Memories of an Old Cabinetmaker

 

Dave and Steve

Those were their Anglicised names. They had immigrated to Canada from Bosnia back when Dave was still quite young. I called them by their Croatian names just because I think people prefer to hear their name in their own language. Steve brought the family to Canada to pursue better opportunities. I don't know all the circumstances surrounding their leaving the old country. After arriving in Canada, Steve's wife left him, so it was just Dave and Steve working together. The two of them brought a very knowledgeable mix of old and new to the table. They were good people to work for. I don't have any pictures of them, so the pictures in this article are just things I've found that I think are appropriate. Probably better that way. I don't want to mess with their privacy.

The Family Nose

Father and son both had the same very prominent nose. Dave was quite self-conscious about it but joked about it often. I didn't think it was that impressively large. Then again, in high school, I had an English instructor we called Zeke the Flavour Freak in reference to the old Froot Loops toucan. That, my friends, was a big schnoz.

Dave told me that when his mother first separated from his father, he would disguise himself with a fake moustache and spy on her. He laughed and said, "How could she not recognize the nose?"

His favourite nose story, though, was when he waited in line to get his passport. He watched the guy in front of him get a thorough inspection for unique scars. Dave, of course, being a lifetime cabinetmaker like his dad, looked over all the scars on his hands, wondering which one might be a unique personal feature to satisfy the official. When it was his turn, he started pointing out the various scars, and the official stopped him short, "Don't worry about it. I got the nose."

Language Barrier

Dave could speak English without any difficulty. Steve, on the other hand, had a lot of trouble expressing himself. He would also get mixed up on things I didn't expect.

We had a job come through the shop for a hobby shop that sold model trains. The work was quite complex and required a mix of solid wood, engineered wood, and orange melamine. The melamine was where Steve ran into trouble. I looked up from the piece I'm working on, and he's over at the saw, slicing up yellow melamine. I laid my tools down and ran over to stop him.

"No! No! It's supposed to be orange."

He smiled and nodded, "Dis orange."

"No! This isn't orange. This is banana."

A light went on in his eyes as he finally understood. I have a talent for understanding mutilated English. I think that's what they liked about me the most.

Exceptional Knowledge and Skill

As an industrial woodworker, I'm not really fond of cutting into solid birch. I called it zipperwood because a lot of those trees lived tortured lives before being turned into lumber. When you cut into them, the internal pressure gets released, and they bend all over the place. I have heard of a birch log in a sawmill breaking loose from the mill carriage after having the first slab cut off because of the amount of pressure grown into the log. I had to split a very long piece in another shop once, and I am only slightly exaggerating when I say I ended up with two pretzels.

Dave told me about a trip they made to the lumberyard to select materials. The salesperson showed them an impressive board and spent a great deal of time praising it. While he was doing that, Steve was carefully examining the grain. When the salesman was finished with his spiel, Steve told him that the tree had grown on a rocky hillside and they wouldn't be buying that useless piece of firewood. Dave shrugged to the salesman and said, "he used to go into the bush and get his own wood. He knows what he's talking about."

I doubt if I could figure out that much just looking at the grain of a piece of wood. The man deserves a little bit of credit.

Instrument Made From Wood

Dave showed me a picture of his dad as a young man during the thirties. He was part of a band with his friends. He was standing with his double bass (looks like a giant cello). He harvested and cut the materials himself and then built the instrument from the ground up. In the old black and white photo, that double bass looked flawless.

They Don't Make Them That Tough Any More

Early Monday morning, I arrived at work, and Steve greeted me as usual. He looked kind of different, though. He was a little more difficult to understand than normal as well. Sounded like he wanted me to call my dentist and make an appointment for him. I looked to Dave for help.

"Oh yeah, his teeth were hurting him too much on the weekend, so he took some pliers and pulled the remaining ones out himself."

Steve nodded and gave me a toothless smile. He wanted an appointment to get measured up for dentures. I wasn't as surprised by all of this as some people might be. I actually enjoyed sharing this with my dentist's receptionist.

He was genuinely tough. He was missing pieces of three different fingers. Dave told me that when he cut the tip off his thumb, he went to the hospital to sew it up and then went back to work.

During World War II, Croatia and Germany were allies. He spent most of the war doing woodworking, building planes for the Luftwaffe. When allied bombing got too much for his nerves, he walked home - on the eastern front. 

They just don't make them that tough anymore.

