Name:
Jeffrey Alexander Childs
Born:
Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Status:
Married with one son.
Education:
Glooscap Elementary School
Kings County Academy
Kings Regional Vocational School
Kings-Tec Community College
School of Hard knocks 1989-2002
School of Self Preservation 2003 - Present
Location:
Raised in "Kentville", the heart of the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Currently lives on, and operates from Alcatraz, errr Bell Island, Newfoundland
Biggest influences / Special thanks :
- My wife for always believing in me when I didn't believe in myself,
- my son for making my life a whole lot more worth living
- my father "Jack"for teaching me the skills I needed to do what I do,
- my Grand Father "John Maynerd" RIP,
- Nan and "Poppy Gord"
- Wayne Fost and his incredible staff (Phillip, Sara, Jeremy, & Lora-lee) at the Paint Shop on Campbell Ave
- Ashley and the Gang at Color Your World ICI Paints, Torbay Road
- Steve Doyal and the gang at Witless Bay Home Hardware
- Wayne Squires at Bugden signs St. John's NL
- Gary Christy, Nicole, Stephanie, Megan, and Lori at RBC
- Victoria Larson, and her incredible products
- Paul Bradburry, for giving me back the gift of music
- Kerri, Cortney and the gang at the Esso for just "being cool"
- Perry and Amanda
- Barry and Debbie Simon
- Ken Wilds
- Michelangelo
- Leonardo de Vinci
- Rembrandt
- Fillippo Brunelleschi
- Dave Campbell and the gang at Empire Drywall in Edmonton Alberta (I"LL WORK FOR YOU ANYTIME DAVE!!!!!!)
- Ralph Lethbridge, Redwood Construction
- "Big Tom" and the crew at K-Rock (97.5 FM) for making the days go that much quicker
- Doris, Sara, Maria, Julia and George
- Mr. Dennis Avery & Mr. Boyd Taylor (former Kings Tec teachers)
- St. Joseph (who I pray to and thank each and every day before I start work to help me best utilize the god given talent I have been blessed with)
- Tommy Lee, Matt Sorum, Tommy Alderidge
- Paddy Carbage ( Quigleys Line, Bell Island) - for being the kindest man I ever met, and teaching me "it's eaiser to pitty than scorn"
- Rick Lamb (thanks for the crash course in being a DAD)
- Raymond Franz, for proving that 5 million people were/are in fact wrong for following the advice of 12 people
and
- Jasper Newton Daniel (just google it.)
The Saga:
As the story goes "Started in a closet with a 4" knife and a roll of tape in 1979 and whatever my dad or grandfather couldn't teach me I kinda figured the rest out from there. "
Primarily self taught in the art of ornamental plaster and mold pouring techniques.
For the past 30 years Jeff has been working in or closely around the residential/commercial field of interior drywall finish involving plaster and paint.
Hobies and Interests:
Exploring my craft and educating myself in it
Spending every minute I can with my wife and son
Devout Catholic and 3rd degree Knight of Columbus
Oakland Raiders Football team
My drums (some day those Pearl Master MMX cranberry fades will be mine)
Tattoo's (arm sleeve is coming along nicely)
Transport trucks, especially a certain1996 Freightliner FLD 120 serial number 490912
Jack Daniels, 3 fingers, 3 cubes (If I gotta explain, you'll never understand)
my "Shed"
www.highdescent.com
www.chiefsplanet.com (Mighty sad when a Raiders fan hangs on a Chiefs board)
Outlook on life:
In 1984 Mr. Dennis Avery, my sociology teacher, made me memorize and recite this poem in front of the class.
It's now my mantra.
It might not be word for word after all these years but here's the way I remember it.
Credit to the person who actually wrote it.
"You can do as much as you think you can,
but you'll never accomplish more ,
for if you're afraid of yourself young man,
life has nothing for you in store.
Failure comes from the inside first,
The answers there if you only knew it.
You will always succeed, though you face the worst,
But you have to believe you can do it."
Words to live by:
My motto, and company slogan
"I'll tell you a bad truth before a good lie." And lord knows I lived the other way around a for too many years.
"Illigitimus non carbondum est."
Greatest pleasures in life:
The day I married JoAnn
The day my son was born and making him laugh each day since
A great meal, with fantastic conversation, at a jaz bar
Watching the sun rise over the rim of the grand canyon
Having been lucky enough to discover 90% of North America over 12 years as a trucker
March 7, 2009 when I fulfilled a 10 year promise to myself
Waking up clean and sober for the first time in my life and to do so for the last 10 years and counting
Anything associated with the "Renaissance" period of our planets history
Having made it to 43 years old and not managing to kill myself, or someone else
Finding God in my heart and peace in my life and contentment at long last
Things I could do without:
Rudeness
Greedy people
People to lazy to work for an "honest living"
Pressurized religions who preach damnation if you don't succumb to THEIR beliefs
World poverty
Jealousy
Arthritis
Pet peeves:
- People who never seem to appreciate when others go out of their way for them.
- Those who simply can not drive or park a car, but yet get behind the wheel of one everyday
- Friends who continually take, but haven't learned the art of giving, or actually being there when YOU need a hand
Why the pony tail?:
A long time ago while working for "The Fat Man" ( the nick name given to the owner of a certain plaster and painting company who without mentioning any names lives out in the "Goulds" ), I got into an animated / heated discussion with my boss who was in a rather foul mood one day. I had been going at a pace of 16 hour days for 13 straight, to bail him out of an "over booked" situation and was a bit more than " tired & wired" as they say.
During the course of our very brief conversation he told me to get a hair cut and be clean shaven the next time he saw me or I would be on the unemployment line. (Nice appreciation for 2 weeks non stop INCLUDING Sundays you *****) excuse me folks..back to the story
Being the guy I am, I told him I'd cut my hair when he could look down and see his feet without the help of a mirror. ( this is the censored version folks, I wasn't referring to his feet, this guy is a real gem, and to this day I haven't spoken to him since I quit, as it really would serve no purpose)
For the better part of the next year while I was employed by this man he tried in vain to have me cut my hair, only to have me respond each and every time with a version of
"I'll cut it off for your funeral, you **** ".
At one point he even switched tactics and "Nice pony tail, how long are you going to let it go". met responses of "when it hit's the floor", "to my butt", "when you stop asking", etc.
Needless to say, he's still alive, I still have a pony tail, and the rest is history,.
But somewhere along the way it became my trade mark, and at least once a week or so I get a phone call asking "are you the guy from Bell Island with a pony tail" .
Parting thoughts:
When all else fails remember what I kept telling myself in the years I was trying to survive in a world destined to do me in.
"Life is what you make it, not, what others tell you it has to be"
And last but not least
"There were many who said I was crazy, there were many who said I would never be able to do it, there were many who tried to make sure I wouldn't do it but I did, I did it my way and I'm gonna keep doing it my way," Jeff Childs
PCPFWDSCPMWCDWMENM - ESABATM
(I know what it means and that's all that matters but if you're interested bring a bottle of Jack and we'll talk.)
