@Scott th Ratbag - I am still puzzling what exactly your family motto is - being normal - or being 'Norm' as in the TV campaign?
I have a Norm story too; my husband, long dead unfortunately, was a hard worker, above all he had taught himself many building skills on top of his basic engineering training. ... and he bought old houses and we lived in them, sometimes with a hole in the ceiling and moonlight, sunlight streaming in - and renovated and sold. His last effort was highly ambitious, it was a disused Salvation Army citadel he had bought, without asking me, would i agree, etc. - but we had a lot of trust in each other anyway so no need. However, I was appalled at the amount of work that needed doing.
So: I made him promise he would hire extra labour, or at least a labourer from time to time. Along came 'Norm' - a handsome, muscly young guy with little education - so little in fact he didn't even know how to go about knocking down a little brick wall - I had to show him that you knocked it sideways and not on top . . . . many more hours of frustration followed for my very patient man, but "Norm" learnt - eventually - his hours were recorded on a door post and when the block was finally subdivided and sold, he got paid out a goodly sum - enough to buy himself a car.
I might add, he was the son of migrants, but we didn't know - in fact my husband was also born in 'his' country - again 'Norm' didn't know, didn't breathe he was anything but a tanned, blond Aussie guy - good-looking in fact.
So at the end of this his Dad rings up and thanks my husband for his patience and his honesty in finally paying his son - heavy accent etc. - my hubby asks him where is he from - turns out Hungary - then the question of 'Norm' "is that his real name?". No it wasn't, it was 'Arpad' - we all had a good laugh ( Arpad is an old Hungarian name - he could have chosen 'Paddy', but no it was 'Norm').
Many years later 'Norm' rang me wanting to know how my hubby was, I had to tell him he had died - 'Norm' broke down on the phone and cried - a nice 'Norm' and I sometimes wonder how he is faring.
and there was 'Norm' from the TV campaign 'Life be in it'? -
Are there more 'Norms' these days or are you a lonely survivor??
in fact if we all go 'politically correct' 'Norm' will be outlawed - perish the thought!!
Go well
Taurisk