The Ravens Are Restless

Living in the bush allows a person to see things that they otherwise wouldn't, if they're paying attention. I have a bunch of issues on my mind right now and a walk often helps me sort some of those things out. I've been doing a lot of walking lately.

I was pacing down by the curve in the dirt track we call a road, where the horses used to be watered in a previous era. I heard an approaching rustle of wings and an intermittent Canada Goose call. Caught my attention because the geese usually don't come up by us. They nest close to the river and the only other place I ever normally see them is the cornfields in the fall. When the bird winged into view, it wasn't a Canada goose at all. It was a raven imitating the goose's call and it was getting a distant answer from the direction of the river.

Ravens are very intelligent and I imagine whatever game it was playing must work. Either eggs or goslings are on the menu. I'm not sure if I was a raven I'd be willing to mess with a goose. They can put up a heck of a fight. I had a call centre friend in Ontario who loved to golf. She swatted one into the bush next to the course and thought she might be able to find it and play it anyway. She came face to face with a mother goose with a nest full of golf balls. She decided to take the penalty.

A short while after seeing the goose imposter, I saw another raven getting dive bombed by a couple of smaller black birds. Must not be a lot of dead things laying around. I'll have to make point of running over a couple of racoons or something.

Rebuilding Credit: Our Story

Courtesy Pixabay

We didn't want to declare bankruptcy and I honestly thought that there could have been a better way. The big banks though really don't want to deal with it constructively and generally just send it off to a collections agency and let them be the bad guys. I can't see how that was to their advantage but suffice it to say, we couldn't get a remotely workable offer from them. Long term biting the bullet and getting everything settled was probably our best course of action. How we got to that point is a whole other story. This isn't about how the wheels fell off though. This is about how we rebuilt.

Putting the wheels in motion

Our first step was to research bankruptcy firms and set up an appointment. We contacted Alan Marshall and Associates and got an appointment with the top man himself. Surprised me since they are one of the largest firms of this type in maritime Canada.

He was helpful in looking at alternatives and reviewing our case. We discussed the costs involved and a basic timetable of how everything would play out. We would keep the family vehicle and had we a home we would have kept that as well. We were making payments on a small piece of property which was an unusual situation. Because the property was not in our name, it would not be affected by the bankruptcy provided we could somehow keep making the payments. There was the home in Ontario which we'd already given up as lost. We could keep it if we could get back there and live in it. That of course under the circumstances was impossible. There were no other major assets in play.

The bad news was that we would both have to declare bankruptcy because everything we did as a couple to that point had been done jointly. That effectively doubled how much we would have to pay the bankruptcy firm monthly (ouch).

After that we had a second meeting, signed all the necessary papers and set up our required counseling sessions. Those were far more dignified than we were expecting. From the start they told us that the fact that we were somehow surviving on our limited income meant there wasn't a whole lot they could teach us.

It was a painful first step and the nine months of payments were exceptionally difficult. We didn't eat very well, but we survived and had plans for moving forward.

Reestablishing Credit

At that point I had a huge advantage over other people in the same situation. Our bankruptcy counselor and our bank had recommended getting a secured credit card with Capital One. At the time I was working at a call centre in the applications department for Capital One. Through self study and experience, in some ways I knew more about rebuilding credit than many so called financial advisors.

Ideally we wanted a card with no annual and the smallest security deposit possible. Capital One occasionally offer a card with no annual fee. We prayed that we would receive one of those offers and we did. I could have gotten the offer anyway. I learned that the codes on the offers were not totally unique and several people could use the same offer code to apply for a card (if I still worked for them I could get it trouble for spilling that). I also knew from experience that people who declared bankruptcy once would not be required to pay any deposit at all provided they had not drawn out their financial woes for an extended period of time. We had crashed and burned over a relatively short period of time and we did not end up needing a deposit. We did make sure the credit reporting agencies were updated that our nine month period had been successfully passed. If they aren't updated, you will be asked for a big deposit or even declined. Francine and I both got separate credit cards and both are playing it the same way.

Just getting a credit card doesn't earn you any credit unless you use it. I also knew that if you use it and pay it in full each month you don't build any credit either. I bought a small machine (cheap chopsaw) for my wood shop on the card and paid it off over three months.

I am aware that there is a faster way after talking to a specific customer but we didn't have the financial resources to throw at the problem. This customer went from nine month waiting period completion to excellent credit in one year and I know how he did it. He got a card with Capital One and ran it up close to the limit (never over) every month and before the due date he paid it down to 25 or 30 percent of the balance. I don't know the exact percentage. I'm sure it's out there somewhere. He got another secured card with another company and did the same thing. We didn't have the financial where withal to imitate his success, but we had a solid enough plan.

