maker" said the man.

It turns out that I was in the home of Budge Crawley...Executive Producer of the award winning documentary  "The Man Who Skied Down Everest"!

No, I didn't get to see the actual Academy Award. It was on display at his office.

Yes, I sold him a vacuum cleaner. But the next day he sent a letter of cancellation (I still have the letter!) as well as a $25 cheque for my time!

We took away some more brush.

And cut some more grass!

And it actually rained yesterday afternoon! Quite a bit, and for quite a long time. That will keep the dust down for a little while...things were getting pretty dry. But it'll also make the grass grow!

Not many campers this weekend. I think we've got six sites taken, plus the 4 or 5 seasonals who come every weekend. 

Someone just called for firewood...gotta go!

14 comments:

  1. Hay whatever claim to fame you can get. Go for it. You have had some jobs. I can't think of anything worse than door to door sales but I'll bet you were great at it. You go Ruth! Ride that tractor.

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    1. He didn't have that job for too long! He wasn't meant to be a salesman, especially a door-to-door one.

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  2. Looks like you caught Ruth mowing at more than 15 KPH! Must be trying to finish before the rain. LOL

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  3. Always something to do there, hope you can get all the grass cut before you have to start over again.

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    1. Most of it is done, it's the weed wacking that we will never get ahead of!

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  4. Oh Gawd, I used to hate cold calling. (i.e., door to door sales) Used to do it once upon a time when selling insurance. Should say, "trying" to sell insurance. I sucked at it.
    Have fun with all that grass. Sitting on a mower makes it a wee bit easier.

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    1. Kevin didn't enjoy the vacuuming sales job either but sometimes you just do what you have to do!

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  5. Interesting story. It's those little memories that make life so interesting.

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  6. Seems like Ruth's doing all the work

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    1. Ha! I was waiting for someone to mention that.

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  7. Interesting who you run into over the years - famous people who are also regular people!

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