i rock........!

today i was reminded why i rock, once again.

firstly, i am surrounded by great people who try to do their best to help me when i need it the most.

secondly, i got a set of shop drawings pretty much completed, barring a few details for the balustrade and confirming some glass types and sizes etc...

thirdly, i am tough. tougher than i would normally give myself credit for.

i've been remembering how tough you need to be to work in the construction industry in victoria (i can't speak for other states as to whether they are as corrupt as victoria or not).....

there's gangs, mafia, bikie gangs, corruption, psychotics, bullying - you name it - it's got it.

and then i remember one christmas time a couple years ago when i had been waiting about 3-4 months for payment of some work i did that year... and how the money owed to me would really make a big difference at that time (given my rego is due december 19th for a start lol).....

i parked across a driveway to the entrance of a factory so no one could get in or out with a vehicle, which meant no deliveries to the factory, and nothing leaving the factory to goto site...

i went upstairs to the offices and sat in the boss' chair and casually waited for him to arrive.....

it had been made known to me by someone else that this particular person could've afforded to pay me what he owed me if he wasn't busy throwing money at one of his mate's..... so that was my ace of spades that i hoped i would not have to use....

he arrived, i was waiting, he's a bit larger than me, and normally the temperament of a teddy, but obviously that wasn't going to last long lol

i asked for my money, he refused, went around in circles for a while, then i had to play my card that i knew he could afford to pay me.... he was not happy that i knew....

shouting and swearing ensued.... i had to dig my feet in or i'd never win it..... threats of police involvement towards me, threats to my safety etc.....

and then it led on to a bit of a physical altercation (i think the correct term is lol), almost came to punches, but i was concerned about damaging my face after all the money i pumped into getting it fixed in the first place...... so i turned my head away for the most part....

and then he had a good hold of me and started shoving me towards the door at the top of a staircase.... if it wasn't for one of the factory guys bolting up the stairs to break us up, i reckon i would've been in for a trip down the stairs, head first.....

so i went downstairs and moved my truck after further threats of calling police, and then i stood at the front door and said i wasn't leaving until i got paid..... while i was waiting, i was talking to the receptionist.... i apologised to her for what she saw upstairs.... i said to her that i figured he would be used to someone turning up demanding money given how many calls we used to get with threats of breaking legs for this guy not paying suppliers.....

then she said to me "allan, so many make those threats, but you're actually the first one that's turned up here and done it in person!" - so i felt a bit special lol

about half hour later, he came downstairs with a printed remittance of 90% payment of what i was owed..... 2 grand was better than getting into another scuffle.... we chatted and apologised to each other for what happened - he said "must've worked though cause you got your money"

and he was right.

i won my battle.

i took on the 'man' and i got what i deserved...

so it's times like that which remind me how strong i can be when i have to stick up for myself.

*waves fist in the air* don't cross me or else!!

nah seriously, i hope i never have to do anything like that ever again... but at least i know, that if it comes down to it, i can fight the good fight and win it as well.

and that's just another reason why i rock! :-)