One Awesome Landlord

In addition to being an all-around Good Guy, Jerry Krampota is a third generation Texan with a Czechoslovakian heritage.  He’s a businessman, a neighbor, a fellow historian, a writer, and sometimes a comedian.  Plus, he’s been my landlord for the past 18 months and a good friend for more than a decade.

Tonight will be my last night here on Dumble Stret.  I’ll be shutting down my PC and getting it off the desk before bedtime.  The moving truck will be here bright and early tomorrow.  I’d like to share a story or two about my stay here if you don’t mind.  You know how us old folks are, right?

My best Krampota story is all about the possum who lived under the bathtub at my old house on Hill Street.  He must’ve missed me after I moved out (or maybe he just wondered why the house had become so quiet).  He crawled up through the floor of the little water heater closet and probably found a little snack.  That’s when I learned possums love to eat roaches.  So every time a realtor brought a potential buyer he probably went back below for a nap.  Except for that one time.  OMG.  I had to take the house off the market, and that’s when Jerry stepped up to the plate.

He took it upon himself to trap that critter once and for all.  He was relentless, checking several times a day until he discovered Possum’s game plan.  He tried to block off the door.  Possum came back anyway.  It was quite entertaining from my vantage point.  Long story short, Possum was finally located to somewhere out near Chocolate Bayou and we hope he is living happily ever after.

My second favorite Krampota story involves his lovely wife Peggy.  She’s not a native Alvinite but you’d never know it.  She’s listened to Jerry’s stories for more than fifty years, and her memory is excellent.  She volunteers at a local charity called the Landing Place, working with memory care patients.  She loves to cook.  She’s active in her church.  She’s always happy.  But the best part?  She usually invites me to join her family for her delicious meals on holidays, and she’s especially generous with the leftovers.

I’m really grateful to these good folks for adopting me and being my neighbors and earning my assessment of them as the best landlords in town.