In the break room the other employees and I were discussing the strangest things we had ever seen at work. In general this is a very bland and basic job, without much excitement. Every once in a while something weird will happen. The best stories came from the old timers, who had been in the industry for decades. I’m glad I didn’t speak up, because some of the old stories were amazing, and made me feel like my own experiences were dull. Gus has been with the company since it was founded over twenty years ago. I could listen to Gus talk about the “good old days” of HVAC repair all day long! He has a story about fixing the broken A/C system at a swingers party for senior citizens that cracks me up every time I hear it. When no one else was around, Gus told me another story, one he hadn’t ever shared with another HVAC employee. In hushed tones, he explained how he had once found a large amount of money stashed in some ductwork. The money had been all chewed up around the edges, and some of it shredded, because an animal had used it to make a nest in the air duct. Gus had no idea where the critter had found so much money, but by the time he finished clearing out the ductwork he had over eight thousand dollars! Some of the bills were too damaged to spend, but most of them were OK. Gus never told anyone else at the HVAC company, because he wanted to keep the money.