Credit established!

Upping our game a step at a time

When building credit, two credit products are better than one. I can guess why but beyond that can't really explain. From working with credit card applications on a daily basis, I know it makes a difference.

We got a lucky break. Canadian Tire was running a promotion where you could apply in store. Every time one applies for credit it puts a “hit” on your credit when the bank checks your credit bureau file. Three hits within a short period of time can negatively affect you ability to secure credit. These hits drop off after three months. This opportunity came up outside of that time frame so there were no “hits” waiting in the background. I went and got approved for a card with slightly better terms than the one I already had with Capital One. Now I had my two credit products and I maintained very low usage on both of them. My wife tried to apply for one online from them but was denied. In person when possible does work better.

At this point in time we went through another round of financial body blows. Government housing wanted a ridiculous rent increase based on bonuses I was no longer receiving and I couldn't convince them to relent. That property we had managed to keep through the bankruptcy saved us. We were able to invest in electrical power for the camp and moved there. Gas prices went through the roof but I managed to eventually find work more locally. Finally the family vehicle was on its last legs and needed replacing.

When purchasing a replacement for the family vehicle, I got to sit through the process with a financial adviser. He was shocked at the deal we were approved for. Not only did the vehicle loan get approved but we were offered a preferred rate. He wanted to know how we'd rebuilt our credit on the income we had because this was beyond his experience. I grinned. To get the deal he said our score had to be in the above 800 excellent range.

Keeping it all under control

We were far more indebted at this point than we could be comfortable with. I am debt averse and would rather owe nothing. I didn't want the third product but didn't have much choice in the matter. I need the vehicle to get to work, if nothing else. We still were within our workable plan though and this moment was regarded as a debt peak we hope to never match again.

That fall we paid off our property and the deed was transferred into my name. That brought us modest debt relief. It also added an important asset to our credit file. Owning property outright makes a big difference when it comes to credit. It will open doors for us in the future.

At this point in the game my credit is exceptional with only the black mark of the bankruptcy itself hanging over me. That drops off after seven years and I'm not particularly concerned about it anymore. It is a milestone I'm looking forward to but it isn't earth shatteringly awesome. The hard work is already done. We've gotten credit, we used it, we made payments on time and in full. We just recently paid off my Capital One card and with be canceling it within the month. We aren't financially strong but we're managing and we have solid credit we can work with. I look forward to being debt free but I can't complain about the progress made considering the resources we've had to work with.

Final Words

I'm not a financial adviser and can't bear responsibility for the decisions of other, but hopefully our experience can be of benefit to those who might have to travel this road. This is not intended to be the last word in how to go about building credit. There is a lot that can go wrong. If you have to, seek out professionals, there are resources out there to help.

Three Reasons to Get Your Credit Report

Courtesy Pixabay

Credit scores and credit reports have risen in importance beyond their original intent. They were created to provide the banking industry with a tool to help them make better decisions in regards to offering credit to their customers. Now it is often required by employers, when hiring workers. Whether that is good or bad is not something I'll debate here. Suffice it to say, it is important for you to know what is on your credit report, because decisions that effect you are based in part or in whole on them. Here's three good reasons you should get that report.

1. Identity theft. This is probably the biggest scariest thing that could happen to your credit. You'll probably be aware of this issue before you get your credit report. The process for trying to resolve all the damage though will involve getting your credit bureau file. The information there will be needed to identify what information is yours and what is from someone else.
   
2. Mistakes. Think of all the things that could possibly go wrong. I have personally encountered a large number of errors on credit reports. I have come across similar names causing confusion, similar social security numbers and social insurance numbers, business id numbers confused with social security numbers and some outright errors that made no sense at all. When we got copies of ours in the course of our bankruptcy, my wife was listed as having been employed by a company we never heard of. During that time frame my wife was a stay at home mom with no outside employment at all. Knowledge is power. You want to know about these kinds of mistakes so that you can have them corrected. Even more common is information that should have been updated and wasn't.
   
3. Uncanceled credit cards or other accounts. I discovered this the hard way. If you pay off a credit card and don't ask to have it canceled, the account will continue to exist. Doesn't matter whether you cut the card to pieces and nobody has sent you an invoice showing your balance of zero in more than a decade. That card can come back to haunt you even if you don't owe a dime on it. That has happened to me. I've changed banks and credit card providers on several occasions. All those zero balance cards were reported on my bankruptcy even though I owed them nothing. It has and may create unnecessary problems for me. Go through your credit report and make sure every one of those accounts are closed.
   

