29.12.2006
INTERMEDIATE CONDITION
INTERMEDIATE CONDITION
A month after I'd told just about everybody that I was unemployed, in the local newspaper Vikur-frettir, which has quite a general reading, I had begun working part-time in a used auto-part sale owned by Birgir Gudnason, Partasala BG, which is located close to my home.
The Sale is by Flugvallarvegur (Airport's Road) in two large barracks, which the US Armed Forces had built during World War ll.
Between the war and until BG bought the barracks from the township which had received them as a present from the USA and had used the lodgings as an equipment store-room.
BG, who's reknowned for his cleverness had built a high fence made of corrugated iron around cars of all ages that are stored there.
Usable auto-parts are taken from the carcasses and sold for low prices.
In one of the barracks the employees have their coffee-room and also facility for taking the newest cars apart, but in the other one the Sheriff's Office has a store-room for cars, which owners haven't paid their dues.
At the Partasala two excellent older men, Arni and Gudjon were already employed, when I started.
Because I was a complete novice on anything connected to cars, my job was to answer the phone and guarding the money which the customers had paid. I kept the books and did various jobs, like controlling the manual sweeper.
My dealings with the two technicians were good, to say the least, in spite of my novice and quite an age difference; Gudjon was just over sixty, Arni ten years his senior. They taught me various facts that are necessary for all car-owners to know, like e.g. eh...eh, well I'll recognize it when I'll see it.
I was just a short-time employee, an experiment, for Birgir wanted to see whether it would change anything when it came to the practical and profit side, if the two employed guys would be able to exist the customers, without being bothered by the phone or anything else that belongs to business.
For that reason I had to keep one eye on my job and the other on employment ads hoping I might find a more suitable job.
In springtime of 1992 something undisputable took bothering my meager mind, the fact that there wasn't any firm on the whole area of Sudurnes, which assisted those, who are reluctant to dispose of various valuable things, which someone might be obliged to use in their own meager home.
I decided to write an article, a short one, where-in I would reveal my thoughts to the public and subsequently advertise for any used material, such as furniture:
"WHAT EVERYONE'S BEEN WAITING FOR!.
Usable furniture and other things, that people have stopped using often gets assembled in homes.
Their owners believe that someday they'll come of use again, but experience and history has revealed us a number of times, that such delays are most often in vain.
Many would like, if there were some easy way of selling them old tired pieces, instead of having to throw 'em on the fire.
Amongst us here on the Sudurnes many ecominded people are to be found, who'll find it quite natural to buy used things, e.g. when starting a home.
Many of us find antique things just about the greatest and around the world many movements have been formed, e.g. in Germany.
These people do just about anything to preserve old houses, old furniture and just about anything that might be preserved or renewed.
Within a few weeks a commission-sale, which you've all been waiting for will be started, thus solving problems for those who would like to sell old things, instead of disposing of them, and those of you who'd find it convenient to buy cheap old things.
Those of you who'd like to use the commission-sale, either to buy or sell I'd like to encourage you to give me a ring at 13834, so I might register your wish.
Olafur Thor Eiriksson"
The article was a hit, but just with those who wanted to get rid of things, so I wrote another one that was supposed to get the other half;
those who were meager enough to use something that had already been used by others.