Today, I asked Roberto Melendez for a job. Why today? Why not yesterday?...or a 5 months ago, when I cut my hours back at my "day job" in order to make boots? I don't know. I guess I was scared he'd say "NO", and I'd be left with my rather pathetic "plan b"...but today, I read Dan's post on the bulletin board... and suddenly, I pictured myself not making boots at all, but spending all my time battling spam-bots named "Pimp Vibe"...ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!....so I jumped in the Ranchero and headed downtown.

I had asked Mr. Melendez for a job almost a year ago. He told me a polite (yet discouraging) "maybe". Mr. Melendez hasn't seen my web site, so I'm not so sure he appreciates the extent of "my enthusiasm" for cowboy boots. Today, however, was different. I brought with me a box of leather samples...the ones I collected at Brownwood last year. It was just what he needed. I was helpful. He has some customers who want shoes and boots made, and he was having problems finding the leather he needed. Mr. Melendez was trained in El Salvador as a bootmaker, now he owns a shoe repair shop in Oakland, California...he's not quite "in the loop" leatherwise. He's gonna call Jeff Farmer, and the folks at G&H leather...once he gets the leather he's gonna call me, and I get to follow along. I told him I wanted to make and repair boots. I told him he didn't have to pay me until I got good at somethin'.

(...thanks Dan)