I would encourage anyone who has not seen a copy of their credit bureau file in a very long time to take the time to order a copy from both Equifax and Trans Union. Those are the two main providers to the banks. The files will not necessarily be identical. Getting them both corrected if necessary is an important way to make sure you're treated fairly.

The Key to Understanding Credit Scores and Credit Reports

Courtesy Pixabay

The most important thing to understand about credit scores and credit reports is that they were not created for your benefit. They were created by the banking industry for the banking industry. They do not tell the bank whether you are honest or an all round good person. It is a tool that they use to estimate how much money they can make from you. If you learn nothing else from this, please understand this one point.

The bank is not your friend. It's great that you might have friendly interactions with their employees but ultimately they are at best a business partner. When they give you a bank account, loan, credit card or mortgage, they are not doing this as a favour. This is business. Their objective is to make money. Your debt is their bread and butter. As long as you are indebted to the bank, they are making money from the relationship and they like it that way. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it's important that you understand the relationship. Personally I would rather have no debt. On the other hand the bank would be happy if I was in debt to them for the entirety of my life. As long as we can pay, that's financial stability for them.

This has everything to do with credit scores. If you rarely use credit and when you do, you pay it off within a very short time, your credit score won't be very good. Sure you're honest, hardworking and responsible. That doesn't matter to the bank. You haven't demonstrated to the bank that you need them and that they have hope of making good money from you in the future. You can't get a great credit score without using credit.

A person who is piled up in debt even if they make the occasional late payment, will have a better credit rating than someone who has paid things cash all their life and owes nobody a cent. That may seem counter intuitive to the average person, but when you understand that credit ratings tell the bank whether they can expect to make money from a person, it should all start to make sense.

Banks are not really your enemy either. If you understand credit at the basic level I've given you here, you can start making these banking tools work for you instead of against you.

One Card Down

Courtesy Pixabay

Yesterday we had our income tax return deposited into our bank account and it allowed us to pay off one of the credit cards. That was a very gratifying moment. It was a long time coming but it marks an important step in overcoming our not so long ago financial disaster and subsequent bankruptcy.

Declaring bankruptcy is no fun and is best avoided. Unfortunately most people who do haven't been given any workable alternatives. We were determined that it not be the end of the world. Credit can be rebuilt and through working for Capital One I learned a great deal about how to go about it. I learned through additional self study online. It is my intention to write a series of short articles or blog posts to tell what we did and why, because I think it can be helpful for a lot of other people.

The card we paid off was the Capital One card I applied for specifically for rebuilding credit. Now that we've paid it off, it has reached the end of its usefulness to me. It is helpful to have two credit products in play but we picked up a third one last year when we bought the family minivan. My credit score at this point in time is excellent (well above 800 possibly close to 900). It is not possible to build it higher anymore. The only ways for me to have better credit worthiness is to make more money and have the bankruptcy drop off my report (which can only happen with time). There is no remaining reason to keep holding the card. There are several good reasons to get rid of it. I'll deal with that in the course of those articles.

This isn't to say that we aren't struggling with more debt than we're comfortable with. I'd really like to clear it all off. There are other things I'd like to be working toward. Becoming a credit guru isn't anything I aspire to. Still I've learned a lot traveling this bumpy road. Hopefully our experience can be a blessing for someone else.

Technical Retrieval

Big thank you to Wesley for helping retrieve some images from an older computer. Not only did he find the hard drive and recognize it as one from my old computer but he was able to access the files on it. It didn't have what we were looking for so we powered up the immediate predecessor to my current laptop. Sure enough we were able to locate the file containing a few drawings and water colours that I did in the past.

Now that I've got them transferred to a file I can readily access, I have to decide what I'm going to do with them. Francine doesn't want a gallery on her site with stuff that isn't hers, even though she does like my work. I'm considering setting up a free account on Fine Arts America in my name and then just adding a gallery to my blog. That would be the simplest. Alternatively I might try something with Zazzle.

Francine would like to see me take drawing and painting back up but I have enough hobbies and I'd rather at this point in time focus on my writing. I just don't have the time right now to devote to any other creative efforts of that sort. Not that part of me wouldn't mind doing it. Maybe when I retire.