Jasper looked like he was eight months pregnant. Of course, men don’t get pregnant. But that didn’t prevent him from looking the part.

Jasper arrived at our home by appointment at 9:45 this past Monday morning. He arrived in a small panel truck with the name of the security company emblazoned in large letters on both sides of the truck.

Jasper’s first remarks were, “If I remember correctly, your control panel is behind heating pipes.” I confirmed his memory.

Two years ago I had installed a wood-burning auxiliary furnace beside the one that burns propane.

We’ve paid quarterly premiums for security to this company and its predecessor for 16 years.

When the company offered an upgrade of the system at a reasonable price, we accepted their offer and they scheduled Jasper to come last Monday to do the work.

What they had not told us was that they would ask for us to sign a three-year extension contract for their services. Jasper presented me with that document before he would begin his upgrade work on the system.

The first thing I noticed was that my cost was listed for $90 more than the price I had been given over the phone.

When I objected to that irregularity, Jasper phoned his home office for advice.

My position was that a contract was a contract whether verbal or in writing. If the price stayed high then we would decline the upgrade and Jasper could just make his way to his next appointment. There was no unpleasantness. We did our discussion with a smile and with courtesy. The home office reduced the asking price to what had been quoted over the phone.

Then we took the time to read their two-page, single-spaced, three-year contract.
The company representative had assured me that our quarterly fee would not be increased.

The contract allowed an increase after the first year. Reluctantly, I signed and then Jasper said he would begin the two-hour installation work. He didn’t get very far.

He had taken his tools and the box of replacement hardware to the basement. After a half hour, I found he had gathered up everything and was about to depart.

Jasper informed us that he could not get to the control panel to do the work because the heat pipes prevented access.

I was confident I could get to the panel and offered to do the work under his direction.
He rejected that notion, and perhaps on good grounds.

I demonstrated how I could get behind the pipes or alternatively behind the furnace.
Jasper watched, but remonstrated that his 240-pound weight and size prevented him from doing so.

He would ask his company to send out their “tall and skinny” technician to do the work.
Jasper, 56, is a prime candidate for a fatal heart attack.

I gave him a brochure describing the 10-week Lifelong Weight Management seminars beginning Jan. 17. I hope he will call our toll-free number, 877-528-8155 and reserve himself a seminar position.

He is not unlike many of us who need to lose a few of our excess pounds.

But also like many of us, he needs the science information and other know-how tools to be effective in getting free from his overweight limitations and hazards.