Our Own Eldon

In Candace Bergen's TV sitcom Murphy Brown, there was a running joke about a house painter named Eldon. When Murphy Brown came home after a long day, Eldon would still be there. When she walked into the living room with her morning cup of coffee, Eldon would be there on his ladder. This went on for many weeks.
     We've acquired our own Eldon at the desert house. His name is Ron. At first Ron replaced and maintained the evaporative coolers on the roof. Then we hired him for a larger project: installing air conditioning in the half of the house that has a duct system. Lately he's been doing a variety of jobs such as installing an outdoor shower and replacing electrical wiring, outlets, switches, and breaker boxes. This last job looks like stretching out into the indeterminable future, since Ron works alone and very deliberately. He also talks to himself as he works. "Boy, this guy dint have no clue what he was doing," he'll mutter. Or "Wow! This switch is really old. I ain't never seen one this old before."
     Ron is careful, smart, and thorough. I'm looking forward to seeing him with my morning coffee for a while to come.